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Creating Your First Git Repository

Now that you have Git installed and configured, it's time to create your first repository! In this lesson, you'll learn how to initialize a Git repository and understand what happens behind the scenes.

Learning Goals:

  • Initialize a new Git repository using git init
  • Understand the structure of the .git directory
  • Create your first repository from scratch
  • Verify repository initialization

Initializing a Git Repository​

To start tracking your project with Git, you need to create a repository. This is done using the git init command.

Terminal - Creating a new repository
mkdir my-first-project
cd my-first-project
git init

After running these commands, you should see output similar to:

Initialized empty Git repository in /path/to/your/my-first-project/.git/
tip

Always run git init from within your project directory. If you're starting a new project, create the directory first, then navigate into it before initializing Git.

Understanding the .git Directory​

When you initialize a Git repository, Git creates a hidden .git directory in your project root. This directory contains all the metadata and object database for your repository.

Terminal - Viewing the .git directory
ls -la

You should see output showing the .git folder:

drwxr-xr-x   3 user  staff   96 Jan 15 10:30 .
drwxr-xr-x  15 user  staff  480 Jan 15 10:30 ..
drwxr-xr-x  10 user  staff  320 Jan 15 10:30 .git

Let's explore what's inside:

Terminal - Exploring .git structure
ls -la .git/

The key components you'll see include:

  • HEAD - points to the current branch
  • config - repository-specific configuration
  • objects/ - stores all repository content
  • refs/ - stores pointers to commits (branches and tags)
warning

Don't manually modify files in the .git directory unless you know exactly what you're doing. Corruption of these files can make your repository unusable.

Creating Your First Project​

Let's create a simple project structure to practice with:

Terminal - Creating project files
echo "# My First Project" > README.md
mkdir src
echo "console.log('Hello, Git!');" > src/main.js

Now your project structure should look like:

my-first-project/
 .git/
 README.md
 src/
     main.js

Verifying Repository Status​

You can check the status of your repository at any time using git status:

Terminal - Checking repository status
git status

You should see output indicating that you have untracked files:

On branch main

No commits yet

Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
    README.md
    src/

nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track)

Repository Configuration Check​

Let's verify our repository is properly configured:

Terminal - Checking repository config
git config --list

This shows both global and repository-specific configuration. You should see your name and email from the previous lesson, plus repository-specific settings.

Common Pitfalls​

  • Initializing in the wrong directory: Make sure you're in your project root before running git init
  • Nested repositories: Avoid running git init inside an existing repository, as this creates a submodule
  • Case sensitivity: Git is case-sensitive on most systems - MyFile.js and myfile.js are different files
  • Permission issues: Ensure you have write permissions in the directory where you're initializing the repository
  • Forgetting to check status: Always use git status to verify your repository state before proceeding

Summary​

In this lesson, you successfully:

  • Created a new Git repository using git init
  • Understood the purpose of the .git directory
  • Created a simple project structure
  • Verified your repository status and configuration

Your repository is now ready for tracking changes! In the next lesson, you'll learn how to add files to staging and make your first commit.

Quiz​

Initializing a Git Repository – Quick Check

What command initializes a new Git repository?

Question 1/5