Git Cheat Sheet · Getting started

Create a repository

Q: How do I undo a git init?

Delete the .git folder at the root of the project. Your files stay intact; only the Git history goes away.

Q: How do I make main the default branch for all repositories?

Run git config --global init.defaultBranch main once.

git init

To create a Git repository, go to the project folder and run git init. Git creates a hidden .git subfolder that will hold the whole history. Your files are not tracked yet: you need to stage them, then make a first commit.

By Julien Dudek, author of Merathon · published on 4 November 2026

What it does

Turns a folder into a git repository: the history is stored in its .git subfolder.

A use case

You have a folder of scripts that was never versioned and you want to start tracking its changes.

On the command line

git init: Turns the current folder into a Git repository.
git init <folder>: Creates the folder if it does not exist, then initializes it.
git init -b main: Sets the name of the first branch (main rather than master).
git add -A && git commit -m "First commit": Records the initial state of the project.

In Merathon

Open the repository menu (logo at the top left).
Choose "Initialize…" then select the folder.

Frequently asked questions

How do I undo a git init?

Delete the .git folder at the root of the project. Your files stay intact; only the Git history goes away.

Do I need to run git init after a git clone?

No. A cloned repository is already initialized and linked to its "origin" remote.

How do I make main the default branch for all repositories?

Run git config --global init.defaultBranch main once.