What is a Repository?

A Git repository, often referred to as a "repo," is a storage location for your project's files, as well as the entire history of changes made to those files.

This comprehensive history allows you to track, manage, and collaborate on your project effectively. When you create a repository, Git starts allowing you to track changes in files you choose to monitor, enabling you to review, revert, or merge those changes easily.

Git repositories can be created from scratch locally or by copying an existing one. Remote repositories will be covered later in another course. For now, focus on creating a local repository.

Creating a Local Repository

To create a Git repository for your project, follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Create Your Project Directory

Use the mkdir (make directory) command to create an empty directory:

mkdir name_of_directory

Here, name_of_directory is the name of the directory you want to create. Name your project directory GitEssentials:

Step 2: Navigate to Your Project Directory

Before creating a Git repository, you need to be inside the directory that contains your project files. Use the cd command to navigate to your project's root directory:

cd /path/to/your/project

Replace /path/to/your/project with the actual path to your project directory:

Step 3: Initialize a Git Repository

When you are inside your project directory, use the git init command to initialize a Git repository:

Take a look at the following example:

If you see a similar hint, you can ignore it for now. Focus on the following message:

Initialized empty Git repository in /Users/sidak.kryryl/GitEssentials/.git/

The git init command creates a hidden directory named .git inside your project folder. This directory contains all the files and data that Git needs to manage your project. The .git directory will be discussed in more detail in the next chapters.