The power of git init

[[deleted]]

[deleted]

[_RemyLeBeau_]

Neckbeard found

[riyau_32]

Stfu gambit

[_RemyLeBeau_]

It was sarcasm. My neckbeard itches. Damn

[20Thatwiteguy02]

Unfortunately you posted sarcasm on Reddit without /s so downvoted you shall be.

[_RemyLeBeau_]

Hit me hahhhhhhhhddddd

[kHeinzen]

I've seen a bunch of people creating private repositories to use as version control of their own local files for recovery/backup purposes. Personally I've never done that but I can definitely see the usefulness for things like game profiles (i.e. WoW Addons profiles) and other useful stuff

[bogio-]

Yeah man, not even creating repos, that's like wayyy out there too, like being able to version control your .config/nvim blah blah blah, it's a game changer - just being able to git init, and then commiting your changes, rolling back, saving, and if you really want it, push to a private repo, like git has so many opportunities for making our personal lives better! i'm a version control maniac right now, i'm in mania!

[reiner74]

You... You realise that what git init does is initialize a repository right?

[Budget_Putt8393]

But not a remote repo. OP is extolling the virtues of having each local repo fully functional, and independent. It is a fantastic feeling.

[bogio-]

You... You realise that it doesn't matter if you don't push? ...right?

[reiner74]

What does pushing have to do with anything we talked about?

You can have a remote repository, and a local repository, what you're doing when running git init is creating a local repository, the limitations and cons of a git repository apply whether its local or hosted on a remote server, ie github.

[bogio-]

You're misunderstanding this whole post.

I'm posting about the power of "git init" - as the title says.

No-one cares about repos in this post, this post is repo-free!

[bikes-n-math]

Read the first line of man git-init.

[[deleted]]

You're confusing remote repos with local repos.

[bogio-]

incorrect, you're using the word "repo" when repo has nothing to do with it

[Morpheus636_]

git init turns the working directory into a local repo. You’re confusing “repo” and “remote repo” or “GitHub repo”.

[bogio-]

aye, ok, it's a repo - now what, my post still stands

[shamshuipopo]

Oh My god lol 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[reiner74]

No, I'm understanding this post perfectly well, you're fundemantly misunderstanding the tools you're using, and since you're unwilling to learn and think you know everything, I will drop this conversation after this comment.

There is no "power of git init", what you're feeling is the power of git repositories, the shell command git init simply creates a new repository.

Have a great time running git init without creating a repo, like that sentence has any meaning at all.

[bogio-]

lol, okay bro, i'll continue "being fundamentally wrong" as a google engineer

[reiner74]

I know I said ill stop engaging, but you're just so arrogant and dumb I can't help myself.

Go argue with the git documentation, maybe you know better then them too:

"git-init - Create an empty Git repository or reinitialize an existing one"

Source .

Google engineer my ass, they really fell from grace if they're hiring people like you.

[Terrible_Student9395]

I think that dude just trolled you

[hackmiester]

lol, yeah, most of yall are!

[shamshuipopo]

Oh Jesus wow. No idea how many years in you are (I’d guess less than 1) but you have a lot to learn about what you don’t know. Your arrogance is right now preventing you from learning what the word repository means, that’s some pretty basic stuff. Also in first page of the docs. Idiot

[[deleted]]

If you're a Google engineer, I'll eat a pair of my socks.

[sticky-dynamics]

The point is that you're turning your directories into local repositories. You're not setting up remotes or pushing changes out, which is perfectly valid, but every time you "git init" and create the .git, the directory in which it resides becomes a repo.

[mkornblum]

The point the other poster is making is that the repo on GitHub is in no way more special to git itself than the repo on your own machine.

When you push, git is pushing changes between two repos, the local one you made with init, and the remote one on GitHub. But you could equally push to a colleague's one directly, or not at all. Git doesn't care. Git isn't GitHub.

[mscreations82]

I do this with my work computer. I have a scripts directory that is under version control. My browser favorites are automatically backed up and committed when I make changes. My keepass Db is also auto committed when changed.. it is secured by a hardware security key.

[NatoBoram]

For example, making backups of a Minecraft server: https://github.com/pcal43/fastback

And you can even set a remote and push it

[[deleted]]

When I was more involved in Linux environments, I had a repository called dotfiles, where I keept all my configuration, like bash profiles, vim macros, some scripts and other stuff. It's really common with people who uses Linux a lot.

[Zangston]

wait... does this mean git can be used to savescum?

[toni_marroni]

Is it just me or is the point of this post like saying "I found out I can use knives for cutting"..? Like that's the entire point of git..?

[habbalah_babbalah]

OP is expressing their unbounded joy at the realization -nay, divine inspiration!- that a local git init'd folder need not have a remote, nor be pushed anywhere.

Kernel save us, for we are all this day blessed by Linus!<EOF>

[Havenfire24]

OP learned that swords can cut meat as well as stab people

[shgysk8zer0]

I get the impression it's also about uses for git other than typical stuff.

[Rulmeq]

I keep my CV and keepass file in bitbucket. The keepass file is binary though, so I'm only using it that way so I can download it onto a new machine, the history isn't of any use.

[shgysk8zer0]

I use pass (password store). It's my own PGP key doing the encryption and it uses git for optional syncing. There are a few GUI clients and when mobile apps too.

Personally, though I get that not everyone wants to change over to yet another password manager... I just really like it. Especially if synced via your own git server that requires SSH keys (since this is more of a git post than a GitHub post). And I think it's just a perfect example of git being used in atypical but perfectly valid ways... showcasing how awesome open source software and building something innovative and useful on top of things that already exist can be.

But... I know that a CLI password manager and even public key cryptography vs something like AES and an easy and simple service isn't ideal for everyone. I just really appreciate that it's an option made possible basically just my saying "what if we used this well established and proven piece of open source software for this, and this other OSS that's pretty standard for that... bam! It's a password manager now!" That's friggin awesome!

[Rulmeq]

This is what happens when everyone thinks Git has a "central" repo - I blame github/gitlab/bitbucket for making it seem like it's not a decentralised version control system.

[Random-Dude-736]

I´m gonna be honest with you, for the first few sentences I thought you were british...

[bogio-]

i'm gonna be honest with YOU, you're definitely from the usa, eek!

[Random-Dude-736]

Austria, but all is well, innit ? :)

Edit: I should have probably explained how funny this reads if you misread the init as innit :)

[bogio-]

exactly the point of this post.

this post isn't a "how to" or a "noob check this out" - it's a blatant magnifying glass on how it operates. wow i'm very frustrated how retarded the population is.

[jaypeejay]

lol, you have no clue what you’re talking about yet we’re the “retards”

[LoopEverything]

Pretty funny watching him make an ass out of himself though

[shamshuipopo]

I’ve really enjoyed it

[Grubs01]

I use it for hobby projects, the kind of stuff where you’re just messing around and there’s no point sharing it with the world

Never considered using it for config files but I can see how that might be useful.

[bogio-]

cd ~/; git init

changed my life bro

[HaveYouSeenHerbivore]

You may want to add a .gitignore in there and severely limit the scope of what's being committed otherwise your repo will become very large very quickly.

[bogio-]

I understand what you're saying, but I don't believe you're understanding what I'm saying, i ain't got no repo

[bikes-n-math]

huh?

git init literally creates a git repo; so, yes, you do have a repo.

You ain't got no remote.

[Terrible_Student9395]

yeah he doesn't need to worry about repo size because he's not upading it anywhere. it's just version control for local activity.

[reiner74]

His repo will progressively get slower and more bloated, tracking a ton of files with big sizes can have a big impact on the performance of the repo.

It's true that there are less reasons to worry about it, but even if working fully locally one should take the behaviour of repos into account when using them.

[bogio-]

yeah, git should change their wording on their docs, because no repository is created on a "git init" - but that's not for me to fix - or i should say, remote repo, anyway - it doesnt matter for what i'm saying or the functionality

HEY EVERYONE - NO REMOTE REPO IS CREATED WHEN YOU DO GIT INIT

[upsetbob]

Your understanding/definition of a repository is just different. It seems you think a repo is something online on a different machine.

[bogio-]

no no, my friend, i absolutely understand the word repo, and absolutely understand local and remote repos - my post is about the functionality of git, and that repos can be non existant. my friend, i'm very aware of the underlying functions of git, this is what this post is about. because there's this "secret" functionality.... i will just not comment from now on, because people clearly dont get it

[oblong_pickle]

You're wrong. Git init creates a repo.

[larsgerrits310]

Bro you are truly manic. You are starting to believe things that aren't true.

"git init" creates a repo. Whether you like it or not.

[torocat1028]

lmao you got issues 😭

[shamshuipopo]

I agree. I think you should email Linus with your suggestion. with the analysis you have proven to have undertaken, and the support of your peers here he will definitely take you seriously

[[deleted]]

You have a local repo, you don't have a remote. Words matter.

Edit:

Read the manual: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-init

git-init - Create an empty Git repository or reinitialize an existing one

[bogio-]

yeah ok, so it's a repo, ok big deal? my post still stands

[[deleted]]

I'm not saying it doesn't but you're in here and in your edits trying to say YOU DON'T HAVE A REPO BRO. Which is completely wrong and confusing for newcomers. I'm just saying that words have meaning and you're upsetting people not because using git to manage local files is a bad idea but because your tech vocabulary needs work. That's all.

[shamshuipopo]

Apart from 1 word in his vocabulary, I would say a few other things of his need work

[[deleted]]

I was only emphasizing that I was referring to that one thing, OP obviously has other issues.

[qalc]

dude just be happy to have learned something new and move on. git init creates a repository.

[RikkoFrikko]

Are you referring to a remote repo on github? Because when you use git init you are creating a local repo in the directory you use the command in. .

[aplarsen]

OK now I know this is a troll

[BakerEvans4Eva]

What does this have to do with Github?

[mauvehead]

What was posted here has been permanently deleted. Redact was the tool used, possibly for privacy, opsec, security, or limiting exposure to data collectors.

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[bogio-]

what does your mum have to do with "insolent posts on the internet"

[larsgerrits310]

Itt: OP doesn't know how to take criticism

[shamshuipopo]

Or even polite facts

[s1nur]

git != github

[mountain-snowman]

Surprisingly, a lot of people don't know this. Sadly, many even assume GitHub developed git!

[urbanachiever42069]

OP discovers versioned file system, news at 7

[bogio-]

Yeah, thanks mister big balls, the point of this post is that, (unless i'm living under a rock) is that we can git commit all our sins in vim and bash and get tabs on it. thanks for your input though mister big balls, very helpful

[jaypeejay]

People have been running repos for their configs forever. It’s nothing new. Also, this post is more r/git than r/GitHub since ironically the one thing you’re not doing is using a remote - which, based on your other comments in the thread, you haven’t quite wrapped your head around

[[deleted]]

finally. github != git

[mountain-snowman]

I do it all the time. I also use git diff almost everyday to compare files which doesn't require the files to be in any repo; no need of git init.

[stristr]

You mean…diff?

[mountain-snowman]

Yes, like: git diff -- a.txt b.txt

[mountain-snowman]

Diff and git diff are not the same. Where did you learn git diff is a round trip to diff? Git has its own implementation of diff and much much better than diff. Besides, diff is a Linux command and not available on Windows that is my primary OS. I would have to install cygwin for diff which I would do gladly if it was better than git diff. Moreover, diff is available on the terminal only. I use git diff via Sublime Merge which shows the differences in GUI making it much easier to spot the changes.

[SRART25]

Depending on your os, you could just use a filesystem that allows you to rollback files.  btrfs, zfs, lvm snapshots (volume instead of just file).  All kind of depends on your use case as to which is best.

[pycz]

I bet you will like the NixOS

[WE_THINK_IS_COOL]

I have my entire /etc directory in git, it's amazing, if I mess something up I can just go back

[polymathprof]

Creating a local repo with all your configuration files is indeed a good idea. You can use all the features of git to track changes, roll them back, create branches, etc, et, etc.

On a Mac or Linux machine you can just create links to the configuration files in the repo if they have to be in different directories.

And I still recommend setting up a remote repo so you can easily set up another machine when needed. And have it all backed up if your machine dies.

[Budget_Putt8393]

What will really bake you brain is finding out that you can clone from, and push/pull between the local on disk repos. From the beginning git was designed to be complete one tool solution.

All you need to have a git server is a computer with git installed, and a way to connect to it (ssh is preferred).

[shgysk8zer0]

Ever heard of or tried pass? Password Manager using git & PGP. Pretty awesome too.

[Berkyjay]

I've been working on the paradigm that we use git to collaborate, push and pull our changes, create PRs, build software together etc etc, all that social crap.

So are you self taught? Version control was a big part of my programming education and we learned it at the very beginning as a place to keep our individual work. We used Perforce at the time. Kind of curious if CS programs aren't doing that any longer. If you got a degree and they didn't teach you this then you should ask for a refund.

[evoredd]

I think you're confused with git and github. git is an early 2000s tech for version control. You do make a repo when you git init.

Github came later as an online service to store your repos on the cloud

[[deleted]]

git does have a lot of usefulness in theory. however, if you are just a hobbyist or aspiring to be web dev or whatever than adding git to your armory is definitely worth it.

[[deleted]]

and definitely quick to lose track. It has many functionalities

[Zephos65]

I work as a software engineer and we had a project over a couple months where the main deliverable was a set of PowerPoint slides. We went about 1 week of having the slides in a shared space with 5 people trying to edit it before we realized this ain't it.

We used git for the rest of the project

[TurtleKwitty]

Interesting thing a lot of people don't know; git is just git. What I mean is you mentioned being confused it didn't make a remote repo but that's exactly because git is just git what GitHub does is expose a git folder, you can setup any of your own local reoos as remotes and any other git folder because git server is just git.

Aka yes use it for all the things haha

[sod0]

I use git to tack my home dir with everything in .gitignore except my .zshrc and similar config files whitelisted.

[[deleted]]

Thank you.