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atomic init

Initialize a new Atomic repository in the current or specified directory.

Synopsis​

atomic init [OPTIONS] [PATH]

Description​

The init command creates a new Atomic repository by setting up the necessary directory structure and database files. This includes:

  • Creating a .atomic directory with the pristine database
  • Initializing a default view (usually named "main")
  • Creating an .ignore file based on the project kind (if specified)
  • Setting up the repository configuration

Unlike some version control systems, atomic init creates a fully functional distributed repository with no dependency on a central server.

Options​

--view <NAME>​

Set the name of the initial view. If not specified, defaults to "main".

atomic init --view develop

-k, --kind <KIND>​

Specify the project kind to automatically configure the .ignore file with appropriate patterns. Atomic supports various project types:

  • rust - Rust projects (ignores target/, Cargo.lock for libraries, etc.)
  • node - Node.js projects (ignores node_modules/, etc.)
  • python - Python projects (ignores __pycache__/, *.pyc, etc.)
atomic init --kind rust

[PATH]​

The directory path where the repository should be initialized. If not specified, initializes in the current directory.

atomic init /path/to/project
atomic init .
atomic init myproject

Examples​

Initialize in Current Directory​

atomic init

Creates a new repository in the current directory with default settings (view named "main").

Initialize with Custom View Name​

atomic init --view develop

Creates a repository with the initial view named "develop" instead of "main".

Initialize a Rust Project​

atomic init --kind rust myproject

Creates a new repository in the myproject directory with Rust-specific ignore patterns.

Initialize with All Options​

atomic init --view main --kind rust ~/projects/new-app

Creates a Rust project repository at ~/projects/new-app with the "main" view.

Repository Structure​

After running atomic init, your directory will contain:

.atomic/
├── pristine/          # redb database for repository state
├── config.toml        # Repository-specific configuration
└── changes/           # Directory for change files (created on first record)

.ignore                # Ignore patterns (if --kind was specified)

Notes​

  • Idempotency: Running init in a directory that already contains a .atomic folder will result in an error.
  • Working Copy: The working copy (your actual files) remains unchanged by init. Use atomic add to start tracking files.
  • Distributed: Every Atomic repository is complete and independent. There's no concept of a "central" repository.
  • View: The initial view represents your main line of development. You can create additional views later with atomic view create.

Configuration​

After initialization, you can configure the repository by editing .atomic/config.toml:

[author]
username = "username"
display_name = "Your Name"

[remote "origin"]
ssh = "ssh://user@host/path/to/repo"

Or use the global configuration at ~/.config/atomic/config.toml.

See Also​

  • Views - Independent lines of development (similar to branches)
  • Pristine - The database that stores repository state
  • Working Copy - Your actual files on disk