# 5.5. Create a new repository

To create a new repository into an existing directory (project) you have to run the init dialog. From the explorer context menu select TortoiseHg… ‣ Create Repository Here over the directory, or, within the folder, type thg init.

Repository Init Dialog

Destination

  Is the directory where the repository will be created. It is always filled with the current directory, so if you launch the dialog from the right directory there is no reason to change it.

Create special files (.hgignore, …)

  If selected TortoiseHg creates an empty `.hgignore` file in the working directory.

Make repo compatible with Mercurial <1.7

  If selected TortoiseHg creates an older format Mercurial repository. Do not check unless you have a strong reason to do, and you know what you are doing.

Show in Workbench after init

  When the repository was successfully created, it is added to the RepoRegistry, and opened in a new tab the Workbench.

Hg command

  This field displays the command that will be executed by the dialog.

Creating a new repository means create a subdirectory called `.hg`. In this subdirectory Mercurial keeps all its versioning information.

Warning

It is dangerous to manually edit the files in `.hg` directory, repository corruption can occur. `.hg/hgrc` is perhaps the only exception to this rule.

## 5.5.1. From command line

The init tool can be started from command line

    thg init

The syntax is

    thg init [DEST]

where [DEST] is the path to destination folder.