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+# Creating a new repo from scratch
+
+This works for anyone in the `@creators` gitolite group (currently
+`bryan` and `red`). You don't need to ask an admin to declare the repo
+first — pushing to a name under your own `personal/<you>/...` namespace
+creates it automatically.
+
+## 1. Pick a name
+
+```
+personal/<your-username>/<reponame>
+```
+
+e.g. `personal/bryan/my-project`. You can only create repos under your
+own username segment — gitolite checks the pushing user's identity
+against that path component, so `red` can create `personal/red/...` but
+gets denied on `personal/bryan/...`.
+
+## 2. Clone the (not-yet-existing) repo
+
+```bash
+git clone git@git.veltar.systems:personal/bryan/my-project
+```
+
+Git will warn "you appear to have cloned an empty repository" — that's
+expected, it doesn't exist on the server yet.
+
+## 3. Add something and push
+
+```bash
+cd my-project
+echo "# my-project" > README.md
+git add README.md
+git commit -m "Initial commit"
+git push -u origin master   # or main, whichever branch you're on
+```
+
+That push is what actually creates the bare repo on gwaihir. From here
+on it's a completely normal git remote.
+
+## 4. (Optional) give someone else access
+
+You own this repo (`RW+`) and can grant others access yourself, without
+an admin editing any config:
+
+```bash
+ssh git@git.veltar.systems perms personal/bryan/my-project + RW someone
+```
+
+Use `RW+` instead of `RW` if they should also be able to force-push /
+rewrite history. To revoke, replace `+` with `-`:
+
+```bash
+ssh git@git.veltar.systems perms personal/bryan/my-project - RW someone
+```
+
+## What this doesn't do
+
+Creating the repo does **not** make it visible on the web UI
+(`git.veltar.systems`) — it's SSH-only until an admin explicitly adds it
+to cgit's config. See [making-a-repo-public.md](making-a-repo-public.md).