ivaldi forge

Initialize a new Ivaldi repository or import an existing Git repository.

Synopsis

ivaldi forge

Description

The forge command creates a new Ivaldi repository in the current directory. It:

Creates a .ivaldi directory for metadata and object storage
Initializes the main timeline
Sets up content-addressable storage
Creates initial workspace index

If run in an existing Git repository, it automatically imports:

Git refs as Ivaldi timelines
Git objects to Ivaldi format
Commit history with preserved metadata

Examples

Initialize New Repository

mkdir my-project
cd my-project
ivaldi forge

Output:

Initialized empty Ivaldi repository in /path/to/my-project/.ivaldi
Created timeline: main

Import Existing Git Repository

cd existing-git-repo
ivaldi forge

Output:

Importing from Git repository...
Imported 3 branches as timelines
Converted 42 commits
Initialized Ivaldi repository in /path/to/existing-git-repo/.ivaldi

What Gets Created

After running ivaldi forge, your directory contains:

.ivaldi/
├── objects/        # Content-addressable storage
├── refs/          # Timeline references
├── mmr.db         # Merkle Mountain Range database
├── config         # Repository configuration
└── HEAD          # Current timeline pointer

Configuration

After initialization, configure your identity:

ivaldi config --set user.name "Your Name"
ivaldi config --set user.email "your.email@example.com"

Or use interactive mode:

ivaldi config

Common Workflows

Start Fresh Project

mkdir new-project
cd new-project
ivaldi forge
ivaldi config
echo "# New Project" > README.md
ivaldi gather README.md
ivaldi seal "Initial commit"

Convert Git Repository

cd existing-git-project
ivaldi forge  # Automatically imports Git history
ivaldi status  # Verify import
ivaldi log --limit 5  # View imported commits

config - Configure user settings
status - Check repository state
gather - Stage files
seal - Create commit

Comparison with Git

Git	Ivaldi
`git init`	`ivaldi forge`
Creates `.git/`	Creates `.ivaldi/`
Uses SHA-1	Uses BLAKE3

Notes

Only run forge once per repository
Safe to run in Git repositories (non-destructive)
Git repository remains usable alongside Ivaldi
Default timeline name is “main”