🚀 GitLab: From Local Folder to Remote Repo¶

📂 Initialize a Local Repository¶

Navigate to your project folder in the terminal
```
cd /path/to/your/folder
git init
```
This makes your folder a Git repository, then add your files and make the first commit:
```
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
```

Go to GitLab
Click New project → Create blank project.
Enter a name (e.g., my-project).
Don’t add README if you already have one locally.(If you do add one, see Section 5.)

On the GitLab project page, copy the repo URL:

HTTPS example:

git remote add origin https://gitlab.com/username/my-project.git

SSH example (recommended):

git remote add origin git@gitlab.com:username/my-project.git

    git branch -M main      # Ensure branch is called main
    git push -u origin main

If you created your GitLab repo with a README, you’ll see this error when pushing:
```
fatal: refusing to merge unrelated histories
```
Solution: Merge histories
```
git pull origin main --allow-unrelated-histories
```
- Resolve conflicts if prompted.
Then push again:
```
git push -u origin main
```
Alternative: Overwrite remote (⚠ destructive)
```
git push -u origin main --force
```
- Only use this if you don’t need the GitLab README or other remote history.

Stage & commit changes

git add .
git commit -m "Your message"
git push