title: Creating a README.md in GitLab
body: <p>I created a new blank project in GitLab (in the browser). I checked the &quot;Initialize repository with a README&quot; box. But when opening it, it says: &quot;The repository for this project is empty.&quot; I assume I still need to initialize a README.md file so that the main branch exists? So in the command line I tried (I am using windows 10):</p>
  <pre><code>git clone https://gitlab.com/url/myproject.git
  cd myproject
  git switch -c main
  touch README.md
  git add README.md
  git commit -m &quot;add README&quot;
  </code></pre>
  <p>But it says:</p>
  <pre><code>C:\Users\me&gt;git clone https://gitlab.com/ur/myproject.git
  fatal: destination path 'myproject' already exists and is not an empty directory.
  
  C:\Users\me&gt;cd myproject
  
  C:\Users\me\myproject&gt;git switch -c main
  fatal: A branch named 'main' already exists.
  
  C:\Users\me\myproject&gt;touch README.md
  'touch' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
  operable program or batch file.
  
  C:\Users\me\myproject&gt;git add README.md
  
  C:\Users\me\myproject&gt;git commit -m &quot;add README&quot;
  
  On branch main
  Your branch is based on 'origin/main', but the upstream is gone.
    (use &quot;git branch --unset-upstream&quot; to fixup)
  
  nothing to commit, working tree clean
  </code></pre>
  <p>My project is still empty and I can't add or push anything. Why?</p>
  <p>EDIT: If I navigate to the project and do <code>dir</code>, I get (I only deleted the volume serial number):</p>
  <pre><code>C:\Users\me\myproject&gt;dir
   Volume in drive C has no label.
   Volume Serial Number is ...
  
   Directory of C:\Users\me\myproject
  
  13.12.2021  09:29    &lt;DIR&gt;          .
  13.12.2021  09:29    &lt;DIR&gt;          ..
  13.12.2021  09:29                 0 README.md
                 1 File(s)              0 bytes
                 2 Dir(s)  112.515.997.696 bytes free
  </code></pre>