@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ data Patch = Patch
   }
 
 instance Show (Branch m) where
-  show b = "Branch { terms = " ++ show (fmap Map.keys (terms b)) ++ 
+  show b = "Branch { terms = " ++ show (fmap Map.keys (terms b)) ++
           ", types = " ++ show (fmap Map.keys (types b)) ++
           ", patches = " ++ show (fmap fst (patches b)) ++
           ", children = " ++ show (Map.keys (children b))
@@ -148,7 +148,13 @@ createCodebaseOrError' path = do
         Control.Exception.bracket
           (unsafeGetConnection path)
           Sqlite.close
-          (runReaderT Q.createSchema)
+          (runReaderT do
+            Q.createSchema
+            runExceptT (void . Ops.saveRootBranch $ Cv.causalbranch1to2 Branch.empty) >>= \case
+              Left e -> error $ show e
+              Right () -> pure ()
+            )
+
       fmap (Either.mapLeft CreateCodebaseMissingSchema) (sqliteCodebase path)
 
 -- get the codebase in dir
 
@@ -22,9 +22,16 @@ next steps:
   - [ ] to get updates notifications, we could watch the sqlite file itself for changes, and check
   png
 - [x] consider using `causal` table to detect if a causal exists, instead of causal_parent?
+- [x] no root found, for new codebase?
+      .> ls
+
+        ❗️
+
+        I couldn't find the codebase root!
+
 - [ ] set-root-branch being called inappropriately on `pull`
 
-- [ ] weird error message?
+- [ ] weird error message when codebase doesn't exist
     C:\Users\arya\unison>stack exec unison
     unison.EXE: SQLite3 returned ErrorCan'tOpen while attempting to perform open "C:\\Users\\arya\\.unison\\v2\\unison.sqlite3": unable to open database file
 
 
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+# The empty codebase
+
+The Unison codebase, when first initialized, contains no definitions in its namespace.
+
+Not even `Nat` or `+`!
+
+BEHOLD!!!
+
+```ucm
+.> ls
+
+  nothing to show
+
+```
+Technically, the definitions all exist, but they have no names. `builtins.merge` brings them into existence, under the current namespace:
+
+```ucm
+  ☝️  The namespace .foo is empty.
+
+.foo> builtins.merge
+
+  Done.
+
+.foo> ls
+
+  1. builtin/ (335 definitions)
+
+```
+And for a limited time, you can get even more builtin goodies:
+
+```ucm
+.foo> builtins.mergeio
+
+  Done.
+
+.foo> ls
+
+  1. builtin/ (492 definitions)
+
+```
+More typically, you'd start out by pulling `base.
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ data Patch = Patch`
`33`	`33`	`}`
`34`	`34`
`35`	`35`	`instance Show (Branch m) where`
`36`		`- show b = "Branch { terms = " ++ show (fmap Map.keys (terms b)) ++`
	`36`	`+ show b = "Branch { terms = " ++ show (fmap Map.keys (terms b)) ++`
`37`	`37`	`", types = " ++ show (fmap Map.keys (types b)) ++`
`38`	`38`	`", patches = " ++ show (fmap fst (patches b)) ++`
`39`	`39`	`", children = " ++ show (Map.keys (children b))`