diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -1644,8 +1644,8 @@ def config(ui, repo, *values, **opts):
                 samplehgrc = uimod.samplehgrcs['user']
 
             f = paths[0]
-            fp = open(f, "w")
-            fp.write(samplehgrc)
+            fp = open(f, "wb")
+            fp.write(util.tonativeeol(samplehgrc))
             fp.close()
 
         editor = ui.geteditor()
diff --git a/mercurial/hg.py b/mercurial/hg.py
--- a/mercurial/hg.py
+++ b/mercurial/hg.py
@@ -641,11 +641,11 @@ def clone(ui, peeropts, source, dest=Non
         destrepo = destpeer.local()
         if destrepo:
             template = uimod.samplehgrcs['cloned']
-            fp = destrepo.vfs("hgrc", "w", text=True)
+            fp = destrepo.vfs("hgrc", "wb")
             u = util.url(abspath)
             u.passwd = None
-            defaulturl = str(u)
-            fp.write(template % defaulturl)
+            defaulturl = bytes(u)
+            fp.write(util.tonativeeol(template % defaulturl))
             fp.close()
 
             destrepo.ui.setconfig('paths', 'default', defaulturl, 'clone')
diff --git a/mercurial/ui.py b/mercurial/ui.py
--- a/mercurial/ui.py
+++ b/mercurial/ui.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ git = 1
 
 samplehgrcs = {
     'user':
-"""# example user config (see 'hg help config' for more info)
+b"""# example user config (see 'hg help config' for more info)
 [ui]
 # name and email, e.g.
 # username = Jane Doe <jdoe@example.com>
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ username =
 """,
 
     'cloned':
-"""# example repository config (see 'hg help config' for more info)
+b"""# example repository config (see 'hg help config' for more info)
 [paths]
 default = %s
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ default = %s
 """,
 
     'local':
-"""# example repository config (see 'hg help config' for more info)
+b"""# example repository config (see 'hg help config' for more info)
 [paths]
 # path aliases to other clones of this repo in URLs or filesystem paths
 # (see 'hg help config.paths' for more info)
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ default = %s
 """,
 
     'global':
-"""# example system-wide hg config (see 'hg help config' for more info)
+b"""# example system-wide hg config (see 'hg help config' for more info)
 
 [ui]
 # uncomment to disable color in command output