DESCRIPTION
-----------
-The `.gitmodules` file, located in the top-level directory of a git
+The `.gitmodules` file, located in the top-level directory of a Git
working tree, is a text file with a syntax matching the requirements
of linkgit:git-config[1].
The file contains one subsection per submodule, and the subsection value
-is the name of the submodule. Each submodule section also contains the
+is the name of the submodule. The name is set to the path where the
+submodule has been added unless it was customized with the `--name`
+option of 'git submodule add'. Each submodule section also contains the
following required keys:
submodule.<name>.path::
- Defines the path, relative to the top-level directory of the git
+ Defines the path, relative to the top-level directory of the Git
working tree, where the submodule is expected to be checked out.
The path name must not end with a `/`. All submodule paths must
be unique within the .gitmodules file.
submodule.<name>.url::
- Defines an url from where the submodule repository can be cloned.
+ Defines a URL from which the submodule repository can be cloned.
+ This may be either an absolute URL ready to be passed to
+ linkgit:git-clone[1] or (if it begins with ./ or ../) a location
+ relative to the superproject's origin repository.
+
+In addition, there are a number of optional keys:
+
+submodule.<name>.update::
+ Defines the default update procedure for the named submodule,
+ i.e. how the submodule is updated by "git submodule update"
+ command in the superproject. This is only used by `git
+ submodule init` to initialize the configuration variable of
+ the same name. Allowed values here are 'checkout', 'rebase',
+ 'merge' or 'none'. See description of 'update' command in
+ linkgit:git-submodule[1] for their meaning. Note that the
+ '!command' form is intentionally ignored here for security
+ reasons.
+
+submodule.<name>.branch::
+ A remote branch name for tracking updates in the upstream submodule.
+ If the option is not specified, it defaults to 'master'. A special
+ value of `.` is used to indicate that the name of the branch in the
+ submodule should be the same name as the current branch in the
+ current repository. See the `--remote` documentation in
+ linkgit:git-submodule[1] for details.
+
+submodule.<name>.fetchRecurseSubmodules::
+ This option can be used to control recursive fetching of this
+ submodule. If this option is also present in the submodules entry in
+ .git/config of the superproject, the setting there will override the
+ one found in .gitmodules.
+ Both settings can be overridden on the command line by using the
+ "--[no-]recurse-submodules" option to "git fetch" and "git pull".
+
+submodule.<name>.ignore::
+ Defines under what circumstances "git status" and the diff family show
+ a submodule as modified. The following values are supported:
+
+ all;; The submodule will never be considered modified (but will
+ nonetheless show up in the output of status and commit when it has
+ been staged).
+
+ dirty;; All changes to the submodule's work tree will be ignored, only
+ committed differences between the HEAD of the submodule and its
+ recorded state in the superproject are taken into account.
+
+ untracked;; Only untracked files in submodules will be ignored.
+ Committed differences and modifications to tracked files will show
+ up.
+
+ none;; No modifiations to submodules are ignored, all of committed
+ differences, and modifications to tracked and untracked files are
+ shown. This is the default option.
+
+ If this option is also present in the submodules entry in .git/config
+ of the superproject, the setting there will override the one found in
+ .gitmodules.
+ Both settings can be overridden on the command line by using the
+ "--ignore-submodule" option. The 'git submodule' commands are not
+ affected by this setting.
+
+submodule.<name>.shallow::
+ When set to true, a clone of this submodule will be performed as a
+ shallow clone (with a history depth of 1) unless the user explicitly
+ asks for a non-shallow clone.
EXAMPLES
This defines two submodules, `libfoo` and `libbar`. These are expected to
be checked out in the paths 'include/foo' and 'include/bar', and for both
-submodules an url is specified which can be used for cloning the submodules.
+submodules a URL is specified which can be used for cloning the submodules.
SEE ALSO
--------
linkgit:git-submodule[1] linkgit:git-config[1]
-DOCUMENTATION
--------------
-Documentation by Lars Hjemli <hjemli@gmail.com>
-
GIT
---
Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite