Submodules are composed from a so-called `gitlink` tree entry
in the main repository that refers to a particular commit object
within the inner repository that is completely separate.
-A record in the `.gitmodules` file at the root of the source
-tree assigns a logical name to the submodule and describes
-the default URL the submodule shall be cloned from.
+A record in the `.gitmodules` (see linkgit:gitmodules[5]) file at the
+root of the source tree assigns a logical name to the submodule and
+describes the default URL the submodule shall be cloned from.
The logical name can be used for overriding this URL within your
local repository configuration (see 'submodule init').
init::
Initialize the submodules, i.e. register each submodule name
and url found in .gitmodules into .git/config.
+ It will also copy the value of `submodule.$name.update` into
+ .git/config.
The key used in .git/config is `submodule.$name.url`.
This command does not alter existing information in .git/config.
You can then customize the submodule clone URLs in .git/config
checkout the commit specified in the index of the containing repository.
This will make the submodules HEAD be detached unless `--rebase` or
`--merge` is specified or the key `submodule.$name.update` is set to
- `rebase` or `merge`.
+ `rebase`, `merge` or `none`. `none` can be overridden by specifying
+ `--checkout`.
+
If the submodule is not yet initialized, and you just want to use the
setting as stored in .gitmodules, you can automatically initialize the
sync::
Synchronizes submodules' remote URL configuration setting
to the value specified in .gitmodules. It will only affect those
- submodules which already have an url entry in .git/config (that is the
+ submodules which already have a URL entry in .git/config (that is the
case when they are initialized or freshly added). This is useful when
submodule URLs change upstream and you need to update your local
repositories accordingly.