git diff --name-only --diff-filter=D -z | xargs -0 git rm --cached
----------------
-Submodules
-~~~~~~~~~~
+SUBMODULES
+----------
Only submodules using a gitfile (which means they were cloned
with a Git version 1.7.8 or newer) will be removed from the work
tree, as their repository lives inside the .git directory of the
superproject. If a submodule (or one of those nested inside it)
still uses a .git directory, `git rm` will fail - no matter if forced
-or not - to protect the submodule's history.
+or not - to protect the submodule's history. If it exists the
+submodule.<name> section in the linkgit:gitmodules[5] file will also
+be removed and that file will be staged (unless --cached or -n are used).
A submodule is considered up-to-date when the HEAD is the same as
recorded in the index, no tracked files are modified and no untracked
Ignored files are deemed expendable and won't stop a submodule's work
tree from being removed.
+If you only want to remove the local checkout of a submodule from your
+work tree without committing the removal,
+use linkgit:git-submodule[1] `deinit` instead.
+
EXAMPLES
--------
`git rm Documentation/\*.txt`::
(i.e. you are listing the files explicitly), it
does not remove `subdir/git-foo.sh`.
+BUGS
+----
+Each time a superproject update removes a populated submodule
+(e.g. when switching between commits before and after the removal) a
+stale submodule checkout will remain in the old location. Removing the
+old directory is only safe when it uses a gitfile, as otherwise the
+history of the submodule will be deleted too. This step will be
+obsolete when recursive submodule update has been implemented.
+
SEE ALSO
--------
linkgit:git-add[1]