SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
-'git submodule' [--quiet] add [-b branch] [-f|--force]
+'git submodule' [--quiet] add [-b <branch>] [-f|--force] [--name <name>]
[--reference <repository>] [--] <repository> [<path>]
'git submodule' [--quiet] status [--cached] [--recursive] [--] [<path>...]
'git submodule' [--quiet] init [--] [<path>...]
-'git submodule' [--quiet] update [--init] [-N|--no-fetch] [--rebase]
- [--reference <repository>] [--merge] [--recursive] [--] [<path>...]
-'git submodule' [--quiet] summary [--cached|--files] [--summary-limit <n>] [commit] [--] [<path>...]
+'git submodule' [--quiet] deinit [-f|--force] [--] <path>...
+'git submodule' [--quiet] update [--init] [--remote] [-N|--no-fetch]
+ [-f|--force] [--rebase] [--reference <repository>]
+ [--merge] [--recursive] [--] [<path>...]
+'git submodule' [--quiet] summary [--cached|--files] [(-n|--summary-limit) <n>]
+ [commit] [--] [<path>...]
'git submodule' [--quiet] foreach [--recursive] <command>
'git submodule' [--quiet] sync [--] [<path>...]
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').
to exist in the superproject. If <path> is not given, the
"humanish" part of the source repository is used ("repo" for
"/path/to/repo.git" and "foo" for "host.xz:foo/.git").
+The <path> is also used as the submodule's logical name in its
+configuration entries unless `--name` is used to specify a logical name.
+
<repository> is the URL of the new submodule's origin repository.
This may be either an absolute URL, or (if it begins with ./
or ../), the location relative to the superproject's origin
-repository.
+repository (Please note that to specify a repository 'foo.git'
+which is located right next to a superproject 'bar.git', you'll
+have to use '../foo.git' instead of './foo.git' - as one might expect
+when following the rules for relative URLs - because the evaluation
+of relative URLs in Git is identical to that of relative directories).
+If the superproject doesn't have an origin configured
+the superproject is its own authoritative upstream and the current
+working directory is used instead.
+
<path> is the relative location for the cloned submodule to
exist in the superproject. If <path> does not exist, then the
submodule is created by cloning from the named URL. If <path> does
-exist and is already a valid git repository, then this is added
+exist and is already a valid Git repository, then this is added
to the changeset without cloning. This second form is provided
to ease creating a new submodule from scratch, and presumes
the user will later push the submodule to the given URL.
initialized, `+` if the currently checked out submodule commit
does not match the SHA-1 found in the index of the containing
repository and `U` if the submodule has merge conflicts.
- This command is the default command for 'git submodule'.
+
-If '--recursive' is specified, this command will recurse into nested
+If `--recursive` is specified, this command will recurse into nested
submodules, and show their status as well.
++
+If you are only interested in changes of the currently initialized
+submodules with respect to the commit recorded in the index or the HEAD,
+linkgit:git-status[1] and linkgit:git-diff[1] will provide that information
+too (and can also report changes to a submodule's work tree).
init::
- Initialize the submodules, i.e. register each submodule name
- and url found in .gitmodules into .git/config.
+ Initialize the submodules recorded in the index (which were
+ added and committed elsewhere) by copying submodule
+ names and urls from .gitmodules to .git/config.
+ Optional <path> arguments limit which submodules will be initialized.
+ 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
the explicit 'init' step if you do not intend to customize
any submodule locations.
+deinit::
+ Unregister the given submodules, i.e. remove the whole
+ `submodule.$name` section from .git/config together with their work
+ tree. Further calls to `git submodule update`, `git submodule foreach`
+ and `git submodule sync` will skip any unregistered submodules until
+ they are initialized again, so use this command if you don't want to
+ have a local checkout of the submodule in your work tree anymore. If
+ you really want to remove a submodule from the repository and commit
+ that use linkgit:git-rm[1] instead.
++
+If `--force` is specified, the submodule's work tree will be removed even if
+it contains local modifications.
+
update::
Update the registered submodules, i.e. clone missing submodules and
checkout the commit specified in the index of the containing repository.
- This will make the submodules HEAD be detached unless '--rebase' or
- '--merge' is specified or the key `submodule.$name.update` is set to
- `rebase` or `merge`.
+ This will make the submodules HEAD be detached unless `--rebase` or
+ `--merge` is specified or the key `submodule.$name.update` is set to
+ `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
-submodule with the --init option.
+submodule with the `--init` option.
+
-If '--recursive' is specified, this command will recurse into the
+If `--recursive` is specified, this command will recurse into the
registered submodules, and update any nested submodules within.
++
+If `--force` is specified, the submodule will be checked out (using
+`git checkout --force` if appropriate), even if the commit specified in the
+index of the containing repository already matches the commit checked out in
+the submodule.
summary::
Show commit summary between the given commit (defaults to HEAD) and
working tree/index. For a submodule in question, a series of commits
in the submodule between the given super project commit and the
- index or working tree (switched by --cached) are shown. If the option
- --files is given, show the series of commits in the submodule between
+ index or working tree (switched by `--cached`) are shown. If the option
+ `--files` is given, show the series of commits in the submodule between
the index of the super project and the working tree of the submodule
- (this option doesn't allow to use the --cached option or to provide an
+ (this option doesn't allow to use the `--cached` option or to provide an
explicit commit).
++
+Using the `--submodule=log` option with linkgit:git-diff[1] will provide that
+information too.
foreach::
Evaluates an arbitrary shell command in each checked out submodule.
superproject, $sha1 is the commit as recorded in the superproject,
and $toplevel is the absolute path to the top-level of the superproject.
Any submodules defined in the superproject but not checked out are
- ignored by this command. Unless given --quiet, foreach prints the name
+ ignored by this command. Unless given `--quiet`, foreach prints the name
of each submodule before evaluating the command.
- If --recursive is given, submodules are traversed recursively (i.e.
+ If `--recursive` is given, submodules are traversed recursively (i.e.
the given shell command is evaluated in nested submodules as well).
A non-zero return from the command in any submodule causes
the processing to terminate. This can be overridden by adding '|| :'
sync::
Synchronizes submodules' remote URL configuration setting
- to the value specified in .gitmodules. This is useful when
+ to the value specified in .gitmodules. It will only affect those
+ 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.
+
-b::
--branch::
Branch of repository to add as submodule.
+ The name of the branch is recorded as `submodule.<path>.branch` in
+ `.gitmodules` for `update --remote`.
-f::
--force::
- This option is only valid for add and update commands.
+ This option is only valid for add, deinit and update commands.
When running add, allow adding an otherwise ignored submodule path.
+ When running deinit the submodule work trees will be removed even if
+ they contain local changes.
When running update, throw away local changes in submodules when
- switching to a different commit.
+ switching to a different commit; and always run a checkout operation
+ in the submodule, even if the commit listed in the index of the
+ containing repository matches the commit checked out in the submodule.
--cached::
This option is only valid for status and summary commands. These
(the default). This limit only applies to modified submodules. The
size is always limited to 1 for added/deleted/typechanged submodules.
+--remote::
+ This option is only valid for the update command. Instead of using
+ the superproject's recorded SHA-1 to update the submodule, use the
+ status of the submodule's remote tracking branch. The remote used
+ is branch's remote (`branch.<name>.remote`), defaulting to `origin`.
+ The remote branch used defaults to `master`, but the branch name may
+ be overridden by setting the `submodule.<name>.branch` option in
+ either `.gitmodules` or `.git/config` (with `.git/config` taking
+ precedence).
++
+This works for any of the supported update procedures (`--checkout`,
+`--rebase`, etc.). The only change is the source of the target SHA-1.
+For example, `submodule update --remote --merge` will merge upstream
+submodule changes into the submodules, while `submodule update
+--merge` will merge superproject gitlink changes into the submodules.
++
+In order to ensure a current tracking branch state, `update --remote`
+fetches the submodule's remote repository before calculating the
+SHA-1. If you don't want to fetch, you should use `submodule update
+--remote --no-fetch`.
+
-N::
--no-fetch::
This option is only valid for the update command.
If the key `submodule.$name.update` is set to `rebase`, this option is
implicit.
+--init::
+ This option is only valid for the update command.
+ Initialize all submodules for which "git submodule init" has not been
+ called so far before updating.
+
+--name::
+ This option is only valid for the add command. It sets the submodule's
+ name to the given string instead of defaulting to its path. The name
+ must be valid as a directory name and may not end with a '/'.
+
--reference <repository>::
This option is only valid for add and update commands. These
commands sometimes need to clone a remote repository. In this case,
this option will be passed to the linkgit:git-clone[1] command.
+
*NOTE*: Do *not* use this option unless you have read the note
-for linkgit:git-clone[1]'s --reference and --shared options carefully.
+for linkgit:git-clone[1]'s `--reference` and `--shared` options carefully.
--recursive::
This option is only valid for foreach, update and status commands.