6 gitmodules - Defining submodule properties
10 $GIT_WORK_DIR/.gitmodules
16 The `.gitmodules` file, located in the top-level directory of a Git
17 working tree, is a text file with a syntax matching the requirements
18 of linkgit:git-config[1].
20 The file contains one subsection per submodule, and the subsection value
21 is the name of the submodule. The name is set to the path where the
22 submodule has been added unless it was customized with the `--name`
23 option of 'git submodule add'. Each submodule section also contains the
24 following required keys:
26 submodule.<name>.path::
27 Defines the path, relative to the top-level directory of the Git
28 working tree, where the submodule is expected to be checked out.
29 The path name must not end with a `/`. All submodule paths must
30 be unique within the .gitmodules file.
32 submodule.<name>.url::
33 Defines a URL from which the submodule repository can be cloned.
34 This may be either an absolute URL ready to be passed to
35 linkgit:git-clone[1] or (if it begins with ./ or ../) a location
36 relative to the superproject's origin repository.
38 In addition, there are a number of optional keys:
40 submodule.<name>.update::
41 Defines the default update procedure for the named submodule,
42 i.e. how the submodule is updated by "git submodule update"
43 command in the superproject. This is only used by `git
44 submodule init` to initialize the configuration variable of
45 the same name. Allowed values here are 'checkout', 'rebase',
46 'merge' or 'none'. See description of 'update' command in
47 linkgit:git-submodule[1] for their meaning. For security
48 reasons, the '!command' form is not accepted here.
50 submodule.<name>.branch::
51 A remote branch name for tracking updates in the upstream submodule.
52 If the option is not specified, it defaults to the remote 'HEAD'.
53 A special value of `.` is used to indicate that the name of the branch
54 in the submodule should be the same name as the current branch in the
55 current repository. See the `--remote` documentation in
56 linkgit:git-submodule[1] for details.
58 submodule.<name>.fetchRecurseSubmodules::
59 This option can be used to control recursive fetching of this
60 submodule. If this option is also present in the submodules entry in
61 .git/config of the superproject, the setting there will override the
62 one found in .gitmodules.
63 Both settings can be overridden on the command line by using the
64 "--[no-]recurse-submodules" option to "git fetch" and "git pull".
66 submodule.<name>.ignore::
67 Defines under what circumstances "git status" and the diff family show
68 a submodule as modified. The following values are supported:
71 all;; The submodule will never be considered modified (but will
72 nonetheless show up in the output of status and commit when it has
75 dirty;; All changes to the submodule's work tree will be ignored, only
76 committed differences between the HEAD of the submodule and its
77 recorded state in the superproject are taken into account.
79 untracked;; Only untracked files in submodules will be ignored.
80 Committed differences and modifications to tracked files will show
83 none;; No modifications to submodules are ignored, all of committed
84 differences, and modifications to tracked and untracked files are
85 shown. This is the default option.
87 If this option is also present in the submodules entry in .git/config
88 of the superproject, the setting there will override the one found in
91 Both settings can be overridden on the command line by using the
92 "--ignore-submodules" option. The 'git submodule' commands are not
93 affected by this setting.
96 submodule.<name>.shallow::
97 When set to true, a clone of this submodule will be performed as a
98 shallow clone (with a history depth of 1) unless the user explicitly
99 asks for a non-shallow clone.
105 Consider the following .gitmodules file:
110 url = git://foo.com/git/lib.git
114 url = git://bar.com/git/lib.git
117 This defines two submodules, `libfoo` and `libbar`. These are expected to
118 be checked out in the paths `include/foo` and `include/bar`, and for both
119 submodules a URL is specified which can be used for cloning the submodules.
123 linkgit:git-submodule[1], linkgit:gitsubmodules[7], linkgit:git-config[1]
127 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite