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. Note that the
48 '!command' form is intentionally ignored here for security
51 submodule.<name>.branch::
52 A remote branch name for tracking updates in the upstream submodule.
53 If the option is not specified, it defaults to 'master'. See the
54 `--remote` documentation in linkgit:git-submodule[1] for details.
56 submodule.<name>.fetchRecurseSubmodules::
57 This option can be used to control recursive fetching of this
58 submodule. If this option is also present in the submodules entry in
59 .git/config of the superproject, the setting there will override the
60 one found in .gitmodules.
61 Both settings can be overridden on the command line by using the
62 "--[no-]recurse-submodules" option to "git fetch" and "git pull".
64 submodule.<name>.ignore::
65 Defines under what circumstances "git status" and the diff family show
66 a submodule as modified. When set to "all", it will never be considered
67 modified (but will nonetheless show up in the output of status and
68 commit when it has been staged), "dirty" will ignore all changes
69 to the submodules work tree and
70 takes only differences between the HEAD of the submodule and the commit
71 recorded in the superproject into account. "untracked" will additionally
72 let submodules with modified tracked files in their work tree show up.
73 Using "none" (the default when this option is not set) also shows
74 submodules that have untracked files in their work tree as changed.
75 If this option is also present in the submodules entry in .git/config of
76 the superproject, the setting there will override the one found in
78 Both settings can be overridden on the command line by using the
79 "--ignore-submodule" option. The 'git submodule' commands are not
80 affected by this setting.
82 submodule.<name>.shallow::
83 When set to true, a clone of this submodule will be performed as a
84 shallow clone unless the user explicitly asks for a non-shallow
91 Consider the following .gitmodules file:
95 url = git://foo.com/git/lib.git
99 url = git://bar.com/git/lib.git
102 This defines two submodules, `libfoo` and `libbar`. These are expected to
103 be checked out in the paths 'include/foo' and 'include/bar', and for both
104 submodules a URL is specified which can be used for cloning the submodules.
108 linkgit:git-submodule[1] linkgit:git-config[1]
112 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite