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'. A special
54 value of `.` is used to indicate that the name of the branch in the
55 submodule should be the same name as the current branch in the
56 current repository. See the `--remote` documentation in
57 linkgit:git-submodule[1] for details.
59 submodule.<name>.fetchRecurseSubmodules::
60 This option can be used to control recursive fetching of this
61 submodule. If this option is also present in the submodules entry in
62 .git/config of the superproject, the setting there will override the
63 one found in .gitmodules.
64 Both settings can be overridden on the command line by using the
65 "--[no-]recurse-submodules" option to "git fetch" and "git pull".
67 submodule.<name>.ignore::
68 Defines under what circumstances "git status" and the diff family show
69 a submodule as modified. When set to "all", it will never be considered
70 modified (but will nonetheless show up in the output of status and
71 commit when it has been staged), "dirty" will ignore all changes
72 to the submodules work tree and
73 takes only differences between the HEAD of the submodule and the commit
74 recorded in the superproject into account. "untracked" will additionally
75 let submodules with modified tracked files in their work tree show up.
76 Using "none" (the default when this option is not set) also shows
77 submodules that have untracked files in their work tree as changed.
78 If this option is also present in the submodules entry in .git/config of
79 the superproject, the setting there will override the one found in
81 Both settings can be overridden on the command line by using the
82 "--ignore-submodule" option. The 'git submodule' commands are not
83 affected by this setting.
85 submodule.<name>.shallow::
86 When set to true, a clone of this submodule will be performed as a
87 shallow clone unless the user explicitly asks for a non-shallow
94 Consider the following .gitmodules file:
98 url = git://foo.com/git/lib.git
102 url = git://bar.com/git/lib.git
105 This defines two submodules, `libfoo` and `libbar`. These are expected to
106 be checked out in the paths 'include/foo' and 'include/bar', and for both
107 submodules a URL is specified which can be used for cloning the submodules.
111 linkgit:git-submodule[1] linkgit:git-config[1]
115 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite