From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2016 17:45:41 GMT
Subject: Re: problems serving non-bare repos with submodules over http
Message-ID: <xmqqr3dysvne.fsf@gitster.mtv.corp.google.com>
In-Reply-To: <CAGZ79kYmobvZgAeJv7MNXeFXd+Ahg5mtyagt5m+f7Gpp=Ps4iQ@mail.gmail.com>

Stefan Beller <sbeller@google.com> writes:

> In case of non bare:
>
>     Get the repo and all its submodules from the specified remote.
>     (As the submodule is right there, that's the best guess to get it from,
>     no need to get it from somewhere else. The submodule at the remote
>     is the closest match you can get for replicating the superproject with
>     its submodules.)
>
> This way is heavy underutilized as it wasn't exercised as often I would
> guess, 

My guess is somewhat different. It is not used because the right
semantics for such a use case hasn't been defined yet (in other
words, what you suggested is _wrong_ as is).  You need to remember
that a particular clone may not be interested in all submodules, and
it is far from "the closest match".