# git submodule when submodule is not a clone of a repository 3 messages from 2008-01-18 to 2008-01-18. Participants: Sergio Callegari, Lars Hjemli, Junio C Hamano. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/11669 ## Sergio Callegari, 2008-01-18 17:25 Subject: git submodule when submodule is not a clone of a repository Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/loom.20080118T171433-93%40post.gmane.org ``` Hi, I am trying to use submodules to keep a project organized. I am using a workflow that is probably not the common one and I am running into problems. Basically, I have a superproject TOP, with subproject A and B. The thing is that A and B are _not_ cloned from some existing repo. They are two brand new repositories created with git init. Basically, I am doing this so that in the superproject I commit states with specific versions of A and B (that are logically distinct things) that are known to work fine together. Also I am doing this since A and B are actually just started with TOP, but I have a provision of making them independently developed things, so I like to have them separated from start. The thing is that git-submodule makes very strong assumptions on A and B. Particularly, if there is no url defined from them some commands (notably update) will fail. So I need to make a fake url for the submodule (e.g. .) and a fake origin for it (again .) Would it make sense to have a git submodule update not try to fetch if there is no url defined, but still checkout the right commit for the submodule (rather than skipping the submodule at all) ? Sergio ``` ## Lars Hjemli, 2008-01-18 17:46 Subject: Re: git submodule when submodule is not a clone of a repository Message-ID: <8c5c35580801180946q3ba824e2s4c32ac504166c684@mail.gmail.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/8c5c35580801180946q3ba824e2s4c32ac504166c684%40mail.gmail.com In-Reply-To: ``` On Jan 18, 2008 6:25 PM, Sergio Callegari wrote: > Would it make sense to have a git submodule update not try to fetch if there is > no url defined, but still checkout the right commit for the submodule (rather > than skipping the submodule at all) ? Actually, we could (and probably should) teach git-submodule not to fetch if the requested SHA1 is already available in the submodule, and I guess this would solve the problem quite nicely for your usage. But that will probably not happen before 1.5.4. -- larsh ``` ## Junio C Hamano, 2008-01-18 23:26 Subject: Re: git submodule when submodule is not a clone of a repository Message-ID: <7v3asubtql.fsf@gitster.siamese.dyndns.org> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/7v3asubtql.fsf%40gitster.siamese.dyndns.org In-Reply-To: <8c5c35580801180946q3ba824e2s4c32ac504166c684@mail.gmail.com> ``` "Lars Hjemli" writes: > Actually, we could (and probably should) teach git-submodule not to > fetch if the requested SHA1 is already available in the submodule,.. I think that is a very sensible optimization. ```