# Issues when changing submodule URLs 2 messages from 2008-08-15 to 2008-08-15. Participants: Gerard Lledó, Michael J Gruber. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/15018 ## Gerard Lledó, 2008-08-15 12:37 Subject: Issues when changing submodule URLs Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/d3af73dc0808150537r1f708bct14113943d741e653%40mail.gmail.com ``` We are using a super repository for our development where all our code resides inside submodules. I'm maintaining this tree, so it's quite common that I change a submodule to point to a different URL according to our needs (ie, another developer is now in charge of one module). So, basically I delete the old submodule "rm -rf module && git rm module", tune .gitmodules and add it again from a different location "git submodule add ssh://server/newpath module". The problem comes when another developer pulls the super repository from me and he already has the old module URL initialized/updated. What is a safe/obvious update path for him? "git submodule update" does not work and running init/update doesn't help neither. Is there any way for me to ease these tasks for the rest of developers? I know one option is to keep the URLs untouched and then merge trees as needed, but this seems to be a bigger workload for everyone. BR, Gerard PS: Please CC me, as I'm not registered to the list. ``` ## Michael J Gruber, 2008-08-15 15:01 Subject: Re: Issues when changing submodule URLs Message-ID: <48A59A49.9030305@fastmail.fm> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/48A59A49.9030305%40fastmail.fm In-Reply-To: ``` Gerard Lledó venit, vidit, dixit 15.08.2008 14:37: > We are using a super repository for our development where all our code > resides inside submodules. I'm maintaining this tree, so it's quite > common that I change a submodule to point to a different URL according > to our needs (ie, another developer is now in charge of one module). > > So, basically I delete the old submodule "rm -rf module && git rm > module", tune .gitmodules and add it again from a different location > "git submodule add ssh://server/newpath module". > > The problem comes when another developer pulls the super repository > from me and he already has the old module URL initialized/updated. > What is a safe/obvious update path for him? "git submodule update" > does not work and running init/update doesn't help neither. > Is there any way for me to ease these tasks for the rest of developers? > > I know one option is to keep the URLs untouched and then merge trees > as needed, but this seems to be a bigger workload for everyone. How about: - You mirror the submodule repos. - Your superproject references the mirrors. - In your mirror configuration, use descriptive names rather than actual URLs for the origin of the mirror. - Use "url.realurl.insteadOf descriptivename" in your own config, which can be changed easily whenever the authoritative source of a submodule changes (see git config). Cheers, Michael ```