Initialize, update or inspect submodules.
updating submodules
git submodule update (executed in the superproject's directory) updates the submodule(s) to the commit that is specified in the index of the superproject.
A submodule can be updated to its remote's latest commit by going into the submodule and executing and pulling it from there:
cd submod
# HEAD might be detached, or pointing to another branch:
git checkout master
git pull
cd ..
git commit -am "Updated submodule to most recent version"
When dealing with multiple submodules or to make things easier, there is also:
git submodule foreach git pull origin master
foreach
git submodule foreach … executes a
shell command in each checked out submodule.
When executed in (typical?) git installation on Windows, it executes the command in bash (which is installed with git).
Git provides a few shell variables that can be used in the foreach command:
$name | The name of the relevant submodule section in .gitmodules |
$toplevel | The absolute path to the top-level of the immediate superproject. |
$sm_path | The path of the submodule as recorded in the immediate superproject |
$displaypath | The relative path from the current working directory to the submodules root directory |
$sha | The commit as recorded in the immediate superproject, |
foreach has the two options
git submodule foreach --quiet 'echo $SHELL - $toplevel - $name - $sm_path - $displaypath - $sha1'