How do I remove a submodule?

Question

How do I remove a Git submodule?

By the way, is there a reason I can't simply do git submodule rm whatever ?

Answer 1

What I'm currently doing Dec 2012 (combines most of these answers):

oldPath="vendor/example"
git config -f .git/config --remove-section "submodule.${oldPath}"
git config -f .gitmodules --remove-section "submodule.${oldPath}"
git rm --cached "${oldPath}"
rm -rf "${oldPath}"              ## remove src (optional)
rm -rf ".git/modules/${oldPath}" ## cleanup gitdir (optional housekeeping)
git add .gitmodules
git commit -m "Removed ${oldPath}"

Answer 2

After experimenting with all the different answers on this site, I ended up with this solution:

#!/bin/sh
path="$1"
if [ ! -f "$path/.git" ]; then
  echo "$path is no valid git submodule"
  exit 1
fi
git submodule deinit -f $path &&
git rm --cached $path &&
rm -rf .git/modules/$path &&
rm -rf $path &&
git reset HEAD .gitmodules &&
git config -f .gitmodules --remove-section submodule.$path

This restores the exact same state as before you added the submodule. You can right away add the submodule again, which was not possible with most of the answers here.

git submodule add $giturl test
aboveScript test

This leaves you with a clean checkout with no changes to commit.

This was tested with:

$ git --version
git version 1.9.3 (Apple Git-50)

Answer 3

I had to take John Douthat's steps one step further and cd into the submodule's directory, and then remove the Git repository:

cd submodule
rm -fr .git

Then I could commit the files as a part of the parent Git repository without the old reference to a submodule.

Answer 4

Simple steps

1. Remove config entries:
   git config -f .git/config --remove-section submodule.$submodulename
git config -f .gitmodules --remove-section submodule.$submodulename
2. Remove directory from index:
   git rm --cached $submodulepath
3. Commit
4. Delete unused files:
   rm -rf $submodulepath
rm -rf .git/modules/$submodulename

Please note: $submodulepath doesn't contain leading or trailing slashes.

Background

When you do git submodule add, it only adds it to .gitmodules, but once you did git submodule init, it added to .git/config.

So if you wish to remove the modules, but be able to restore it quickly, then do just this:

git rm --cached $submodulepath
git config -f .git/config --remove-section submodule.$submodulepath

It is a good idea to do git rebase HEAD first and git commit at the end, if you put this in a script.

Also have a look at an answer to Can I unpopulate a Git submodule?.

Answer 5

I recently find out a git project which include many useful git related command: https://github.com/visionmedia/git-extras

Install it and type :

git-delete-submodule submodule

Then things are done. The submodule directory will be removed from your repo and still exist in your filesystem. You can then commit the change like: git commit -am "Remove the submodule".

Answer 6

Here is what I did :

1.) Delete the relevant section from the .gitmodules file. You can use below command:

git config -f .gitmodules --remove-section "submodule.submodule_name"

2.) Stage the .gitmodules changes

git add .gitmodules

3.) Delete the relevant section from .git/config. You can use below command:

git submodule deinit -f "submodule_name"

4.) Remove the gitlink (no trailing slash):

git rm --cached path_to_submodule

5.) Cleanup the .git/modules:

rm -rf .git/modules/path_to_submodule

6.) Commit:

git commit -m "Removed submodule <name>"

7.) Delete the now untracked submodule files

rm -rf path_to_submodule