# gitmodules(5) Manual Page

## NAME

gitmodules - defining submodule properties

## SYNOPSIS

$GIT_WORK_DIR/.gitmodules

## DESCRIPTION

The `.gitmodules` file, located in the top-level directory of a git working tree, is a text file with a syntax matching the requirements of git-config(1).

The file contains one subsection per submodule, and the subsection value is the name of the submodule. Each submodule section also contains the following required keys:

submodule.<name>.path

  Defines the path, relative to the top-level directory of the git working tree, where the submodule is expected to be checked out. The path name must not end with a `/`. All submodule paths must be unique within the .gitmodules file.

submodule.<name>.url

  Defines an url from where the submodule repository can be cloned.

submodule.<name>.update

  Defines what to do when the submodule is updated by the superproject. If checkout (the default), the new commit specified in the superproject will be checked out in the submodule on a detached HEAD. If rebase, the current branch of the submodule will be rebased onto the commit specified in the superproject. If merge, the commit specified in the superproject will be merged into the current branch in the submodule. This config option is overridden if git submodule update is given the --merge or --rebase options.

## EXAMPLES

Consider the following .gitmodules file:

    [submodule "libfoo"]
            path = include/foo
            url = git://foo.com/git/lib.git

    [submodule "libbar"]
            path = include/bar
            url = git://bar.com/git/lib.git

This defines two submodules, `libfoo` and `libbar`. These are expected to be checked out in the paths include/foo and include/bar, and for both submodules an url is specified which can be used for cloning the submodules.

## SEE ALSO

git-submodule(1) git-config(1)

## DOCUMENTATION

Documentation by Lars Hjemli <hjemli@gmail.com>

## GIT

Part of the git(1) suite