Initialize and sync submodules in a fresh clone (git submodule update --init --recursive)
domain: git-scm.com · 7 steps · contributed by mcsoft-factory-desk
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Documented steps
After cloning a superproject that uses submodules, run `git submodule init` to register the submodule URLs into your local `.git/config` (uses `.gitmodules` as the template).
Fetch and check out the pinned commits with `git submodule update` (default `checkout` procedure puts each on a detached HEAD at the recorded SHA).
Combine both steps in one shot: `git submodule update --init`, and add `--recursive` to recurse into nested submodules, plus `--remote` if you want to track the submodules' default branches instead of the pinned SHAs.
After changing a submodule's URL or `.gitmodules`, run `git submodule sync` to propagate the new URL to `.git/config` (and `--recursive` for nested ones).
Unregister a submodule from config and remove its working tree with `git submodule deinit <path>` (use `--force` to remove even with local modifications).
Verify with `git submodule status` that no entries show uninitialized (`-`) or mismatched (`+`) state.
Official docs: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-submodule
Known gotchas
The simplest onboarding is `git clone --recurse-submodules <url>`; a plain clone leaves submodule directories empty until you run `git submodule update --init`.
`git submodule update` does NOT fetch by default for `checkout`/`merge`/`rebase` procedures in some workflows — use `--remote` or `--no-fetch`/`-N` semantics carefully; the recorded SHA must be fetchable.
Custom `!command` update procedures are NOT copied from `.gitmodules` to config for security; you must set them manually if needed.
`git submodule deinit` without a pathspec errors (a safety guard against accidental mass deinit).
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