Submodules

Git submodules allow you to embed one Git repository inside another as a subdirectory while keeping their histories separate. They are commonly used to include shared libraries or third-party dependencies directly in a project.

See also Git Submodules in Git documentation.

Viewing Submodules

When you open a repository that contains submodules, they are listed in the Submodules section of the Branches panel.

Each entry shows:

Column	Description
Name	The path of the submodule inside the parent repository.
URL	The remote URL the submodule points to.
SHA	The commit SHA the parent repository currently has checked out for the submodule.

Adding a Submodule

1. Open Repository → Submodules → Add Submodule…, or click Add… on the Submodules panel.
2. Enter the remote URL and the path inside this repository (for example libs/shared).
3. Gitember clones the repository, writes .gitmodules, and stages the gitlink.
4. Use Commit submodule change… (or a normal commit) to record the new submodule.

Initializing and Updating

After cloning a repository or after a pull that changed the recorded submodule commit, the submodule directories may be empty or out of date.

Action	What it runs
Initialize Submodules	git submodule init — copies URLs from .gitmodules into .git/config
Update Submodules	git submodule init then git submodule update
Recursive Update	The same update, then repeats it inside each checked-out submodule

Progress is shown in the status bar. Right-click a single row to initialize or update only that path.

Synchronising Submodule URLs

If the remote URL of a submodule has changed in .gitmodules, you need to synchronise the recorded URL before updating:

1. Open the Repository menu.
2. Select Sync Submodules.

This propagates the new URL from .gitmodules into each submodule's local configuration.

Opening a Submodule

To work inside a submodule as if it were a standalone repository:

1. Double-click the submodule entry in the Submodules panel, or right-click Open.
2. Gitember opens the submodule as its own repository.

The working tree must already be initialized and updated.

Commit, Diff, Status, and Remove

Right-click a submodule in the table or the tree:

• Commit submodule change… — stages the gitlink (and .gitmodules if needed) and commits only those paths.
• Show diff — gitlink diff between the parent index SHA and the submodule HEAD.
• Show status — path, URL, status, and both SHAs.
• Remove… / Remove (force) — git submodule deinit plus git rm, then deletes .git/modules/<path>. Force discards local changes inside the submodule.

Summary

Action	How to trigger
View submodules	Branches panel → Submodules section
Add a submodule	Repository → Submodules → Add Submodule…
Initialise submodules	Repository → Submodules → Initialize Submodules
Update submodules	Repository → Submodules → Update Submodules
Recursive update	Repository → Submodules → Recursive Update
Sync changed remote URLs	Repository → Submodules → Sync Submodule URLs
Commit / diff / status / remove	Right-click a submodule row
Open submodule as standalone repo	Double-click submodule entry