How effectively delete a git submodule.

delete_git_submodule.md

To remove a submodule you need to:

• Delete the relevant section from the .gitmodules file.
• Stage the .gitmodules changes git add .gitmodules
• Delete the relevant section from .git/config.
• Run git rm --cached path_to_submodule (no trailing slash).
• Run rm -rf .git/modules/path_to_submodule (no trailing slash).
• Commit git commit -m "Removed submodule "
• Delete the now untracked submodule files rm -rf path_to_submodule

@Icy-Thought that's curious, what is your magit version? mine is Magit v3.3.0-199-g036f5cb7, Git 2.35.1, Emacs 27.1, gnu/linux

Magit 4e29d582, Git 2.35.1, Emacs 28.0.91, gnu/linux (using doom-emacs)

FYI, removing a git submodule is much simpler now with a modern Git version in 2022. Just run git rm <path-to-submodule> and commit.

Taken from here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1260748/how-do-i-remove-a-submodule

It works. Thanks for the share! Have fun coding.

This seems to be a more modern version (copied from https://stackoverflow.com/a/36593218/2066118):

# Remove the submodule entry from .git/config
git submodule deinit -f path/to/submodule

# Remove the submodule directory from the superproject's .git/modules directory
rm -rf .git/modules/path/to/submodule

# Remove the entry in .gitmodules and remove the submodule directory located at path/to/submodule
git rm -f path/to/submodule

We should upvote this answer

Done!

I think above can be simplified using following commands.
git submodule deinit <path_to_submodule>
git rm <path_to_submodule>
git commit-m "Removed submodule "
rm -rf .git/modules/<path_to_submodule>

true works efficiently. Thnks

Excellent!

Life saver! Thank you.

Thanks 🔥

👍

Building on the answers above...

If you're doing this a lot, you can create an executable script discoverable in your PATH named git-submodule-remove with the following contents: https://github.com/panozzaj/conf/blob/master/common/bin/git-submodule-remove

Then you can run git submodule-remove path/to/submodule to quickly remove it.

rm -rf is Linux/UNIX only, you shouldn't assume that we're all using Linux

@Sasino97 - If you're not on a *NIX environment you are likely on Windows then, and you can use my Powershell variant I shared earlier in this thread.

Thank you!

Thank you. This is really helpful.

This gist is very helpful, thanks a lot!

Just perfect. Thank you

amazing

Thank You!

This seems to be a more modern version (copied from https://stackoverflow.com/a/36593218/2066118):

# Remove the submodule entry from .git/config
git submodule deinit -f path/to/submodule

# Remove the submodule directory from the superproject's .git/modules directory
rm -rf .git/modules/path/to/submodule

# Remove the entry in .gitmodules and remove the submodule directory located at path/to/submodule
git rm -f path/to/submodule

We should upvote this answer

For those of us on Windows, here's the equivalent in Powershell:

# Remove the submodule entry from .git/config
git submodule deinit -f path\to\submodule

# Remove the submodule directory from the superproject's .git/modules directory
rm .git\modules\path\to\submodule -r -fo

# Remove the entry in .gitmodules and remove the submodule directory located at path/to/submodule
git rm -f path\to\submodule

Good response, Thank's man.

Every time I want to remove a submodule, I come back to this Gist and follow the instructions. It's crazy how difficult it is to work with submodule. Many thanks!

• 11111111111111111....

thank you so much

Thank you!

If you're doing this a lot, you can create an executable script discoverable in your PATH named git-submodule-remove with the following contents: https://github.com/panozzaj/conf/blob/master/common/bin/git-submodule-remove

Then you can run git submodule-remove path/to/submodule to quickly remove it and play uno online card game
Good response, Thank's man.

Thank you

I was using this gist for a while. It was really helpful!

However, deleting a submodule it’s a lot easier nowadays. Latest GitHub versions allows you to run: git rm <path_to_submodule> and git takes care of it. Afterwards you just need to commit the changes and that’s it.

I hope this helps.

Got an error from the "git rm --cached path_to_submodule" part. (something about sparse checkout)

Fixed it by running this intead:
"git update-index --remove path_to_submodule"

Obrigado!

Thanks!

Seemed to work well :)

Suggestion: we can run command git config -f .gitmodules --remove-section "submodule.<submodule_name>"

@joaobortotcadore