Git Submodules. Pulling into a new clone of the super-project

Question

OK. So I thought I had this licked ... but now ....

I have a project which includes one small library from GitHub as a submodule. In the original version of that super-p

Answer 1

It seems that now (in 2019) installing latest GIT client could solve the problem according to comments below. This should be the best solution for now.

---

I have the same problem as you. This is a bug in git: http://git.661346.n2.nabble.com/BUG-git-submodule-update-is-not-fail-safe-td7574168.html

In short, for your problem, try:

# rm -rf external_libraries/BEACHhtml
# git submodule update

It seems there is something wrong with the previous checkout folder, remove it, and update again solves the problem.

Answer 2

If you are reading in 2019 or later, just update the git client. Worked for me.

Answer 3

I had this problem (flaky network so I got dropped submodule checkout like this) and I solved it by making this script (named it git-submodule-fix so I could run it as git submodule-fix)

#!/bin/bash 

for arg 
do 
  echo $arg 
  find . -name "`basename $arg`" | grep "$arg\$" | xargs rm -fr
done

If you get this i.e. from a git submodule update

fatal: Needed a single revision
Unable to find current revision in submodule path 'some/submodule/path'

do

git submodule-fix some/submodule/path
git submodule update

Answer 4

Solved by deleting 2 directories and refetching submodule:

1. Go to external_libraries/BEACHhtml and look into .git file. It's content should be something like gitdir: ../../.git/modules/external_libraries/BEACHhtml
2. Delete both external_libraries/BEACHhtml and .git/modules/external_libraries/BEACHhtml directories.

From now on git submodule update runs without errors.

Answer 5

use a diff tool to compare the original clone that's working and this one. Also, what does git submodule output. Ensure you are pointing to the same branch in each repo before you do.

I'm suspecting that you've switched to a branch or older revision where the submodule was not defined.

hope this helps

Answer 6

I had the same issue with a submodule on a project. When I tried to clone the submodule separately it worked well.

I've tried all of the answers above, but without success (git submodule update, ..., removing the submodule folders, ...).

The issue disappeared after update of git (from Git-1.7.11-preview20120710) to latest version (to Git-1.8.1.2-preview20130201) at the time. Strangely my colleagues had even older version, worked without any issues, but they were on Mac. I'm on Win7 64bit.