Re: issues with git submodules and `bootstrap'

[Werner LEMBERG]

>>> After doing the incantation described in section 2.8 of gnulib.pdf,
>>> namely
>>>
>>>   $ dir=.gnulib
>>>   $ git submodule add -- git://git.sv.gnu.org/gnulib.git $dir
>>>
>>> the user has to commit the submodule setup to the repository.  It's
>>> probably worth to mention this.
>>>
>>> However, if I now say `git config --file .gitmodules --list' (I
>>> haven't touched the data within `.gitmodules'), I see
>>>
>>>   submodule..gnulib.path=.gnulib
>>>   submodule..gnulib.url=git://git.sv.gnu.org/gnulib.git
>>>
>>> Note the double dot.  Interestingly, the name of the submodule is
>>> taken from the directory location, not the repository name.  Maybe a
>>> git bug?  I'm using version 1.7.8.
>>
>> According to a google search, this is a feature.
>
> Odd.

After some thinking I now believe that the creation of a gnulib
submodule even for the first user (this is, if no `.gitmodules' file
exist yet in the repository) must be handled by `bootstrap'.  The
steps described in gnulib.info, even if I pretend that the description
is correct and complete, are too complicated and error-prone IMHO.  An
additional difficulty is that git currently lacks a `git submodule rm'
command...  It really took me a long time to fix everything.

I haven't tried yet but a quick look into the code seems to confirm
that Gary's `bootstrap' file can do that.  In case this is true I
really recommend to use his version as the default in gnulib.


    Werner