Convert a git repository from a submodule to a subtree

This article was last updated on: February 7, 2024 pm

Three scripts

Alexander Mikhailian

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cat .gitmodules |while read i
do
  if [[$i == \[submodule*]]; then
    mpath=$(echo $i | cut -d\" -f2)
    read i; read i;
    murl=$(echo $i|cut -d\  -f3)
    mcommit=`eval "git submodule status ${mpath} |cut -d\  -f2"`
    mname=$(basename $mpath)
    echo -e "$name\t$mpath\t$murl\t$mcommit"
    git submodule deinit $mpath
    git rm -r --cached $mpath
    rm -rf $mpath
    git remote add $mname $murl
    git fetch $mname
    git branch _$mname $mcommit
    git read-tree --prefix=$mpath/ -u _$mname
fi
done
git rm .gitmodules

🐾Warning:

The following two scripts, write dead branch is master, if the main branch is not master, you need to make corresponding changes.

Nikita240 - Stack Overflow

📚️Reference:
I modified and improved it. The new subtree will now point to the same commit as the old submodule. Previously, the script simply downloaded the latest commit from the target repository, which could cause compatibility issues.

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#!/bin/bash -x
# This script will convert all your git submodules into git subtrees.
# This script ensures that your new subtrees point to the same commits as the
# old submodules did, unlike most other scripts that do this.
# THIS SCRIPT MUST BE PLACED OUTSIDE OF YOUR REPOSITORY!!!!!!!!!!
# Otherwise, the script will interfere with the git commits.
# Save the script in your home directory as `~/subtrees.sh`
# `cd` into your repository
# Run `~/subtrees.sh`
# Enjoy!

# extract the list of submodules from .gitmodule
cat .gitmodules |while read i
do
if [[$i == \[submodule*]]; then
    echo converting $i
    read i
    # extract the module's prefix
    mpath=$(echo $i | grep -E "(\S+)$" -o)
    echo path: $mpath
    read i
    # extract the url of the submodule
    murl=$(echo $i|cut -d\= -f2|xargs)
    echo url: $murl
    # extract the module name
    mname=$(basename $mpath)
    echo name: $mname
    # extract the referenced commit
    mcommit=$(git submodule status $mpath | grep -E "\S+" -o | head -1)
    echo commit: $mcommit
    # deinit the module
    git submodule deinit $mpath
    # remove the module from git
    git rm -r --cached $mpath
    # remove the module from the filesystem
    rm -rf $mpath
    # commit the change
    git commit -m "Removed $mpath submodule at commit $mcommit"
    # add the remote
    git remote add -f $mname $murl
    # add the subtree
    git subtree add --prefix $mpath $mcommit --squash
    # commit any left over uncommited changes
    git commit -a -m "$mname cleaned up"
    # fetch the files
    git fetch $murl master
    echo
fi
done
git rm .gitmodules
git commit -a -m "Removed .gitmodules"

GaspardP - Stack Overflow

📚️Reference:

I modified it slightly, calledsubtree addInstead ofread-tree。 It will start with.gitmoduleto get a list of submodules, and extract the prefix, name, and URL of the module. It then removes each submodule and adds them as subtrees in the same location. It also adds each submodule’s remote as remote, so you can update the subtree by providing its name instead of its URL (iegit subtree pull -P Foo Foo master --squashInstead ofgit subtree pull -P Foo https://example.com/foo.git master --squash）。

If you want to import the entire history of the subtree into your repository, you can remove it --squash Parameter. use --squash, only the HEAD of the subtree will be imported into your repository. This is probably what most people want.

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#!/bin/bash -x
# extract the list of submodules from .gitmodule
cat .gitmodules |while read i
do
if [[$i == \[submodule*]]; then
    echo converting $i

    # extract the module's prefix
    mpath=$(echo $i | cut -d\" -f2)

    # skip two lines
    read i; read i;

    # extract the url of the submodule
    murl=$(echo $i|cut -d\= -f2|xargs)

    # extract the module name
    mname=$(basename $mpath)

    # deinit the module
    git submodule deinit $mpath

    # remove the module from git
    git rm -r --cached $mpath

    # remove the module from the filesystem
    rm -rf $mpath

    # commit the change
    git commit -m "Removed $mpath submodule"

    # add the remote
    git remote add -f $mname $murl

    # add the subtree
    git subtree add --prefix $mpath $mname master --squash

    # fetch the files
    git fetch $murl master
fi
done
git rm .gitmodules

📚️ Reference documentation

DevOps
#BestPractices #Git #OpenSource
Convert a git repository from a submodule to a subtree
https://e-whisper.com/posts/58551/
Author
east4ming
Posted on
April 27, 2022
Licensed under