How to remove a submodule from a Github project

Remove Submodule

To remove a submodule you need to:

Delete the relevant line from the .gitmodules file.
Delete the relevant section from .git/config.
Run git rm --cached path_to_submodule (no trailing slash).
Commit and delete the now untracked submodule files.

Thanks! This was really handy.

Small correction: “Delete the relevant lines from the .gitmodules file.” (multiple lines, even for one submodule).

This instruction doesn't quite work, at least with Git 1.9.1. The following order seems to be right (source):

• Run git rm --cached <submodule name>
• Delete the relevant lines from the .gitmodules file.
• Delete the relevant section from .git/config.
• Commit
• Delete the now untracked submodule files.
• Remove directory .git/modules/<submodule name>

+1 @afiskon
Can the gist be updated?

+1 @afiskon 's solution is working

Still can't believe this isn't superseded by a simple git feature.

+1 for update

+1 @afiskon

+1

+1 @afiskon

+1

+1

Thanks a lot, I'm from google too, and I did it successfully.

Don't forget run git add --all before git rm --cached path_to_submodule

You don't need to manually prune the submodule from .git/config if you run git submodule deinit <path-to-submodule> first. I was using git 2.6.3.

Yep still on google! Thanks

+1

+1

+1

Why doesn't the git team make this simpler?

To delete the relevant section from .git/config, you can also run:

 git submodule deinit <submodule_name>

+1

+1

I also found that I needed to delete the relevant file/folder under .git/modules/<mySubmodule>.

useful!

According to the git submodule deinit documents it should be a simple matter of:

git rm path/to/submodule

Seemed to work for me?

"If you really want to remove a submodule from the repository and commit that use git-rm[1] instead. See gitsubmodules[7] for removal options." - https://git-scm.com/docs/git-submodule#git-submodule-deinit-f--force--all--ltpathgt82308203

nice +1

@jfmercer only 2nd on Bing's index because bing sucks

@afiskon +1

+1

git rm -- .gitmodules [ModulesName]

eg.
git rm -- .gitmodules QtSsh