Git Remove Submodules - Shell/Bash

In Git, submodules are used to manage external dependencies in a project. However, sometimes you may need to remove a submodule from your project. This can be easily achieved using the following Shell/Bash command:

git submodule deinit <path_to_submodule>
git rm <path_to_submodule>
rm -rf .git/modules/<path_to_submodule>

Let's break down what each command does:

• git submodule deinit <path_to_submodule> uninitializes the submodule. This command removes the submodule's configuration from .git/config and .git/modules/<path_to_submodule>/config.
• git rm <path_to_submodule> removes the submodule from Git's index. This command stages the submodule's removal for the next commit.
• rm -rf .git/modules/<path_to_submodule> removes the submodule's directory from .git/modules. This is necessary to fully clean up the submodule's metadata.

After running these commands, you can commit the changes to remove the submodule:

git commit -m "Remove submodule <path_to_submodule>"

It is also a good idea to update your project's .gitmodules file to reflect the removal of the submodule:

git config -f .gitmodules --remove-section submodule.<path_to_submodule>
git add .gitmodules
git commit -m "Update .gitmodules"

In conclusion, removing a submodule in Git can be accomplished using a few simple Shell/Bash commands. It's important to remember to remove the submodule's metadata to fully clean up the project.