Gitbutler doesn't report submodule updates

[lmtr0]

Version

0.14.2

Operating System

Linux

Distribution Method

AppImage (Linux)

Describe the issue

I'm using Linux RPM!

Hello there, the app seems to not be reporting the updates from the submodules.
I pulled the submodule repository (allowing changes to be up to date), then I run git add ../../protos, protos is the subdirecoty where the submodule is placed at.

if I run git status:

However in the gitbutler app I see:

How to reproduce

• Clone a repo
• add submodules
• commit the repo
• add the repo to gitbutler
• make changes to the submodule repo
• pull those changes into the main repo
• look at the git status output and compare it with the gitbutler output

Expected behavior

Show that the submodule changed so that the new commit checked out in the submodule can be commited into the main repo

Relevant log output

No response

[lmtr0]

How can I manually commit from the gitbutler workspace into a specific branch? I have some time sensitive app that needs the submodule updates as soon as possible

[Byron]

Thanks a lot for reporting, and sorry for the hassle!

GitButler can currently not deal with submodules and thus doesn't show them. There even was a time when it wouldn't allow repositories with submodules to be added.

Something I think you can do to workaround that is the following.

• checkout the refs/gitbutler/<your-branch> directly, the branch belonging to the lane whose PR should be updated.
• apply the submodule update and commit
• push the branch by hand with git push origin refs/gitbutler/<your-branch>:refs/heads/<remote-branch-name>
• undo the commit locally with git reset --hard @~1

This should get the submodule changes to GitHub while leaving GitButler managed branches in the same state as before. From there, in GitButler, go back to the integration branch and re-integrate the changes from the remote, the commit that was just pushed.

I hope this works, please let me know.

[lmtr0]

I'm going to do that and report, thanks for the help so far

[lmtr0]

I got it fixed by commiting it manually. here is my step by step:

1. Push the changes you have locally to your remote, make sure it's in sync
2. Close gitbutler (make sure it's closed)
3. git checkout origin/<your-branch>
4. commit the change with the submodule update
5. push it to the cloud
6. finally git checkout gitbutler/workspace
7. Open gitbutler, it'll ask to integrate the commit, and DONE!

[lmtr0]

Strange how this is happening with this app, gix suppors submodules, I wonder whats the problem with gitbutler implementation for it not to work?

[Byron]

I think it starts with submodule support in git2 being on the weaker side, so it's not able to handle them like Git can during certain operations, for example. And that probably makes it easier to also ignore submodules during GitButler app development.

The same is probably true for other (even) less used features, like sparse checkouts and worktrees - they all require extra consideration.

And I say this from experience, having just decided to skip submodule support in gix merge just because git2 also doesn't support it, and it saves time now. However, it's on the roadmap and ultimately I think GitButler can't be complete if it can't do most of what Git can do.

[lmtr0]

Agreeded, submodule is a huge part of my development process, If it doesn't have submodule support, It's going to become a headache :)

[Unknown-Guy]

And I say this from experience, having just decided to skip submodule support in gix merge just because git2 also doesn't support it, and it saves time now. However, it's on the roadmap and ultimately I think GitButler can't be complete if it can't do most of what Git can do.

Does git2 even have timeline for submodules? I come to GitButler repo time to time just to check if there's support for submodules because that is dealbreaker.

[Byron]

Not that I know of, so chances are gitoxide will have support first.

[lmtr0]

Quick Update:

• use gix-status for create_wd_tree() #5889
• basic committing #6169

Looking promising

[lmtr0]

I spoke too soon

[Byron]

The next major release is built from the ground up to support submodules, but it's a feature that unfortunately won't be available in the current release.

[lmtr0]

Amazing to know. Can't wait for it