[JENKINS-55875] Submodule update fails when the submodule isn't clean

Jenkins doesn't forcibly update submodules. This means that a checkout can fail with:

hudson.plugins.git.GitException: Command "git submodule update --init --recursive modules/gmock" returned status code 1:

stdout: 

stderr: error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:

build-aux/config.guess

build-aux/config.sub

gtest/build-aux/config.guess

gtest/build-aux/config.sub

Please, commit your changes or stash them before you can switch branches.

Aborting

Unable to checkout 'ec44c6c1675c25b9827aacd08c02433cccde7780' in submodule path 'modules/gmock'

Note, while JENKINS-22510">JENKINS-22510 is relevant, and cleaning the checkout before checking out would resolve the problem, that's not a viable solution. Cleaning the checkout throws away all built files, which means the build is no longer incremental.

Note, this means the behaviour for submodules doesn't match it's behaviour for the standard checkout (which is checked out with --force).

---
Originally reported by richardwhiuk, imported from: Submodule update fails when the submodule isn't clean

• assignee: richardwhiuk
  
• status: Open
  
• priority: Minor
  
• component(s): git-client-plugin
  
• resolution: Unresolved
  
• votes: 2
  
• watchers: 2
  
• imported: 20251211-071809
  

Raw content of original issue

Jenkins doesn't forcibly update submodules. This means that a checkout can fail with:



hudson.plugins.git.GitException: Command "git submodule update --init --recursive modules/gmock" returned status code 1:

stdout: 

stderr: error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:

build-aux/config.guess

build-aux/config.sub

gtest/build-aux/config.guess

gtest/build-aux/config.sub

Please, commit your changes or stash them before you can switch branches.

Aborting

Unable to checkout 'ec44c6c1675c25b9827aacd08c02433cccde7780' in submodule path 'modules/gmock'





Note, while JENKINS-22510 is relevant, and cleaning the checkout before checking out would resolve the problem, that's not a viable solution. Cleaning the checkout throws away all built files, which means the build is no longer incremental.


Note, this means the behaviour for submodules doesn't match it's behaviour for the standard checkout (which is checked out with --force).