[JENKINS-75860] Updating submodules not working

When recursively updating git submodules an exception is thrown (see attached log file). The submodule "BuildConfig" exists and is correctly configured in my .gitmodules file.

The command that extracts all submodules works:

> git config -f .gitmodules --get-regexp ^submodule\.(.+)\.url # timeout=10

 

But the url can not be fetched:

> git config --get submodule.BuildScripts.url # timeout=10

hudson.plugins.git.GitException: Command "git config --get submodule.BuildScripts.url" returned status code 1:

....

 

Problem is the missing file reference to .gitmodules like it exists in the first command:

-f .gitmodules 

 

Edit: I found that the above behavior comes from the '.git/config' and '.gitmodules' files being inconsistent.

I propose that for consistency reasons either '-f .gitmodules' gets removed from

git config -f .gitmodules --get-regexp ^submodule\.(.+)\.url

or

git config --get submodule.XXX.url

is changed to 

git config -f .gitmodules --get submodule.XXX.url

 

As Git does favor the latter formatting I prefer using '.gitmodules' over '.git/config' for submodules.

---
Originally reported by monthycurious, imported from: Updating submodules not working

• assignee: monthycurious
  
• status: Open
  
• priority: Minor
  
• component(s): git-client-plugin
  
• label(s): git
  
• resolution: Unresolved
  
• votes: 0
  
• watchers: 2
  
• imported: 20251211-071809
  

Raw content of original issue

When recursively updating git submodules an exception is thrown (see attached log file). The submodule "BuildConfig" exists and is correctly configured in my .gitmodules file.


The command that extracts all submodules works:



> git config -f .gitmodules --get-regexp ^submodule\.(.+)\.url # timeout=10



 


But the url can not be fetched:



> git config --get submodule.BuildScripts.url # timeout=10

hudson.plugins.git.GitException: Command "git config --get submodule.BuildScripts.url" returned status code 1:

....



 


Problem is the missing file reference to .gitmodules like it exists in the first command:



-f .gitmodules 



 


Edit: I found that the above behavior comes from the '.git/config' and '.gitmodules' files being inconsistent.

I propose that for consistency reasons either '-f .gitmodules' gets removed from



git config -f .gitmodules --get-regexp ^submodule\.(.+)\.url



or



git config --get submodule.XXX.url



is changed to 



git config -f .gitmodules --get submodule.XXX.url



 


As Git does favor the latter formatting I prefer using '.gitmodules' over '.git/config' for submodules.

environment

```
Jenkins: 2.504.3 (in Docker version 28.3.0, build 38b7060)

OS: Linux - 6.1.0-37-amd64

Java: 21.0.7 - Eclipse Adoptium (OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM)

---

ant:513.vde9e7b_a_0da_0f

antisamy-markup-formatter:173.v680e3a_b_69ff3

apache-httpcomponents-client-4-api:4.5.14-269.vfa_2321039a_83

apache-httpcomponents-client-5-api:5.5-150.veb_76e719855b_

asm-api:9.8-135.vb_2239d08ee90

authentication-tokens:1.131.v7199556c3004

blueocean:1.27.21

blueocean-bitbucket-pipeline:1.27.21

blueocean-commons:1.27.21

blueocean-config:1.27.21

blueocean-core-js:1.27.21

blueocean-dashboard:1.27.21

blueocean-display-url:2.4.4

blueocean-events:1.27.21

blueocean-git-pipeline:1.27.21

blueocean-github-pipeline:1.27.21

blueocean-i18n:1.27.21

blueocean-jwt:1.27.21

blueocean-personalization:1.27.21

blueocean-pipeline-api-impl:1.27.21

blueocean-pipeline-editor:1.27.21

blueocean-pipeline-scm-api:1.27.21

blueocean-rest:1.27.21

blueocean-rest-impl:1.27.21

blueocean-web:1.27.21

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commons-compress-api:1.27.1-3

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commons-text-api:1.13.1-176.v74d88f22034b_

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pipeline-graph-view:588.v1efd7e219272

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pipeline-input-step:527.vd61b_1d3c5078

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script-security:1373.vb_b_4a_a_c26fa_00

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sse-gateway:1.28

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workflow-step-api:700.v6e45cb_a_5a_a_21

workflow-support:968.v8f17397e87b_8

ws-cleanup:0.48

```

3 attachments

- [jenkins-build-job.png](https://issues.jenkins.io/secure/attachment/64639/jenkins-build-job.png)
> 
- [jenkins-build-job.txt](https://issues.jenkins.io/secure/attachment/64638/jenkins-build-job.txt)
- [jenkins-build.log](https://issues.jenkins.io/secure/attachment/64637/jenkins-build.log)