[JENKINS-27625] Git submodules, option for reseting local changes on submodules

When working with submodules and submodule modifies some tracked files during build,

the consecutive builds will file on submodule update, with a git error of unstaged changes.

Although build should not change tracked files it could happen due to programmer mistake.

One can bypass it with

git submodule foreach git checkout %sha1%

as a first build step

Note that git clean is not an option for builds that uses bower or npm, since they download packages from web, and generally work very long.

---
Originally reported by fantastory, imported from: Git submodules, option for reseting local changes on submodules

• status: Open
  
• priority: Minor
  
• component(s): git-plugin
  
• resolution: Unresolved
  
• votes: 0
  
• watchers: 4
  
• imported: 2025-12-02
  

Raw content of original issue

When working with submodules and submodule modifies some tracked files during build, 

the consecutive builds will file on submodule update, with a git error of unstaged changes.


Although build should not change tracked files it could happen due to programmer mistake.


One can bypass it with

git submodule foreach git checkout %sha1%

as a first build step


Note that git clean is not an option for builds that uses bower or npm, since they download packages from web, and generally work very long.

environment

```
windows 2012R2

Jenkins ver. 1.605

GIT client plugin 1.16.1

GIT plugin 2.3.5
```