I have a git repository containing several submodules, and a gitlab runner (project specific) registered to a virtual machine. The CI/CD uses a makefile which is contained within one of the submodules.
Previously I have been able to clone the repository and all of the submodules on both my local machine and the virtual machine with no problems, and also the CI/CD worked (but failed on something in the makefile - unrelated)
This week when I have come back to this project to fix the problem with the makefile, I am now getting two problems with the virtual machine and gitlab runner.
Problem 1: git is now asking for my username and password for each submodule when cloning the submodules on the virtual machine (git submodule update --remote). I am not getting the same problem with my local machine, that is cloning without the need for a username and password.
Strangely, the gitlab-runner is also asking for a username and password when I run the pipeline.
I can store my username and password so the virtual machine doesn't ask for it, but this doesn't help with the runner.
Problem 2: when trying to clone the submodules - git submodule update --remote, I get the message:
fatal: Needed a single revision Unable to find current origin/master revision in submodule path '[submodule]'
I can fix this by adding
branch = main
into the .gitmodules file, but again this isn't necessary on my local machine, only the virtual machine (and only this week; it didn't previously need this).
What's going on here?
I have done a compare of the .git folders for the last working revision of my project and the current one, the differences were inconsequential (HEAD, where one is main, the other is the git hash).
I tried reverting to the last working revision, and had the same problems. This suggests to me it is a problem with my working environment rather than any git files.
Solution found with thanks to @torek for prompts, and help from here and here
Changing the submodule url in .gitmodules to use the relative path has removed both errors.
[submodule "ProjectA"]
path = ProjectA
url = ../../Proj/ProjectA.git
[submodule "ProjectB"]
path = ProjectB
url = ../../Proj/ProjectB.git
Checking the file history, .gitmodules has always used the absolute url up to now, so I'm not sure why this has suddenly become a requirement, but according to the documentation this is the correct way to avoid the need for credentials when cloning submodules in gitlab CI/CD