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title Git Submodule Installation
description Set up HVE Core as a git submodule for version-controlled team consumption
sidebar_position 7
author Microsoft
ms.date 2026-03-10
ms.topic how-to
keywords
git submodule
installation
github copilot
version control
teams
estimated_reading_time 7

Git submodules provide version-controlled, reproducible HVE Core consumption. Every team member gets the exact same version, and updates are explicit commits.

When to Use This Method

✅ Use this when:

  • Your team needs reproducible setups (same version for everyone)
  • You want to pin HVE Core to a specific version
  • Updates should be deliberate, reviewed commits
  • HVE Core dependency should be tracked in version control

❌ Consider alternatives when:

How It Works

A git submodule embeds HVE Core as a nested repository within your project. The .gitmodules file tracks the repository URL, and your project's git history tracks the exact commit.

your-project/
├── .gitmodules          ← Defines submodule URL
├── lib/
│   └── hve-core/        ← Submodule (points to specific commit)
│       └── .github/
│           ├── agents/
│           ├── prompts/
│           └── instructions/
└── .vscode/
    └── settings.json    ← Points to lib/hve-core paths

Quick Start

Install the VS Code extension for the fastest setup. For guided setup with installation method selection and MCP configuration, install the HVE Core Installer extension and ask any agent "help me customize hve-core installation". Use the manual steps below for direct configuration.

Manual Setup

Step 1: Add the Submodule

# From your project root
git submodule add https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core.git lib/hve-core
git commit -m "Add HVE Core as submodule"

This creates a .gitmodules file:

[submodule "lib/hve-core"]
    path = lib/hve-core
    url = https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core.git
    branch = main

Step 2: Configure VS Code Settings

Create or update .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "chat.agentFilesLocations": {
    "lib/hve-core/.github/agents/ado": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/agents/data-science": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/agents/design-thinking": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/agents/github": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/agents/project-planning": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/agents/hve-core": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/agents/hve-core/subagents": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/agents/security": true,
    ".github/agents": true
  },
  "chat.promptFilesLocations": {
    "lib/hve-core/.github/prompts/ado": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/prompts/design-thinking": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/prompts/github": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/prompts/hve-core": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/prompts/security": true,
    ".github/prompts": true
  },
  "chat.instructionsFilesLocations": {
    "lib/hve-core/.github/instructions/ado": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/instructions/coding-standards": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/instructions/design-thinking": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/instructions/github": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/instructions/hve-core": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/instructions/shared": true,
    ".github/instructions": true
  },
  "chat.agentSkillsLocations": {
    "lib/hve-core/.github/skills": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/skills/shared": true,
    "lib/hve-core/.github/skills/coding-standards": true,
    ".github/skills": true
  }
}

Step 3: Configure Devcontainer (Codespaces)

Update .devcontainer/devcontainer.json to initialize submodules automatically:

{
  "name": "My Project with HVE Core",
  "image": "mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/base:ubuntu",

  "onCreateCommand": "git submodule update --init --recursive",

  "customizations": {
    "vscode": {
      "extensions": [
        "github.copilot",
        "github.copilot-chat"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Team Member Onboarding

When team members clone your project, they need to initialize submodules.

Option A: Clone with submodules (recommended)

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/your-org/your-project.git

Option B: Initialize after clone

git clone https://github.com/your-org/your-project.git
cd your-project
git submodule update --init --recursive

Option C: Configure git to auto-recurse

git config --global submodule.recurse true
# Now all git operations auto-update submodules

Updating HVE Core

Task Command
Check for updates cd lib/hve-core && git fetch && git log HEAD..origin/main --oneline
Update to latest git submodule update --remote lib/hve-core
Pin to specific commit cd lib/hve-core && git checkout <sha>
Track different branch git config submodule.lib/hve-core.branch develop

After updating, commit the change

git add lib/hve-core
git commit -m "Update HVE Core submodule to latest"

Auto-Update on Container Rebuild

To update HVE Core when rebuilding your devcontainer:

{
  "updateContentCommand": "git submodule update --remote lib/hve-core || true"
}

Version Pinning

Submodules pin to a specific commit by default. To verify or change the pinned version:

Check current version

cd lib/hve-core
git log -1 --oneline

Pin to a specific tag or commit

cd lib/hve-core
git checkout v1.2.0  # or a specific commit SHA
cd ..
git add lib/hve-core
git commit -m "Pin HVE Core to v1.2.0"

Verification

After setup, verify HVE Core is working:

  1. Check lib/hve-core/ contains the HVE Core repository
  2. Open Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Alt+I)
  3. Click the agent picker dropdown
  4. Verify HVE Core agents appear (task-planner, task-researcher, etc.)

Troubleshooting

Submodule folder is empty

The submodule wasn't initialized:

git submodule update --init --recursive

Agents not appearing

  • Verify .vscode/settings.json paths match submodule location
  • Reload the window with Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window"
  • Confirm submodule content exists with ls lib/hve-core/.github/agents/

"Detached HEAD" warning in submodule

This is normal for submodules. The submodule points to a specific commit, not a branch. To work on the submodule:

cd lib/hve-core
git checkout main

Merge conflicts in submodule pointer

When multiple team members update the submodule:

git checkout --theirs lib/hve-core  # Accept their version
# OR
git checkout --ours lib/hve-core    # Keep your version
git add lib/hve-core
git commit

Comparison with Other Methods

Aspect Submodule Multi-Root Clone
Version controlled ✅ Yes ⚠️ Partial ❌ No
Team reproducibility ✅ Same version ⚠️ May vary ⚠️ May vary
Update control ✅ Explicit commits ⚠️ Automatic ⚠️ Automatic
In workspace ✅ Subfolder ✅ Workspace root ❌ External
Initial setup 🟡 Medium 🟡 Medium 🟢 Easy

Next Steps

🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction, then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.