Subject: [PATCH v4 5/5] Documentation: update add --force option + ignore=all config

From: "Claus Schneider(Eficode) via GitGitGadget" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:23:00 +0000

From: "Claus Schneider(Eficode)" <[email-masked]>

- git-add.adoc: Update the --force documentation for submodule behaviour
  to be added even the given configuration ignore=all.
- gitmodules.adoc and config/submodule.adoc: The submodule config
  ignore=all now need --force in order to update the index.

Signed-off-by: Claus Schneider(Eficode) <[email-masked]>
---
 Documentation/config/submodule.adoc | 13 +++++++------
 Documentation/git-add.adoc          |  5 ++++-
 Documentation/gitmodules.adoc       |  5 ++++-
 3 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/config/submodule.adoc b/Documentation/config/submodule.adoc
index 0672d99117..b3db1dc2c8 100644
--- a/Documentation/config/submodule.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/config/submodule.adoc
@@ -32,15 +32,16 @@ submodule.<name>.fetchRecurseSubmodules::
 
 submodule.<name>.ignore::
 	Defines under what circumstances "git status" and the diff family show
-	a submodule as modified. When set to "all", it will never be considered
-	modified (but it will nonetheless show up in the output of status and
-	commit when it has been staged), "dirty" will ignore all changes
-	to the submodule's work tree and
+	a submodule as modified.
+	When set to "all" will never consider the submodule modified. It can
+	nevertheless be staged using the option --force and it will then show up
+	in the output of status.
+	When set to "dirty" will ignore all changes to the submodule's work tree and
 	takes only differences between the HEAD of the submodule and the commit
 	recorded in the superproject into account. "untracked" will additionally
 	let submodules with modified tracked files in their work tree show up.
-	Using "none" (the default when this option is not set) also shows
-	submodules that have untracked files in their work tree as changed.
+	When set to "none"(default) It also show submodules as changed if they have
+	untracked files in their work tree.
 	This setting overrides any setting made in .gitmodules for this submodule,
 	both settings can be overridden on the command line by using the
 	"--ignore-submodules" option. The 'git submodule' commands are not
diff --git a/Documentation/git-add.adoc b/Documentation/git-add.adoc
index 6192daeb03..941135dc63 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-add.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/git-add.adoc
@@ -75,7 +75,10 @@ in linkgit:gitglossary[7].
 
 `-f`::
 `--force`::
-	Allow adding otherwise ignored files.
+	Allow adding otherwise ignored files. The option is also used when
+	`submodule.<name>.ignore=all` is set, but you want to stage an
+	update of the submodule. The `path` to the submodule must be explicitly
+	specified.
 
 `--sparse`::
 	Allow updating index entries outside of the sparse-checkout cone.
diff --git a/Documentation/gitmodules.adoc b/Documentation/gitmodules.adoc
index d9bec8b187..3792da96aa 100644
--- a/Documentation/gitmodules.adoc
+++ b/Documentation/gitmodules.adoc
@@ -70,7 +70,10 @@ submodule.<name>.ignore::
 --
 	all;; The submodule will never be considered modified (but will
 	    nonetheless show up in the output of status and commit when it has
-	    been staged).
+	    been staged). Add `(new commits)` can be overruled using the
+	    `git add --force <submodule.path>`.
+		The setting affects `status`, `update-index`, `diff` and `log`(due
+		to underlaying `diff`).
 
 	dirty;; All changes to the submodule's work tree will be ignored, only
 	    committed differences between the `HEAD` of the submodule and its
-- 
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