# ERROR: GitError(Code:ERROR, Class:Submodule, cannot get submodules without a working tree)
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-giterror-code-error-class-submodule-cannot-get-submodules-without-a-working-tree/49926
**Category:** General Usage
**Tags:** question, package
**Created:** [November 10, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-giterror-code-error-class-submodule-cannot-get-submodules-without-a-working-tree/49926 "2020-11-10T17:29:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mleprovost](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mleprovost)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-giterror-code-error-class-submodule-cannot-get-submodules-without-a-working-tree/49926/1 "2020-11-10T17:29:30Z")
Hello,
I would like to add one of my package `AdaptiveTransportMap` to a project but I get the following error message:
```julia
(NlVortexAssim) pkg> add AdaptiveTransportMap/
Updating git-repo `/media/mat/HDD/AdaptiveTransportMap`
ERROR: GitError(Code:ERROR, Class:Submodule, cannot get submodules without a working tree)
Stacktrace:
[1] macro expansion at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/LibGit2/src/error.jl:106 [inlined]
[2] checkout_tree(::LibGit2.GitRepo, ::LibGit2.GitTree; options::LibGit2.CheckoutOptions) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/LibGit2/src/repository.jl:358
[3] checkout_tree_to_path(::LibGit2.GitRepo, ::LibGit2.GitTree, ::String) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/Pkg/src/GitTools.jl:122
[4] (::Pkg.Types.var"#49#50"{Pkg.Types.Context,Pkg.Types.PackageSpec})(::LibGit2.GitRepo) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/Pkg/src/Types.jl:644
[5] with(::Pkg.Types.var"#49#50"{Pkg.Types.Context,Pkg.Types.PackageSpec}, ::LibGit2.GitRepo) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/LibGit2/src/types.jl:1128
[6] handle_repo_add!(::Pkg.Types.Context, ::Pkg.Types.PackageSpec) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/Pkg/src/Types.jl:597
[7] handle_repos_add!(::Pkg.Types.Context, ::Array{Pkg.Types.PackageSpec,1}) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/Pkg/src/Types.jl:663
[8] add(::Pkg.Types.Context, ::Array{Pkg.Types.PackageSpec,1}; preserve::Pkg.Types.PreserveLevel, platform::Pkg.BinaryPlatforms.Linux, kwargs::Base.Iterators.Pairs{Union{},Union{},Tuple{},NamedTuple{(),Tuple{}}}) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/Pkg/src/API.jl:169
[9] add(::Pkg.Types.Context, ::Array{Pkg.Types.PackageSpec,1}) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/Pkg/src/API.jl:140
[10] #add#21 at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/Pkg/src/API.jl:67 [inlined]
[11] add(::Array{Pkg.Types.PackageSpec,1}) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/Pkg/src/API.jl:67
[12] do_cmd!(::Pkg.REPLMode.Command, ::REPL.LineEditREPL) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/Pkg/src/REPLMode/REPLMode.jl:404
[13] do_cmd(::REPL.LineEditREPL, ::String; do_rethrow::Bool) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/Pkg/src/REPLMode/REPLMode.jl:382
[14] do_cmd at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/Pkg/src/REPLMode/REPLMode.jl:377 [inlined]
[15] (::Pkg.REPLMode.var"#24#27"{REPL.LineEditREPL,REPL.LineEdit.Prompt})(::REPL.LineEdit.MIState, ::Base.GenericIOBuffer{Array{UInt8,1}}, ::Bool) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/Pkg/src/REPLMode/REPLMode.jl:546
[16] #invokelatest#1 at ./essentials.jl:710 [inlined]
[17] invokelatest at ./essentials.jl:709 [inlined]
[18] run_interface(::REPL.Terminals.TextTerminal, ::REPL.LineEdit.ModalInterface, ::REPL.LineEdit.MIState) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/REPL/src/LineEdit.jl:2355
[19] run_frontend(::REPL.LineEditREPL, ::REPL.REPLBackendRef) at /buildworker/worker/package_linux64/build/usr/share/julia/stdlib/v1.5/REPL/src/REPL.jl:1143
[20] (::REPL.var"#38#42"{REPL.LineEditREPL,REPL.REPLBackendRef})() at ./task.jl:356
```
---
### Author:  [@simonbyrne](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/simonbyrne)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2020, 6:25pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-giterror-code-error-class-submodule-cannot-get-submodules-without-a-working-tree/49926/2 "2020-11-10T18:25:31Z")
Are you using submodules in your repository? It may be that they’re not supported. ~~~If so, it would probably make sense to open an issue: [https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/issues~~~](https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/issues~~~)
---
### Author:  [@simonbyrne](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/simonbyrne)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-giterror-code-error-class-submodule-cannot-get-submodules-without-a-working-tree/49926/3 "2020-11-10T18:27:16Z")
Ah, nevermind, it’s a known issue: [https://github.com/JuliaLang/Pkg.jl/issues/708](https://github.com/JuliaLang/Pkg.jl/issues/708)
---
### Author:  [@mleprovost](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mleprovost)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-giterror-code-error-class-submodule-cannot-get-submodules-without-a-working-tree/49926/4 "2020-11-10T18:35:17Z")
I saw this thread but I don’t understand what is the fix. There is no submodules in the package, scripts are just organized in different folders.
---
### Author:  [@simonbyrne](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/simonbyrne)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2020, 6:39pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-giterror-code-error-class-submodule-cannot-get-submodules-without-a-working-tree/49926/5 "2020-11-10T18:39:40Z")
It’s hard to say without seeing the repository. You can check for submodules by running `git submodule status`.
If you have the repository already checked out, it might be easier to just `]dev [path]` instead.
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### Author:  [@mleprovost](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mleprovost)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2020, 6:44pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-giterror-code-error-class-submodule-cannot-get-submodules-without-a-working-tree/49926/6 "2020-11-10T18:44:46Z")
The command `git submodule status` in the folder of the package to add returns:
`fatal: no submodule mapping found in .gitmodules for path 'adaptivetransportmaps`
Sorry, I am still in the learning curve of package management in Julia, what is the difference between ` ] add` and ` ] dev`?
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### Author:  [@simonbyrne](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/simonbyrne)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-giterror-code-error-class-submodule-cannot-get-submodules-without-a-working-tree/49926/7 "2020-11-12T19:16:57Z")
It’s a bit subtle, but `] dev` will point to another package as it currently exists on your disk (so can be modified), whereas `] add` will point to a snapshot (e.g. a git hash).