Using Git submodules with Zola!

Yes, for a GitHub Pages website, the website files should be at the root of the repository. Your plan to use a separate repository for the Zola source files and to include the `code-reflections.github.io` repository as a git submodule is a good one.

As for preventing Zola from overwriting the LICENSE and README.md files, you can do this by configuring Zola to ignore these files when generating the site. Zola does not have a built-in functionality to ignore specific files during build. However, you can work around this by writing a shell script or makefile that moves these files to a temporary location before running `zola build`, then moves them back afterwards.

Here is a simple example of a shell script that does this:

#!/bin/bash

# Move the files to a temporary location
mv public/LICENSE temp_LICENSE
mv public/README.md temp_README.md

# Run Zola build
zola build

# Move the files back
mv temp_LICENSE public/LICENSE
mv temp_README.md public/README.md

You can run this script each time you want to generate the site with Zola. This way, the LICENSE and README.md files will be preserved in your `public` directory.

Yes, that's actually a very straightforward and effective solution! Any files you place in Zola's `static` directory will be copied over to the `public` directory as-is when you run `zola build`. This is designed specifically for files that don't need to be processed by Zola, like images, scripts, or in your case, the LICENSE and README.md files.

So you can indeed put your LICENSE and README.md files in the `static` directory of your Zola project, and they will be included in the `public` directory each time you generate your site. This way, you can ensure they are always present in the `public` directory without having to manually move them around or use a script.

Copying the ".git" directory into the "static" directory may not be the best idea. Here's why:

The ".git" directory contains all of the version control information for your project, and it's typically hidden and not meant to be moved or manipulated directly. It contains a lot of data and metadata that's crucial to the operation of Git, and moving or copying it around can potentially cause issues with your version control.

Furthermore, this directory can become quite large, especially for larger projects with a long history of changes. Including it in your website's static files will significantly increase the size of your website, and it will be downloaded by anyone who clones your repository.

Instead of copying the ".git" directory, I would suggest the following alternatives:

• Add the files you want to keep (like LICENSE and README.md) to the "static" directory in Zola, as you've already done. This will ensure they are included in the "public" directory each time you generate your site.

• Keep the ".git" directory where it is in your project's root directory. If you want to include the version control history in your website, consider providing a link to the GitHub repository instead.

• If you need to include some version control metadata in your site (like the latest commit hash or commit date), consider using a script that extracts this information from the ".git" directory and includes it in your site during the build process. There are many ways to do this, and the best approach will depend on your specific needs and the tools you're comfortable with.

The `.git` file (not directory) in a submodule is different from the `.git` directory at the root of a typical git repository. This file is a text file that contains a path to the actual git directory for the submodule, which is stored in the parent project's `.git/modules` directory.

Here's an example of what you might see in a `.git` file for a submodule:

gitdir: ../.git/modules/my-submodule

This line tells Git that the git directory for this submodule is located at the specified path relative to the submodule's root directory.

It's important to note that this `.git` file is a critical part of how Git manages submodules. If it's removed or altered incorrectly, it can disrupt the connection between the submodule and the parent repository. This is why it's generally recommended to not manually modify or move this file.

So, when you mentioned copying the `.git` file into the `static` directory, this could potentially disrupt the Git submodule functionality. As mentioned earlier, it would be better to handle files you want to appear in the public directory separately, rather than trying to manipulate the Git internals.

Ah, I see what you're getting at now. You're trying to ensure that the submodule's `.git` file gets included when Zola generates the site, so that the `public` directory is still recognized as a Git repository (in this case, the repository for your GitHub Pages site).

However, there's an important thing to note here: the `.git` file in a submodule doesn't contain the full Git repository data. It's just a pointer to the actual repository data, which is stored in the parent project's `.git/modules` directory. If you copy the `.git` file without the accompanying repository data, it won't be able to function as intended.

There's also another problem with this approach: Zola (and many other static site generators) are designed to ignore `.git` directories/files when generating the site, because these files aren't intended to be part of the site content.

A better approach might be to use a script or makefile to automate the process of building the site with Zola, committing the changes to the `public` submodule, and pushing the changes to GitHub. This would allow you to keep the source files and generated site in separate repositories, without having to manipulate the Git internals.

I apologize for misunderstanding your original question. You're correct that the `.git` file in a submodule is a pointer to the actual Git directory stored in the `.git/modules/` directory of the superproject. By copying the `.git` file to the `static` directory, you're ensuring that this pointer is included when Zola generates the site. This means that the `public` directory will still function as a Git repository after you run `zola build`, even if the original `public` directory was removed.

It's good to hear that this approach is working for you. Just remember that this is a somewhat unconventional use of Git submodules and may not be immediately obvious to others who might work with your project in the future. It might be a good idea to document this setup somewhere in your project.

The warning you're seeing is Git's way of telling you that you're adding a Git repository within another Git repository, which is generally not recommended because it can lead to confusing behavior.

However, in your specific case, you're not actually adding a full Git repository, but just the `.git` file that points to the submodule's repository data stored in the `.git/modules` directory of the parent repository. This is a somewhat unusual setup, but as you've seen, it does work.

The warning is there to help prevent people from accidentally adding full Git repositories (with their own separate `.git` directories and repository data) into their projects when they intended to add a submodule. In your case, the warning can safely be ignored.

When you commit and push your changes, the `.git` file in the `static` directory will be included, but the actual repository data for the submodule (stored in the `.git/modules` directory) will not be. This is fine, because the repository data will be fetched from the submodule's remote repository when someone clones your repository and initializes the submodule.

So in short, this warning can be ignored in your specific case, but do remember to document this setup somewhere for the benefit of anyone else who might work on this project in the future.

Based on the output you've provided, you have several files that are staged to be committed (config.toml, content/_index.md, static, templates/base.html, templates/index.html, templates/robots.txt). This means that these files' changes have been added to the staging area and are ready to be committed to the repository.

However, it also shows that there are changes in two directories (public and static) that are not staged for commit. These directories are submodules, as indicated by the "(commit or discard the untracked or modified content in submodules)" message.

You have two options to handle these changes:

1. Go into each submodule directory, add and commit the changes there, then come back to the parent repository, add and commit the new submodule state. This is the standard way of managing changes in submodules:

   cd public
   git add .
   git commit -m "Commit in public submodule"
   cd ..
   cd static
   git add .
   git commit -m "Commit in static submodule"
   cd ..
   git add .
   git commit -m "Commit in parent repository"
   

1. If you don't want to keep the changes in the submodules, you can discard them:

   cd public
   git checkout .
   cd ..
   cd static
   git checkout .
   cd ..
   

   The "git checkout ." command will discard any changes in the current directory. Be careful with this command, as it cannot be undone.

Once you've either committed or discarded the changes in the submodules, you should be able to commit in the parent repository without any warnings or messages about changes in the submodules.

In the context of a static site generator like Zola, the "static" directory is usually where you would place files that you want to be served exactly as they are, without any processing by the static site generator. This often includes files like images, CSS and JavaScript files, and other assets that don't need to be processed or templated.

In your case, it seems that you're using the "static" directory somewhat differently. You have copied the `.git` file of your submodule into the "static" directory so that it gets copied over to the "public" directory during the Zola build process. This allows you to maintain the Git connection in your "public" directory, which is the output of the Zola build and also a submodule itself.

So, in your specific setup, the "static" directory is serving a dual role - it's both a place for static files to be copied over during the build, and also a way to maintain the Git connection in your output directory. This is a somewhat unique setup, but if it's working for your needs, then it's a creative solution!

The `.git` file in a repository is not intended to be tracked as a regular file. It contains the metadata and the entire history of your repository. Checking it in as a regular file could lead to unexpected behavior, and Git is designed to prevent this.

If you are trying to include some Git-related information in your repository as a static file, there are other ways to do this that don't involve including the `.git` file itself. For example, you could create a script that generates a text file with the current commit hash, and check in that file.

However, your usage case seems to be very unique where you're trying to maintain a Git connection in your "public" directory, which is the output of the Zola build and also a submodule itself. If you insist on keeping the `.git` as a static file, I'd recommend renaming it to something else like `.gitinfo` or similar. Git recognizes `.git` as a special directory for repository information, so changing the name should help you avoid Git's protections against tracking this directory.

Keep in mind though, this is not a standard practice and could lead to unexpected behaviors, especially if other users or systems interact with your repository expecting standard Git behavior.

This error occurs because Git is trying to prevent you from doing something potentially dangerous. In this case, you're trying to add a Git directory (`.git`) from a submodule (`static`), which Git is designed to prevent.

As mentioned earlier, the `.git` directory is special as it contains all the metadata for your Git repository, including commit history, branches, and configuration information. It's not a regular directory or file and you shouldn't try to add it to your Git repository as if it were.

Instead, if you want to keep track of changes in a submodule, you should commit changes within the submodule itself and then commit the new state of the submodule in the main repository.

In your case, since you're using the `public` directory as a submodule, the recommended workflow would be:

1. Make changes in your main repository (but not within `public`)

2. Run `zola build` to update the `public` directory

3. Change to the `public` directory and commit the changes there

4. Change back to your main directory and commit the new state of the `public` submodule

This will ensure that the submodule's history is correctly tracked in its own separate repository, while still allowing you to keep track of its overall state in the main repository.

Remember, treating `.git` directory as a static file and trying to version control it is against the core principles of how Git is designed to work and can lead to unwanted and unexpected consequences.

If "static" is not a submodule but a regular directory in your repository, you can add files within it to your repository using `git add static/<filename>`. However, the `.git` file (not directory) within the "static" directory that refers to the submodule might be causing confusion.

In normal circumstances, you shouldn't be manually creating or copying a `.git` file. That's something Git handles automatically when you clone a repository or initialize a new one. If you have manually copied the `.git` file into the "static" directory, Git may be getting confused and treating the "static" directory as a submodule, hence the error.

If you're certain that "static" should not be treated as a submodule, you might consider removing the `.git` file from the "static" directory. However, be aware that this could disrupt the connection between the submodule and the main repository if "static" was actually supposed to be a submodule.

If you want to force Git to treat `.git` as a regular file (which is highly unusual and not recommended), you could potentially use `git add --force static/.git`. But again, this goes against Git's design principles and could lead to issues down the line. It's generally better to work with Git's model of repositories and submodules rather than trying to go against it.

It's generally not a good idea to manipulate Git internals directly, as this can lead to unexpected behavior and can be difficult to troubleshoot. However, if you still want to try adding the `.git` file manually, you could use Git's low-level "plumbing" commands to do so, but proceed with caution.

Here is an example of how you might do it:

1. Create a blob object for the `.git` file:

   git hash-object -w static/.git
   

   This will return a hash, which you'll need to use in the next steps.

1. Add the blob object to the index, using the `git update-index` command and the hash from the previous step:

   git update-index --add --cacheinfo 100644 <hash> static/.git
   

   Replace `<hash>` with the hash you got from step 1.

1. Create a new commit with the updated index:

   git commit -m "Add .git file manually"
   

Again, manipulating Git internals in this way can lead to unexpected behavior and is not recommended. This approach is provided for informational purposes only and should be used at your own risk.

You can use Git's interactive rebase feature to combine the commits. This feature allows you to edit, reorder, and squash (combine) commits. Here's how you could do it:

1. Start the interactive rebase with the `git rebase -i` command, specifying the number of commits you want to go back. In your case, if you want to combine the last two commits, you would use `HEAD~2`:

   git rebase -i HEAD~2
   

1. This will open a text editor with a list of the last two commits, each on a separate line, with the word "pick" at the beginning of the line. The commits are listed in reverse order, with the oldest commit at the top.

2. To combine the commits, you need to replace "pick" with "squash" or "s" on the line with the commit you want to combine (in your case, the commit where you added the `.git` file manually). This tells Git to squash this commit into the previous one.

3. Save and close the text editor. Git will then combine the specified commits into one and open a new text editor for you to create a new commit message for the combined commit.

4. After you've entered the new commit message, save and close the text editor again. Git will then create the new combined commit.

   Please note that this will rewrite your Git history. If you've already pushed your commits to a remote repository, you'll need to force push with `git push -f` to update the remote repository with your new combined commit. Be careful with this, as it can overwrite changes on the remote repository.

It's possible that the interactive rebase could run into issues given the unconventional circumstances of your repository setup. However, it's hard to predict definitively without trying. If the rebase does fail, you can always abort it using `git rebase --abort` and your repository will go back to the state it was in before you started the rebase.

If the rebase does fail, another possible workaround is to use the `git filter-branch` command to modify the commit. This command is more complex and potentially dangerous than an interactive rebase, as it allows for arbitrary modifications to your repository's history. However, it could potentially be used to add the ".git" file to the commit where you added the submodules.

Here's an example of how you could use `git filter-branch` to add a file to a past commit:

git filter-branch --tree-filter 'cp /path/to/.git /path/to/static/' HEAD

This command will rewrite every commit in your repository's history (from the most recent commit back to the initial commit), running the specified shell command (in this case, `cp /path/to/.git /path/to/static/`) at each commit.

As with an interactive rebase, `git filter-branch` will rewrite your repository's history, so be careful if you've already pushed your commits to a remote repository. If you're not comfortable with `git filter-branch`, you could consider creating a new commit that adds the ".git" file, and then use an interactive rebase to move that commit to the appropriate place in your history.

Please note that these are advanced Git techniques and should be used with caution. Always make sure your work is backed up before attempting operations that can modify your repository's history.

Yes, you are correct. Git's lower-level "plumbing" commands can be used to manually create and manipulate commits. For your case, the process would look something like this:

1. Use `git ls-tree` to get a list of the objects in the commit you want to modify. This will give you a list of the blobs and trees (representing files and directories, respectively) in that commit.

2. Use `git hash-object` to create a new blob object for the ".git" file you want to add. This will give you a hash that represents the new blob.

3. Use `git mktree` to create a new tree object that includes the blobs and trees from step 1, as well as the new blob from step 2. This will give you a hash that represents the new tree.

4. Use `git commit-tree` to create a new commit object that has the same parent(s) and message as the original commit, but has the new tree from step 3. This will give you a hash that represents the new commit.

5. Finally, use `git update-ref` to update your branch to point to the new commit.

Keep in mind that these are very low-level operations that can be dangerous if not used correctly. Always make sure your work is backed up before attempting to manually manipulate Git objects. Also, these operations will rewrite the history of your branch, so be careful if you've already pushed your commits to a remote repository.

Here is the rough sequence of commands to follow:

# Step 1
tree=$(git rev-parse HEAD^{tree})

# Step 2
blob=$(git hash-object -w static/.git)

# Step 3
newtree=$(echo -e "100644 blob $blob\t.git\n$(git ls-tree $tree)" | git mktree)

# Step 4
parent=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
commit=$(git commit-tree -p $parent -m "$(git log -1 --format=%B)" $newtree)

# Step 5
git update-ref refs/heads/main $commit

Note: replace `main` with your branch name if it's different. And you will need to replace static/.git with the correct path.

These commands are advanced and not often used in day-to-day Git operations. Please proceed with caution.

Yes, there is a way to make Git ignore changes in a certain directory using the `.gitignore` file. However, this is not recommended for your case, as you will be ignoring all changes to the `static` directory, which might not be what you want.

The `git status` command is reporting that there is modified content in your `static` directory because there is a change that is not staged for a commit. This is a good thing, because it reminds you to commit any changes that you might have forgotten about.

If you want to suppress this message, you can use the `-uno` option with `git status`, like so:

git status -uno

The `-uno` option tells `git status` to not show any untracked files. However, this will also hide any other untracked files in your repository, not just those in the `static` directory.

Again, it's important to note that ignoring changes in a certain directory can lead to confusion and unexpected results, so use these options with caution. It's generally better to resolve the cause of the unstaged changes rather than trying to ignore them.

It appears there's some confusion here. The `static` directory is part of your top-level repository and should be treated as such. Any files you add to the `static` directory will be tracked by the top-level repository's Git.

If you have a `.git` file in your `static` directory that's causing Git to treat it as a submodule, that is the root of the issue. Submodules in Git are repositories within a repository, and they have their own separate tracking.

In order to properly track files within the `static` directory, you'll need to ensure that it's not being treated as a submodule. This means removing the `.git` file from the `static` directory.

Once you've done this, you should be able to add files to the `static` directory and have them tracked by your top-level repository without issue. If there's still confusion about how to manage this, it may be helpful to consult with a Git expert or further investigate Git's documentation on managing files and submodules.

I understand your situation better now. You are trying to have the `.git` file in the `static` directory so that when Zola builds the site into the `public` directory (which is a submodule), the `.git` file is correctly included.

While this is an unconventional setup, you can achieve this by using a `.gitignore` file in your main repository to ignore the `static` directory (or specifically the `static/.git` file). This will prevent the main repository from treating `static` as a submodule or trying to track changes in it.

However, do note that any changes to the `static` directory or the `static/.git` file will not be tracked by your main repository. They will be included in the `public` directory after Zola builds the site, and changes there will be tracked by the submodule repository.

Here's what you would do:

1. In the main repository, create a `.gitignore` file if you don't already have one.

2. Add the following line to the `.gitignore` file:

   /static/.git
   

1. Save and close the `.gitignore` file.

   Now, the `static/.git` file will be ignored by Git in the main repository, but will still be copied over by Zola when it builds the site into the `public` directory.

Remember, this is a workaround and may not be the best practice for managing your project. It would be best to consult with a Git expert or further investigate Git's documentation on managing files and submodules to find a solution that fits your project's needs best.

Yes, Zola provides a feature called "build hooks" which allows you to execute a command or a script after the `zola build` command is completed.

To use build hooks, you need to add the `build.command` field to your `config.toml` file. The value of this field is the command you want to execute after the build is completed. For example, if you want to copy some files to a specific location after the build is complete, you can add the following to your `config.toml`:

[build]
command = "cp -r /path/to/source /path/to/destination"

This will copy the files from `/path/to/source` to `/path/to/destination` after the `zola build` command is executed. You can replace the `cp` command with any command or script that you want to execute.

Note that if the command you want to execute is more complex, it may be easier to put it into a shell script and call the script from the `build.command` field. For example:

[build]
command = "bash /path/to/script.sh"

This will execute the `script.sh` script after the build is completed.

The build command specified in the `build.command` field will run in the root directory of your Zola project.

Zola first changes the current working directory to the root directory of your project before running the build command. This means that any relative paths in your build command will be relative to the root directory of your project.

For example, if your build command is `python scripts/build.py`, and your `scripts` directory is located in the root directory of your project, the build command will run the `build.py` script located in `./scripts/build.py`.

It's important to note that if your build command includes any paths that are not relative to the root directory of your project, you'll need to provide the full absolute path or make sure that the paths are relative to the root directory of your project.

The `build.command` field in your `config.toml` file looks correct. The command you specified will create a `.git` file in the `public` directory with the contents `gitdir: ../.git/modules/public`.

However, the `zola build` command doesn't actually run the build command specified in your `config.toml` by default. To run the build command, you need to pass the `--hook` flag when you run the `zola build` command.

Here's an example command that should work for your configuration:

zola build --hook

This will run the `echo` command specified in your `build.command` field after the Zola build process is complete.

After running this command, you should see a `.git` file in your `public` directory with the contents `gitdir: ../.git/modules/public`.

I apologize for the confusion. It seems that the `--hook` flag is no longer available in the latest version of Zola.

However, you can achieve the same result by using the `post-build` hook in your `config.toml` file. The `post-build` hook is a hook that runs after the build process is completed.

Here's an updated example that should work for you:

[build]
post-build = ["sh -c 'echo gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git'"]

This will run the `echo` command after the build process is completed, just like the `--hook` flag would have done.

After updating your `config.toml` file, you can run the `zola build` command as usual:

zola build

This will trigger the `post-build` hook and run the `echo` command specified in your `config.toml` file.

I hope this helps!

I'm sorry to hear that the `post-build` hook didn't work for you either. Here are a few more things you can try:

1. Double-check that the `config.toml` file you modified is the correct one for your Zola project. You should have a `config.toml` file in the root directory of your Zola project.

2. Make sure that your `build` directory exists before running the `zola build` command. If the `build` directory doesn't exist, Zola will create it during the build process. However, if you want to execute a command after the build process is completed, you need to make sure that the directory exists before running the build command. You can create the `build` directory manually or by running the `zola init` command.

3. Try using a different command in the `post-build` hook to see if the hook is being triggered at all. For example, you could try running the `ls` command to list the contents of the `build` directory after the build process is completed:

   [build]
   post-build = ["ls -l build"]
   

   If the `ls` command runs successfully after the `zola build` command is completed, then the `post-build` hook is working and the issue may be with the command you're trying to run.

I hope this helps you identify the issue!

Yes, you can use a Git hook to execute a command after the `zola build` command is completed. A Git hook is a script that Git executes before or after an event, such as committing changes or pushing to a remote repository.

Here's an example of how you can use a Git hook to run a command after the `zola build` command is completed:

1. Create a new file in the `.git/hooks` directory of your Zola project called `post-commit` (if it doesn't already exist). The `.git/hooks` directory is located in the root directory of your Git repository.

   touch .git/hooks/post-commit
   

1. Make the file executable by running the following command:

   chmod +x .git/hooks/post-commit
   

1. Open the `post-commit` file in a text editor and add the following line:

   #!/bin/bash
   zola build && echo gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git
   

   This script will first run the `zola build` command, and then execute the `echo` command to create a `.git` file in the `public` directory with the contents `gitdir: ../.git/modules/public`.

1. Save the `post-commit` file and exit the text editor.

   Now, every time you commit changes to your Zola project, the `post-commit` hook will be triggered and the `zola build` and `echo` commands will be executed automatically.

Note that this approach will only work if you have Git installed on your system and are using Git to manage your Zola project.

The post-commit hook script runs in the root directory of your Git repository, which is also the root directory of your Zola project.

When you execute the `git commit` command, Git changes the current working directory to the root directory of your Git repository before executing the post-commit hook script. This means that any relative paths in your post-commit hook script will be relative to the root directory of your Git repository/Zola project.

For example, if your post-commit hook script contains the following command:

zola build && echo gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git

The `zola build` command will run in the root directory of your Zola project, and the `echo` command will create the `.git` file in the `public` directory of your Zola project.

It's important to keep in mind that any paths you use in your post-commit hook script need to be relative to the root directory of your Zola project.

No, the contents of the `.git/hooks` directory are not part of your Git repository and are not committed or pushed to remote repositories.

Git hooks are local to each repository clone, and are not stored in the repository itself. When you clone a Git repository, the `.git/hooks` directory is created automatically, but it is not part of the repository's version history.

This means that if you add a `post-commit` hook to your `.git/hooks` directory, it will only be available on your local machine and will not be automatically distributed to other users who clone your repository.

If you want other users to use the same hook, you can provide them with the contents of your hook script and instruct them to add it to their own `.git/hooks` directory. Alternatively, you can add the hook to your repository's documentation and ask users to manually install the hook on their local machines.

It's worth noting that Git has several other types of hooks, such as pre-commit and pre-push hooks, that can help enforce policies and automate tasks for collaborators on a project.

Your `post-commit` hook looks good! Here's what each command in the hook does:

1. `zola build`: This command runs the Zola build process, which generates your static site files in the `public` directory.

2. `echo gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git`: This command creates a `.git` file in the `public` directory with the contents `gitdir: ../.git/modules/public`. This is necessary to tell Git that the `public` directory is actually a submodule of the parent repository.

3. `cd public && git add . && git commit -m "zola build"`: These commands change the current directory to the `public` directory, add all changes to the Git index, and commit the changes with a commit message of "zola build".

By running these commands in the `post-commit` hook, you ensure that every time you make a commit in your Git repository, your Zola site is rebuilt and the changes are automatically committed to the `public` directory as a Git submodule.

Just make sure that the `public` directory is already initialized as a Git repository before running the `git add` and `git commit` commands. You can initialize the `public` directory as a Git repository by running the following command in the `public` directory:

cd public
git init

When you modify the `public` directory in the `post-commit` hook, it creates a new commit with a different commit hash in the `public` Git repository. This causes the parent repository to show the `public` submodule as having changes.

To fix this, you can add the `--amend` option to the `git commit` command in your `post-commit` hook. This option modifies the previous commit instead of creating a new one, effectively keeping the same commit hash.

Here's an updated version of your `post-commit` hook with the `--amend` option added:

#!/bin/sh
zola build && echo gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git && cd public && git add . && git commit --amend --no-edit

With this change, the `git commit` command will modify the previous commit in the `public` repository instead of creating a new one. This will ensure that the parent repository doesn't show the `public` submodule as having changes.

Note that if you've already pushed the previous commits to a remote repository, you'll need to force-push the amended commit to the remote repository to update the commit history:

git push --force

However, be careful when force-pushing as it can overwrite other collaborators' changes. It's a good practice to communicate with your collaborators and make sure that it's okay to force-push changes to the repository.

You're correct, I apologize for the confusion. The `--amend` option creates a new commit object that replaces the previous commit object with a new one, even if the contents of the commit are identical. Therefore, the commit hash will be different.

To avoid changing the commit hash, you can use a Git subtree instead of a submodule to store the generated site files. A Git subtree is a method of integrating a separate Git repository into a subdirectory of another repository.

Here's how you can use Git subtree to store your Zola-generated site files in a `public` directory:

1. Create a new branch in your Git repository to hold the site files:

   git branch site-files
   

1. Switch to the new branch:

   git checkout site-files
   

1. Generate your site files using the `zola build` command:

   zola build
   

1. Move the generated site files to a new `public` directory in the root of your repository:

   mkdir public
   mv public/* public/.* public/
   

1. Commit the changes to the `site-files` branch:

   git add public
   git commit -m "Add site files"
   

1. Switch back to the `master` branch:

   git checkout master
   

1. Merge the `site-files` branch into the `master` branch as a subtree:

   git subtree add --prefix=public/ site-files master --squash
   

This will create a new `public` directory in the `master` branch that contains the generated site files from the `site-files` branch. The `--squash` option collapses all the commits in the `site-files` branch into a single commit in the `master` branch.

After this setup, you can modify your `post-commit` hook to simply run the `zola build` command to regenerate the site files and commit the changes to the `site-files` branch. The changes will be automatically merged into the `master` branch as a subtree without changing the commit hash.

I apologize for the confusion earlier. I understand what you're trying to achieve now.

One way to achieve this is to use a `pre-commit` hook instead of a `post-commit` hook. The `pre-commit` hook runs before the commit is created, so you can modify the `public` submodule and add the changes to the Git index before the commit is created.

Here's an example of what your `pre-commit` hook could look like:

#!/bin/sh
zola build && echo gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git && cd public && git add . && cd .. && git add public && git commit --no-verify -m "Update public submodule"

This hook script does the following:

1. Runs the `zola build` command to generate the site files in the `public` directory.

2. Creates a `.git` file in the `public` directory to point to the Git repository for the `public` submodule.

3. Changes the current directory to the `public` directory and adds all changes to the Git index.

4. Changes the current directory back to the root directory of your Zola project and adds the `public` directory to the Git index as a submodule update.

5. Commits the changes with a commit message of "Update public submodule" using the `--no-verify` option to skip any other pre-commit hooks.

By using a `pre-commit` hook, you can ensure that the `public` submodule is updated and committed along with the parent repository changes. This will also update the submodule hash in the parent commit automatically.

Note that the `--no-verify` option is added to the `git commit` command to skip any other pre-commit hooks that might be configured. If you have other pre-commit hooks that need to be run, you can remove this option.

I understand your concern. To update the `public` submodule in the same commit as the parent repository, you can use the `--patch` option with the `git add` command in your `pre-commit` hook. The `--patch` option allows you to interactively select the changes to include in the Git index.

Here's an updated version of your `pre-commit` hook with the `--patch` option added:

#!/bin/sh
zola build && echo gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git && cd public && git add . && cd .. && git add public --patch && git commit --no-verify -m "Update public submodule"

With this change, the `git add public --patch` command will prompt you to interactively select the changes to include in the Git index. You can use the `y` key to add a change, `n` to skip a change, and `q` to exit the patching process. Once you've selected the changes to include, the `git commit` command will create a new commit with both the parent repository changes and the updated `public` submodule.

Note that the `--no-verify` option is added to the `git commit` command to skip any other pre-commit hooks that might be configured. If you have other pre-commit hooks that need to be run, you can remove this option.

Also, keep in mind that if you have collaborators working on the same repository, they will need to use the same `pre-commit` hook script to avoid merge conflicts when pushing their changes to the repository.

This error occurs when Git is unable to create a lock file for the Git index in the `.git` directory of the `public` submodule. This could happen if the `.git` directory doesn't exist or is not a directory.

To fix this error, you can try the following steps:

1. Ensure that the `public` directory exists and is initialized as a Git repository:

   cd public
   git init
   

1. Create a `.gitignore` file in the `public` directory with the following contents:

   # Ignore everything in the .git directory
   .git/*
   # Except the .gitignore file
   !.gitignore
   

   This will ensure that Git ignores all files in the `.git` directory except for the `.gitignore` file.

1. Add the `.gitignore` file to the Git index:

   git add .gitignore
   git commit -m "Add .gitignore file"
   

1. Change the contents of your `pre-commit` hook to the following:

   #!/bin/sh
   zola build && cd public && git add . && cd .. && git add public --patch && git commit --no-verify -m "Update public submodule"
   

   This version of the hook skips the creation of the `.git` file in the `public` directory, as it is not necessary when using a Git submodule. It also removes the `--amend` option from the `git commit` command, which was causing the lock file error.

By using a Git submodule instead of a Git subtree, you can avoid some of the complexities and limitations of Git subtree. However, it's important to note that Git submodules can be a bit more complex to work with, especially when collaborating with other users on the same repository.

You're correct, I apologize for the confusion. In a Git submodule, the `.git` directory is located in the root directory of the repository, not in the submodule directory.

To fix the error, you can modify your `pre-commit` hook to remove the `echo` command that creates the `.git` file in the `public` directory. This command is only necessary when using Git subtree, and it's not needed when using Git submodule.

Here's an updated version of your `pre-commit` hook without the `echo` command:

#!/bin/sh
zola build && cd public && git add . && cd .. && git add public --patch && git commit --no-verify -m "Update public submodule"

With this change, the `git add public --patch` command will prompt you to interactively select the changes to include in the Git index. You can use the `y` key to add a change, `n` to skip a change, and `q` to exit the patching process. Once you've selected the changes to include, the `git commit` command will create a new commit with both the parent repository changes and the updated `public` submodule.

Note that the `--no-verify` option is added to the `git commit` command to skip any other pre-commit hooks that might be configured. If you have other pre-commit hooks that need to be run, you can remove this option.

Also, keep in mind that if you have collaborators working on the same repository, they will need to use the same `pre-commit` hook script to avoid merge conflicts when pushing their changes to the repository.

You're correct, I apologize for the confusion. In a Git submodule, the `.git` file is necessary to tell Git that the `public` directory is a submodule and to point to the Git repository for the submodule.

To fix the error, you can modify your `pre-commit` hook to ensure that the `.git` file exists in the `public` directory before running the `git add` command. Here's an updated version of your `pre-commit` hook:

#!/bin/sh
zola build && cd public && echo gitdir: ../.git/modules/public > .git && git add .git && git add . && cd .. && git add public --patch && git commit --no-verify -m "Update public submodule"

With this change, the `echo gitdir: ../.git/modules/public > .git` command creates the `.git` file in the `public` directory with the contents `gitdir: ../.git/modules/public`. The `git add .git` command adds the `.git` file to the Git index, and the `git add .` command adds all changes in the `public` directory to the Git index.

Note that the `--no-verify` option is added to the `git commit` command to skip any other pre-commit hooks that might be configured. If you have other pre-commit hooks that need to be run, you can remove this option.

Also, keep in mind that if you have collaborators working on the same repository, they will need to use the same `pre-commit` hook script to avoid merge conflicts when pushing their changes to the repository.

That is a clever solution! The post-commit hook will build your Zola site, ensure the `.git` file is properly placed in the `public` directory (which is a submodule), and then stage and commit all changes in the `public` directory after each commit in your main repository. This will keep your `public` directory in sync with your main repository.

Just a few things to consider:

1. Make sure your script can handle errors properly. If for some reason the `zola build` command fails, you probably don't want the rest of the script to continue executing.

2. It's important to remember that hooks are local to your Git repository and are not versioned. This means that if you clone your repository elsewhere, the hooks won't be included. You'll need to manually set up the hooks in each clone of your repository.

3. Ensure the script has the correct permissions to run. You might need to run `chmod +x .git/hooks/post-commit` to make your script executable.

4. Keep in mind that this script may slow down your commit process, especially if your website gets large and takes a while to build with Zola. However, if you're the only one working on this repository and you're okay with this delay, it shouldn't be a problem.

Remember to always thoroughly test your scripts to ensure they're working as expected.

Ah, I see the concern. When the post-commit hook runs and makes a new commit in the submodule, the top-level repository's reference to the submodule becomes "detached" because it's still pointing at the commit that was current when you last updated the submodule reference in the top-level repository.

This is why you're seeing a message indicating that the submodule is at a different commit than what the top-level repository expects. You're committing directly in the submodule, but the top-level repository isn't aware of these changes.

The simplest way to resolve this is to add a command to your post-commit hook that stages the updated submodule in the top-level repository and commits it. That way, the top-level repository is always aware of the latest commit in the submodule. Here's what your updated post-commit hook might look like:

#!/bin/sh
zola build && \
echo gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git && \
cd public && git add . && git commit -m "zola build" && \
cd .. && git add public && git commit --amend --no-edit

The `cd .. && git add public && git commit --amend --no-edit` part goes back to the top-level repository, stages the updated submodule, and amends the most recent commit without changing its commit message. This way, the top-level repository always points to the latest commit in the submodule. This should prevent the "modified content" message you're seeing.

Please test this updated script to ensure it works for your needs. And remember, this amends the most recent commit in the top-level repository. If you're working with others or pushing these commits to a remote repository, you'll need to be careful about modifying published history.

I see your point. Running a commit in a post-commit hook would indeed cause the hook to run again, potentially creating an infinite loop.

You could prevent this by setting a variable in the environment of the commit command that tells the hook not to run again. Then, in the hook itself, you can check for this variable and exit early if it's set.

Here's an example of how you could modify your hook to achieve this:

#!/bin/sh

if [ "$SKIP_POST_COMMIT" = "1" ]; then
  exit 0
fi

zola build && \
echo gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git && \
cd public && git add . && git commit -m "zola build" && \
cd .. && git add public && SKIP_POST_COMMIT=1 git commit --amend --no-edit

This way, when the `git commit` command is run with `SKIP_POST_COMMIT=1`, the hook will exit early and not run again. This prevents the infinite recursion.

Great! This script should do what you want. It will:

1. Build your site with Zola.

2. Echo the `gitdir` configuration into `.git` in the public directory.

3. Change to the `public` directory and commit all changes with the message "zola build".

4. Add the `public` directory to the top-level repository.

5. Amend the last commit without changing its message, setting the `SKIP_POST_COMMIT` environment variable to prevent the hook from running again.

This should keep your `public` directory in sync with your main site content, automatically committing changes whenever you commit in your main repository. Remember to make your script executable (`chmod +x post-commit`) and double-check that it's located in the `.git/hooks` directory of your repository.

Also, keep in mind that this setup might not be ideal for everyone. It's quite specific to your workflow and could cause confusion for other developers. If you plan on having others contribute to your repository, make sure to document how this setup works.

The error message "fatal: Unable to create '/home/deven/git/new/codereflections/public/.git/index.lock': Not a directory" indicates that Git is trying to create a lock file in the `.git` directory of the `public` submodule, but it's failing because the directory doesn't exist.

It's possible that the `zola build` command is creating a new `public` directory when it runs, but the `git` command in the post-commit hook is assuming that the directory already exists. To fix this, you can modify your post-commit hook to ensure that the `public` directory exists before running any Git commands.

Here's an example post-commit hook that checks if the `public` directory exists and creates it if necessary:

#!/bin/sh
if [ ! -d "public" ]; then
  git submodule update --init --recursive
fi
zola build && cd public && echo gitdir: ../.git/modules/public > .git && git add .git && git add . && cd .. && git add public --patch && git commit --no-verify -m "Update public submodule"

The `if` statement checks if the `public` directory exists. If it doesn't exist, the `git submodule update --init --recursive` command is run to initialize and update the submodule.

The rest of the post-commit hook is the same as before, except that it assumes that the `public` directory exists.

With this change, the post-commit hook should be able to run without errors and automatically update the `public` submodule.

You're correct, I apologize for the confusion. The `public/.git` file is necessary in a Git submodule to tell Git where the Git repository for the submodule is located.

The error message you're seeing indicates that Git is trying to create a lock file in the `.git` directory of the `public` submodule, but it's failing because the directory doesn't exist.

To fix this, you can modify your post-commit hook to ensure that the `.git` file exists in the `public` directory before running any Git commands. Here's an updated version of your post-commit hook that should work:

#!/bin/sh
if [ ! -f "public/.git" ]; then
  echo "gitdir: ../.git/modules/public" > public/.git
fi
zola build && cd public && git add .git && git add . && cd .. && git add public --patch && git commit --no-verify -m "Update public submodule"

The `if` statement checks if the `.git` file exists in the `public` directory. If it doesn't exist, the `echo` command is run to create the file with the contents `gitdir: ../.git/modules/public`.

The rest of the post-commit hook is the same as before, except that it assumes that the `.git` file exists in the `public` directory.

With this change, the post-commit hook should be able to run without errors and automatically update the `public` submodule.

I apologize for the confusion. The error message you're seeing indicates that Git is trying to use `public/.git` as a directory, but it's failing because the file exists instead.

The problem is likely caused by the `git switch` command, which is designed to work with Git repositories and not submodules. When you run the post-commit hook manually, you may be running it from the parent repository, which is why it's working without errors.

To fix this, you can modify your post-commit hook to use the `git -C` option to specify the submodule directory when running Git commands. Here's an updated version of your post-commit hook that should work:

#!/bin/sh

if [ -z "$SKIP_POST_COMMIT" ]; then
    git -C public rev-parse || git submodule update --init --recursive
    zola build && \
    git -C public switch main && \
    git -C public reset && \
    echo "gitdir: ../.git/modules/public" > public/.git && \
    git -C public add . && \
    git -C public commit -m "zola build" && \
    git add public && SKIP_POST_COMMIT=1 git commit --amend --no-edit
fi

The `git -C public` option specifies that the Git command should be run in the `public` directory, rather than the parent repository. The `rev-parse` command is used to check if the submodule is initialized, and if not, the `submodule update --init --recursive` command is run.

The rest of the post-commit hook is the same as before, except that it uses `git -C public` to run Git commands in the `public` submodule.

With this change, the post-commit hook should be able to run without errors and automatically update the `public` submodule.

You're correct that the post-commit hook runs in the context of the parent repository, so the `git switch` command may not work correctly with the `public/.git` file in the submodule.

When you run the post-commit hook manually from the command line, you may be running it from the parent repository or from within the `public` directory, which is why it's working without errors.

One way to ensure that the post-commit hook works correctly is to use the `git -C` option to specify the submodule directory when running Git commands, as I suggested in my previous response. This will ensure that Git commands are run in the correct context, regardless of where the post-commit hook is executed from.

Another option is to modify your post-commit hook to switch to the `public` directory before running the `git switch` command. Here's an example:

#!/bin/sh

if [ -z "$SKIP_POST_COMMIT" ]; then
    git submodule update --init --recursive
    zola build && \
    cd public && \
    echo "gitdir: ../.git/modules/public" > .git && \
    git switch main && \
    git reset && \
    cd .. && \
    git add public && \
    SKIP_POST_COMMIT=1 git commit --amend --no-edit
fi

In this version of the post-commit hook, the `cd public` command is used to switch to the `public` directory before running the `git switch` command. The `cd ..` command is then used to return to the parent directory before running the final `git add` and `git commit` commands.

With this change, the post-commit hook should be able to run without errors and automatically update the `public` submodule.

You're correct that the `git switch` command should be running in the `public` directory. If you're running the post-commit hook from the parent repository root directory, then the `cd public` command should put you in the correct directory before running the `git switch` command.

If you're still seeing the error "fatal: Unable to create '/home/deven/git/new/codereflections/public/.git/index.lock': Not a directory" when running the post-commit hook automatically, it's possible that there's an issue with how the Git repository and submodule are set up.

One thing to check is whether the `public` directory exists before running the post-commit hook. If the directory doesn't exist, then the `git switch` command will fail with the error you're seeing.

You can also try modifying your post-commit hook to use the `git -C` option to run Git commands in the `public` directory. Here's an example:

#!/bin/sh

if [ -z "$SKIP_POST_COMMIT" ]; then
    git submodule update --init --recursive
    zola build && \
    git -C public rev-parse && \
    echo "gitdir: ../.git/modules/public" > public/.git && \
    git -C public switch main && \
    git -C public reset && \
    git -C public add . && \
    git -C public commit -m "zola build" && \
    git add public && SKIP_POST_COMMIT=1 git commit --amend --no-edit
fi

In this version of the post-commit hook, the `git -C public` option is used to specify the `public` directory when running Git commands. The `rev-parse` command is used to check if the submodule is initialized, and if not, the `submodule update --init --recursive` command is run.

The rest of the post-commit hook is the same as before, except that it uses `git -C public` to run Git commands in the `public` submodule.

With this change, the post-commit hook should be able to run without errors and automatically update the `public` submodule.

You're correct that the `git rev-parse` command I suggested may not be necessary, and that Git may find the `.git` directory in the parent repository instead of the `.git` file in the submodule directory.

If you're still experiencing errors with the post-commit hook, you may want to try the following steps to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Check that the `public` directory exists and is a Git submodule. You can run the `git submodule status` command to list the submodules and their status.

2. Check that the `.git` file exists in the `public` directory, and that it contains the correct path to the Git repository for the submodule. You can run the `cat public/.git` command to view the contents of the `.git` file.

3. Check that the submodule is up to date with the latest changes in the parent repository. You can run the `git submodule update --init --recursive` command to ensure that the submodule is up to date.

4. Check that the post-commit hook is executable and has the correct permissions. You can run the `ls -l post-commit` command to view the file permissions, and the `chmod +x post-commit` command to make the file executable if needed.

5. Try running the post-commit hook manually from the `public` directory to see if there are any errors. You can run the `cd public && ./post-commit` command to run the post-commit hook from the `public` directory.

If you're still experiencing errors after these steps, you may want to consider reaching out to the Zola community or Git support for further assistance.

Sure, I apologize for the confusion earlier. Based on your specific situation, here are my suggestions:

1. Check that the `public` directory exists and is a Git submodule.

   This is a valid suggestion, as the `public` directory needs to be a Git submodule for the post-commit hook to work correctly. You can run the `git submodule status` command to check the status of the submodule.

1. Check that the `.git` file exists in the `public` directory, and that it contains the correct path to the Git repository for the submodule.

   This suggestion is also valid, as the `.git` file in the `public` directory is necessary for Git to treat the directory as a submodule. You can run the `cat public/.git` command to view the contents of the `.git` file.

1. Check that the submodule is up to date with the latest changes in the parent repository.

   This suggestion is also valid, as the submodule needs to be up to date with the latest changes in the parent repository for the post-commit hook to work correctly. You can run the `git submodule update --init --recursive` command to update the submodule.

1. Check that the post-commit hook is executable and has the correct permissions.

   This suggestion is also valid, as the post-commit hook needs to be executable for Git to run it automatically. You can run the `ls -l post-commit` command to view the file permissions, and the `chmod +x post-commit` command to make the file executable if needed.

1. Try running the post-commit hook manually from the `public` directory to see if there are any errors.

   This suggestion may not be necessary in your specific situation, as the post-commit hook should be run automatically from the parent directory. However, running the post-commit hook manually from the `public` directory can help identify any errors or issues with the hook.

I hope this clarifies my earlier suggestions, and please let me know if you have any further questions.

I apologize for the confusion in my previous message. Based on your specific situation, here's my updated response to your questions:

1. Check that the `public` directory exists and is a Git submodule.

   You're correct that this is not a valid suggestion, as the `public` directory exists and is a submodule. The `cd public` command in the subshell confirms that the `public` directory exists and can be accessed.

1. Check that the `.git` file exists in the `public` directory, and that it contains the correct path to the Git repository for the submodule.

   You're correct that this is not a valid suggestion, as the `echo` command in the subshell creates or overwrites the `.git` file in the `public` directory. This command confirms that the `.git` file exists and contains the correct path to the submodule.

1. Check that the submodule is up to date with the latest changes in the parent repository.

   You're correct that this is not a valid suggestion, as the `zola build` command will recreate the `public` directory and its contents from scratch. This command does not require the submodule to be up to date with the latest changes in the parent repository.

1. Check that the post-commit hook is executable and has the correct permissions.

   You're correct that this is a valid suggestion, but as you mentioned, running the post-commit hook manually confirms that the script has the correct executable permissions. It's possible that this suggestion is not relevant to your specific situation.

1. Try running the post-commit hook manually from the `public` directory to see if there are any errors.

   You're correct that this is not a valid suggestion, as the post-commit hook is designed to run automatically from the parent directory. Running the post-commit hook manually from the `public` directory is not necessary, and may not be relevant to your specific situation.

I hope this updated response is more helpful, and please let me know if you have any further questions.

Yes, here are some suggestions for debugging the `fatal: Unable to create '/home/deven/git/new/codereflections/public/.git/index.lock': Not a directory` error in your post-commit hook:

1. Check that the `public` directory is not a file, but a directory. You can run the `ls -l public` command to verify that the `public` directory is indeed a directory, and not a file with the same name.

2. Check that the `public` directory is empty, or contains only the `.git` file. The `zola build` command will recreate the `public` directory from scratch, so it's important that the directory is empty or contains only the `.git` file. You can run the `ls public` command to verify the contents of the `public` directory.

3. Check that the `public` directory has the correct permissions. It's possible that the `public` directory has incorrect permissions that prevent Git from creating the `.git/index.lock` file. You can run the `ls -ld public` command to view the permissions of the `public` directory, and the `chmod` command to change the permissions if needed.

4. Check that the parent repository has the correct permissions. It's possible that the parent repository has incorrect permissions that prevent Git from accessing or modifying the `public` directory. You can run the `ls -ld .` command in the parent repository to view the permissions of the parent directory, and the `chmod` command to change the permissions if needed.

5. Try running the `zola build` command and the `git add` command manually from the `public` directory to see if there are any errors. This can help identify any issues with the `public` directory that may be causing the `fatal` error.

I hope these suggestions are helpful in identifying the source of the error, and please let me know if you have any further questions.

I apologize for the repeated suggestions that were not helpful. Here are some additional suggestions to help with the issue:

1. Check that the `.git` file in the `public` directory is a plain text file that contains the submodule reference. You can use the `cat public/.git` command to view the contents of the file and confirm that it is a plain text file.

2. Check that the submodule is properly initialized in the parent repository. You can use the `git submodule status` command to view the status of the submodule and ensure that it is properly initialized and up to date with the latest changes in the submodule repository.

3. Try running the `git switch` command manually from the parent repository directory to see if there are any errors. This can help identify any issues with the `git switch` command that may be causing the error.

4. Try using the `git submodule update` command to update the submodule in the parent repository. This can help ensure that the submodule is properly initialized and up to date with the latest changes in the submodule repository.

5. Check that the `public` directory is included in the `.gitignore` file in the parent repository. If the `public` directory is included in the `.gitignore` file, this can prevent Git from tracking changes in the `public` directory and may help prevent the `fatal` error.

I hope these suggestions are more helpful in resolving the issue, and please let me know if you have any further questions.

Thank you for the clarification. Here are some additional suggestions:

1. Check that the submodule is properly initialized in the parent repository. You can use the `git submodule status` command to view the status of the submodule and ensure that it is properly initialized and up to date with the latest changes in the submodule repository.

2. Try using the `git submodule update` command to update the submodule in the parent repository. This can help ensure that the submodule is properly initialized and up to date with the latest changes in the submodule repository.

3. Check that the `public` directory is not listed in the `.gitignore` file in the parent repository. If the `public` directory is listed in the `.gitignore` file, this can prevent Git from tracking changes in the `public` directory and may help prevent the `fatal` error.

4. Try using the `git submodule foreach` command to run the `git switch main` command in the `public` submodule directory. This can help ensure that the submodule is on the correct branch and prevent any issues with the `git switch` command failing in the post-commit hook.

5. Try using the `git submodule foreach` command to run the `git reset` command in the `public` submodule directory. This can help ensure that any changes in the `public` submodule are reset and prevent any issues with the `git add` command failing in the post-commit hook.

I hope these suggestions are helpful in resolving the issue, and please let me know if you have any further questions.

I apologize for repeating previous suggestions.

You can check if you are on the "main" branch in the submodule by using the `git branch` command. Running `git branch` in the `public` directory will display a list of local branches, and the currently active branch will be indicated with an asterisk (*) next to the branch name. You can then use a conditional statement in your post-commit hook to skip the `git switch` command if you are already on the "main" branch.

For example, you can modify your post-commit hook as follows to skip the `git switch` command if you are already on the "main" branch:

#!/bin/sh

if [ -z "$SKIP_POST_COMMIT" ]; then
    (cd public && echo "gitdir: ../.git/modules/public" >.git && git reset) && \
    if [ $(cd public && git branch --show-current) != "main" ]; then \
        (cd public && git switch main) \
    fi && \
    zola build && \
    (cd public && echo "gitdir: ../.git/modules/public" >.git && git add . && git commit -m "zola build") && \
    git add public && SKIP_POST_COMMIT=1 git commit --amend --no-edit
fi

This modified post-commit hook will first check if you are already on the "main" branch in the `public` submodule before running the `git switch` command. If you are already on the "main" branch, the `git switch` command will be skipped.

Ah, I see. Thank you for letting me know. That explains why the `git switch` command was failing with the "Not a directory" error in the post-commit hook when running it automatically.

Adding `GIT_INDEX_FILE=.git/index` to the environment is not uncommon when running Git commands in a script or hook, as it specifies the location of the Git index file to use. However, it can cause issues with some commands that expect a directory path, such as `git switch`.

I'm glad you were able to identify the issue and resolve it. If you have any further questions or issues, please don't hesitate to ask.

This looks good to me!

This modified version of your post-commit hook sets `GIT_INDEX_FILE` to an empty value, effectively unsetting it, to ensure that Git commands use the default index file in the `.git` directory.

The `gitdir` variable is defined to contain the submodule reference, which is then used in the `echo` command to create or overwrite the `.git` file in the `public` directory.

The `git switch` command is used to switch to the `main` branch in the `public` submodule before resetting it, which will ensure that the submodule is on the correct branch.

The `zola build` command is then used to build the site in the `public` directory, after which the changes are committed and pushed to the submodule's repository.

Finally, the `git add` command is used to stage the changes in the `public` submodule, followed by a `git commit --amend` command to amend the previous commit with the changes to the submodule.

This modified post-commit hook should work as intended, automating the process of building the site in the `public` submodule and committing the changes.

To automatically push changes in your `public` submodule whenever you push changes in your main repository, you can add a `pre-push` Git hook. This hook runs before the `git push` command is executed.

First, you need to create a new file in your `.git/hooks` directory named `pre-push`. Open it in a text editor and add the following script:

#!/bin/sh

cd public && git push

Save and close the file, then make it executable by running the command `chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-push`.

This script will navigate to your `public` submodule directory and push any changes before the main repository is pushed. Remember that if there are uncommitted changes in the submodule, the push command will fail. So, make sure to commit any changes in the submodule before pushing.

Lastly, keep in mind that this setup is quite specific to your workflow and could cause confusion for other developers. Make sure to document how this setup works if others contribute to your repository.

Indeed, ensuring that your submodule is in a clean state before making new commits is a good idea. Resetting the branch to the latest commit can help avoid confusion and potential errors.

Here's how you could modify your script:

#!/bin/sh

if [ -z "$SKIP_POST_COMMIT" ]; then
  (cd public && git checkout main && git reset --hard) && \
  zola build && \
  echo "gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git" && \
  (cd public && git add . && git commit -m "zola build") && \
  git add public && SKIP_POST_COMMIT=1 git commit --amend --no-edit
fi

This script first navigates to the `public` directory, checks out the `main` branch, and resets any uncommitted changes. Then it continues with the rest of your operations as before.

Keep in mind that `git reset --hard` is a destructive operation that will permanently discard any uncommitted changes. So, it's important to ensure that there is no valuable work in progress in the `public` submodule when the script is run.

As always, make sure to thoroughly test the script to ensure it behaves as expected.

If you want to ensure that your `public` submodule is in a clean state before starting the build process, you can use `git clean -fd` in addition to `git reset --hard`. The `clean` command will remove any untracked files and directories, while the `reset` command will discard any uncommitted changes.

Here's how your script could look:

#!/bin/sh

if [ -z "$SKIP_POST_COMMIT" ]; then
  (cd public && git checkout main && git reset --hard && git clean -fd) && \
  zola build && \
  echo "gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git" && \
  (cd public && git add . && git commit -m "zola build") && \
  git add public && SKIP_POST_COMMIT=1 git commit --amend --no-edit
fi

As usual, ensure to thoroughly test the script to make sure it behaves as expected. Also, be aware that `git clean -fd` is a destructive operation that will permanently remove untracked files and directories, so be careful when using it.

I see, if you're just concerned about the state of the submodule within the top-level .git directory, and you want to make sure you're on the main branch with an empty index, you can use the `git reset` and `git checkout` commands.

The `git reset` command can be used with the `--hard` option to reset the index and working directory to match the `HEAD` commit. The `git checkout` command can be used to switch to the `main` branch.

Here's what your script might look like:

#!/bin/sh

if [ -z "$SKIP_POST_COMMIT" ]; then
  (cd public && git checkout main && git reset --hard) && \
  zola build && \
  echo "gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git" && \
  (cd public && git add . && git commit -m "zola build") && \
  git add public && SKIP_POST_COMMIT=1 git commit --amend --no-edit
fi

This script will ensure that before building with zola, you're always on the `main` branch of the `public` submodule, with a clean index. After building, it will commit any changes in the `public` submodule, and then update the top-level repository to reflect the new commit in the submodule.

As always, make sure to thoroughly test your scripts to ensure they behave as expected.

To reset the index only, you can use the `git reset` command without any additional options. This will reset the index to match the `HEAD` commit without affecting the working directory:

#!/bin/sh

if [ -z "$SKIP_POST_COMMIT" ]; then
  (cd public && git checkout main && git reset) && \
  zola build && \
  echo "gitdir: ../.git/modules/public >public/.git" && \
  (cd public && git add . && git commit -m "zola build") && \
  git add public && SKIP_POST_COMMIT=1 git commit --amend --no-edit
fi

In this script, `(cd public && git checkout main && git reset)` will switch to the `main` branch of the `public` submodule and reset the index to match the `HEAD` commit, without affecting the working directory. After building with zola, the script will commit any changes in the `public` submodule and update the top-level repository to reflect the new commit in the submodule.

As always, make sure to thoroughly test your scripts to ensure they behave as expected.

The `git switch` command was introduced in Git 2.23.0 as a more intuitive way to switch between branches. It essentially separates the "switching branches" and "creating branches" functions from the `git checkout` command.

The `git switch` command is designed to switch branches in a safe way, preventing accidental overwriting of local changes. It refuses to run if there are uncommitted changes, unless you use the `-m` option to merge the changes into the new branch, or `-d` to discard them.

On the other hand, `git checkout` can be used for both switching branches and checking out files, which can lead to confusion and potentially dangerous situations if you have uncommitted changes and you try to switch branches.

In your context:

• `git checkout main` would switch you to the `main` branch, but it might overwrite uncommitted changes if there are any. This would depend on your Git configuration and the specific state of your repository.

• `git switch main` would switch you to the `main` branch and refuse to run if there are uncommitted changes, making it a safer option if you want to prevent potential data loss.

Overall, if you're using a version of Git that supports the `git switch` command, it's a safer and more intuitive command for switching branches compared to `git checkout`.

This script looks fine to me. It should successfully:

1. Change to the `public` directory, set up the `.git` file, switch to the `main` branch, and reset the index (unstage any changes).

2. Run `zola build` to generate the site in the `public` directory.

3. Change to the `public` directory again, set up the `.git` file, add all the changes to the index, and commit them with the message "zola build".

4. In the parent repository, add any changes in the `public` submodule to the index and amend the last commit without changing the commit message, skipping the post-commit hook to avoid recursion.

A couple of things to keep in mind:

• You need to have the `SKIP_POST_COMMIT` environment variable exported in the shell where you're running the `git commit` command, or it should be set in the same line before the command for it to have effect, as you have done.

• This script assumes that the initial state of the `public` repository is clean, i.e., there are no uncommitted changes when the script is run. If there are uncommitted changes, the `git reset` command will unstage them, but they will still be present in the working directory, and thus will be included when `zola build` is run and the resulting files are committed.

If there are often uncommitted changes in the `public` directory when this script is run, you might want to consider modifying the script to handle that situation.

Right, I see. In that case, the `git reset` command in the `public` directory won't have much effect, since the `public` directory is deleted and recreated by `zola build`.

Your script should work as expected then. It first ensures that `public` repository is on the `main` branch, then builds the site with `zola`, commits the generated files in the `public` repository, and finally updates the `public` submodule in the parent repository and amends the last commit there.

The environment variable `SKIP_POST_COMMIT` is used to prevent recursive execution of the post-commit hook when the script itself commits changes. This is a clever use of the environment and Git hooks.

As always, make sure to test your script thoroughly in your specific environment to confirm that it behaves as expected.