Error: git submodule update --init

I cloned the source code and did as the doc says:

git submodule update --init
fatal: reference is not a tree: b51de15acb37d72719b03314771e4caa04e57a33
Unable to checkout 'b51de15acb37d72719b03314771e4caa04e57a33' in submodule path 'libs/cocos2d-iphone'

This error persists no matter how hard I try and whatever I try. Please fix it!

[patrickhoey]

This fatal: reference is not a tree: b51de15acb37d72719b03314771e4caa04e57a33 was quite annoying.

I have made some initial fixes that will at least get you past getting all the proper submodules:
3351040

There is a multi-step process in order to make this work (detached HEAD) with the latest for tag “release-1.1-RC0”

1. Under the root directory of this repository, edit the “.gitmodules” with the following diffs:

diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 70efbcf..e61c729 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 [submodule "CocosBuilder/libs/cocos2d-iphone"]
        path = CocosBuilder/libs/cocos2d-iphone
-       url = https://github.com/cocos2d/cocos2d-iphone.git
+       url = git://github.com/cocos2d/cocos2d-iphone-classic.git
 [submodule "CocosBuilder/libs/ssziparchive"]
        path = CocosBuilder/libs/ssziparchive
-       url = https://github.com/vlidholt/ssziparchive
+       url = git://github.com/vlidholt/ssziparchive
 [submodule "CocosBuilder/libs/Fragaria"]
        path = CocosBuilder/libs/Fragaria
-       url = https://github.com/vlidholt/Fragaria.git
+       url = git://github.com/vlidholt/Fragaria.git
 [submodule "Examples/CocosBuilderExample/libs/CCBReader"]
        path = Examples/CocosBuilderExample/libs/CCBReader
        url = git://github.com/cocos2d/CCBReader.git

2. $ cd CocosBuilder/libs/cocos2d-iphone
3. $ git checkout 9bd04c2286e32a8bc5ba90f85de1170b91d86d1f

[mattscott]

I have followed all these instructions, but when doing step 3 inside the cocos2d-iphone directory, I get:

$ git checkout 9bd04c2286e32a8bc5ba90f85de1170b91d86d1f
fatal: reference is not a tree: 9bd04c2286e32a8bc5ba90f85de1170b91d86d1f

$ git branch

• v3.5.0

When I go look at the cocos2d-iphone-classic project, there is no branch v3.5.0.

[mattscott]

Okay just worked through this.

Make sure you pull branch v3.5.0.

Step 1: Follow patrickhoey's Step 1 and modify .gitmodules

Step 2: Make sure you're in the root directory of the CocosBuilder project and run:
git submodule update --init --recursive

This will error on cocos-iphone-classic.

Step 3: cd CocosBuilder/libs/cocos2d-iphone

Step 4: git checkout 5e8fdee5cdc4450ad32f5a8579ee6a0fdcbb1cfa

Step 5: Get a copy of this project in an entirely separate directory. There have been files removed at some point that need to be re-added.
https://github.com/cocos2d/cocos2d-iphone-classic

Step 6: Copy the following files from the cocos2d-iphone-classic project:
cocos-iphone-classic/cocos2d/ccFPSImages.m --> CocosBuilder/libs/cocos2d-iphone/cocos2d/ccFPSImages.m
cocos-iphone-classic/cocos2d/Support/uthash.h --> CocosBuilder/libs/cocos2d-iphone/cocos2d/Support/uthash.h
cocos-iphone-classic/cocos2d/Support/utlist.h --> CocosBuilder/libs/cocos2d-iphone/cocos2d/Support/utlist.h

This worked for me.

[skxatbj]

I followed mattscott's step , but it still has some compiled errors, so I checked the source code and all compile steps, the main reason is cocos2d-iphone lib is changed, so we must find the right cocos2d-iphone lib!

Step1: Make sure you're in the root directory of the CocosBuilder project and run:
git submodule update --init --recursive

here will report error: fatal: reference is not a tree: b51de15acb37d72719b03314771e4caa04e57a33. it means can not find this commit. OK, we just jump this submodule(modify .gitmodules and .git/config, delete cocos2d-iphone submodule, may be you should use cmd: git rm --cached CocosBuilder/libs/cocos2d-iphone), and get other submodule cocosbuilder will used.

Step2: We get all submodule except cocos2d-iphone. We know cocos2d-iphone address is https://github.com/cocos2d/cocos2d-iphone.git, so run in CocosBuilder/libs dir:
git clone https://github.com/cocos2d/cocos2d-iphone.git

Step3: We must find the commit b51de15acb37d72719b03314771e4caa04e57a33, but it already not in commit(git checkout b51de15acb37d72719b03314771e4caa04e57a33 will not find this commit). But! run: git log | grep -A 10 -B 10 'b51de15acb37d72719b03314771e4caa04e57a33', I found one commit(611dd8f53ddc5be2fe7af963c0775e68597bb052) is map to this commit! In cocos2d-iphone dir, we checkout this commit

Step4: Compile source code, but it lack ccFPSImages.m uthash.h utlist.h file. So follow mattscott's Step6 to get these file.

Step5: All is compiled OK, but when I run the cocosbuilder which I compiled, it report error: cocos2d: ERROR: 0:11: '' : syntax error: #extension must always be before any non-preprocessor token ...
the solution is in stackoverflow:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/30864055/coco2d-2-1-and-xcode-7-ios-9-crash-ccshader

OK, recompile and run, success!!

Thanks @mattscott