Q:

Issue with removing a git submodule

I have a question regarding removing git submodules. I'm organizing my config files and vim bundles using git, with the vim bundles as submodules. Now I'm trying to remove a submodule (per the instructions here, but I'm not succeeding.
--git submodule deinit -f vim/bundle/snipmate-snippets
Submodule work tree 'vim/bundle/snipmate-snippets' contains a .git directory
(use 'rm -rf' if you really want to remove it including all of its history)

So I try rm -rf...
--git rm -rf vim/bundle/snipmate-snippets
error: the following submodule (or one of its nested submodules)
uses a .git directory:
    vim/bundle/snipmate-snippets
(use 'rm -rf' if you really want to remove it including all of its history)

What is it that I'm doing wrong? Obviously just doing rm -rf like git is telling me to won't be good enough since the submodule entries in the .gitmodules file will stay. Thanks.

A:

You need to rm -rf without the git:
rm -rf vim/bundle/snipmate-snippets

Then you can deinit the submodule:
git submodule deinit vim/bundle/snipmate-snippets

