Re: [PATCH] submodule init: warn about falling back to a local path

--- a/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-submodule.txt

@@ -73,13 +73,17 @@ configuration entries unless `--name` is used to specify a logical name.

...
+The default remote is the remote of the remote tracking branch
+of the current branch. If no such remote tracking branch exists or
+the in detached HEAD mode, "origin" is assumed to be the default remote.

+If the superproject doesn't have a default remote configured
 the superproject is its own authoritative upstream and the current
 working directory is used instead.
 +

@@ -118,18 +122,22 @@ too (and can also report changes to a submodule's work tree).

 init [--] [<path>...]::
 	Initialize the submodules recorded in the index (which were
-	added and committed elsewhere) by copying submodule
-	names and urls from .gitmodules to .git/config.
+	added and committed elsewhere) by copying `submodule.$name.url`
+	from .gitmodules to .git/config, resolving relative urls to be
+	relative to the default remote.
++
 	Optional <path> arguments limit which submodules will be initialized.
-	It will also copy the value of `submodule.$name.update` into
-	.git/config.
-	The key used in .git/config is `submodule.$name.url`.
+	If no path is specified all submodules are initialized.
++
+	When present, it will also copy the value of `submodule.$name.update`.
 	This command does not alter existing information in .git/config.
 	You can then customize the submodule clone URLs in .git/config
 	for your local setup and proceed to `git submodule update`;
 	you can also just use `git submodule update --init` without
 	the explicit 'init' step if you do not intend to customize
 	any submodule locations.
++
+	See the add subcommand for the defintion of default remote.

 deinit [-f|--force] (--all|[--] <path>...)::
 	Unregister the given submodules, i.e. remove the whole

diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index 899dc334e3..44c11dd91e 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c

@@ -356,12 +356,10 @@ static void init_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix, int quiet)
 			strbuf_addf(&remotesb, "remote.%s.url", remote);
 			free(remote);

-			if (git_config_get_string(remotesb.buf, &remoteurl))
-				/*
-				 * The repository is its own
-				 * authoritative upstream
-				 */
+			if (git_config_get_string(remotesb.buf, &remoteurl)) {
 				remoteurl = xgetcwd();
+				warning(_("could not lookup configuration '%s'. Assuming this repository is its own authoritative upstream."), remotesb.buf);
+			}