How to include submodules in `nix flake lock --update-input`

Help
1

I have a parent flake who has an input of a child flake in a git submodule.

This setup seems to have some issues when referring to the child flake via child.url = "path:./child"; (related issue)

The solutions I saw were:

  1. use a github url to the submodule
  2. use a absolute file path
  3. use relative path but force update the lockfile before running the flake
    (option 1 also requires this force update if you want the latest changes)

although it is kind of annoying, I am fine with having to force update the lock file, the problem is this command doesn’t seem to bring in submodules:

nix flake lock --update-input nvim            
warning: Git tree '/Users/ethan/.config/nix-darwin' is dirty
error (ignored): error: end of string reached
error:
       … while updating the lock file of flake 'git+file:///Users/ethan/.config/nix-darwin'

       … while updating the flake input 'nvim'

       … while fetching the input 'path:./nvim'

       error: getting status of '/nix/store/a5zkqrqpjqgf357sg232ly301a6hz1z2-source/nvim': No such file or directory

normally when I run the flake I use `‘.?submodules=1’ but there doesn’t seem to be a way to do that here

any help is appreciated thanks

2

I’m just using GitHub - ursi/get-flake: builtins.getFlake without the restrictions for now
but this feels pretty hacky to me?

would be curious if there is another way