Solved: Elastic Beanstalk Error 128 – “No URL found for submodule path ‘aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup’ in .gitmodules” in Windows

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re frustrated with the infamous Elastic Beanstalk error 128 that’s blocking your progress. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! In this in-depth guide, we’ll walk you through the solutions to get you back on track. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to tackle that pesky error and deploy your application with ease.

What is Elastic Beanstalk Error 128?

Elastic Beanstalk error 128 is a common issue that occurs when trying to deploy an application to AWS Elastic Beanstalk using the Elastic Beanstalk CLI. The error message usually reads:

Error 128: No URL found for submodule path 'aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup' in .gitmodules

This error is often caused by a misconfigured `.gitmodules` file or issues with the Git Submodule setup. But don’t worry, we’ll dive into the details and provide step-by-step solutions to overcome this hurdle.

Understanding Git Submodules

Before we dive into the solutions, let’s take a brief moment to understand Git Submodules. Git Submodules allow you to include other Git repositories within your main project’s repository. This is useful when you need to include external libraries or dependencies in your project.

In the context of Elastic Beanstalk, the `aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup` submodule is used to configure the CLI setup for your application. However, when the `.gitmodules` file is not configured correctly, it can lead to error 128.

Solution 1: Verify and Update .gitmodules File

The first step is to verify the contents of your `.gitmodules` file. Open the file in a text editor and check if the `[submodule “aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup”]` section is present and correctly configured.

[submodule "aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup"]
    path = aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup
    url = https://github.com/aws/aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup.git

If the section is missing or the URL is incorrect, update the file accordingly. Save the changes and try running the Elastic Beanstalk CLI command again.

Solution 2: Initialize and Update Git Submodules

Another common issue is that the Git Submodules are not initialized or updated correctly. To resolve this, run the following commands in your terminal:

git submodule init
git submodule update

This will initialize and update the Git Submodules, including the `aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup` submodule. After running these commands, try deploying your application to Elastic Beanstalk again.

Solution 3: Delete and Re-clone the Submodule

If the above solutions don’t work, try deleting the `aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup` submodule and re-cloning it. Run the following commands:

git submodule deinit aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup
git rm aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup
git submodule add https://github.com/aws/aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup.git aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup
git submodule update

This will remove the submodule and re-clone it from the correct repository. After re-cloning, try deploying your application to Elastic Beanstalk again.

Solution 4: Check for Git Version Compatibility

If you’re using an older version of Git, it might be incompatible with the `aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup` submodule. Ensure you’re running the latest version of Git. You can check your Git version by running:

git --version

If you’re running an older version, update Git to the latest version and try deploying your application to Elastic Beanstalk again.

Solution 5: Check for Windows-specific Issues

If you’re experiencing this error on a Windows machine, there might be Windows-specific issues at play. One common issue is the Windows-style path separator (`\`) in the `.gitmodules` file. Try updating the file to use the Unix-style path separator (`/`) instead:

[submodule "aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup"]
    path = aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup
    url = https://github.com/aws/aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup.git

Becomes:

[submodule "aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup"]
    path = aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup/
    url = https://github.com/aws/aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup.git

Save the changes and try deploying your application to Elastic Beanstalk again.

Troubleshooting Tips

If none of the above solutions work, here are some additional troubleshooting tips to help you overcome the Elastic Beanstalk error 128:

• Check for any typos or incorrect URLs in the `.gitmodules` file.
• Verify that the `aws-elastic-beanstalk-cli-setup` submodule is correctly initialized and updated.
• Try deleting the entire `.git` directory and re-initializing the Git repository.
• Check the Elastic Beanstalk CLI version and ensure it’s up-to-date.
• Reach out to AWS support or online communities for further assistance.

Conclusion

In this comprehensive guide, we’ve covered the most common solutions to overcome Elastic Beanstalk error 128. By following the step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting tips, you should be able to resolve the issue and successfully deploy your application to Elastic Beanstalk.

Remember, error 128 is often a sign of a misconfigured `.gitmodules` file or issues with the Git Submodule setup. By understanding the root cause of the error and applying the correct solutions, you’ll be able to overcome this hurdle and focus on building amazing applications on AWS Elastic Beanstalk.

Solution	Description
Verify and Update .gitmodules File	Check and update the .gitmodules file to ensure the submodule is correctly configured.
Initialize and Update Git Submodules	Run git submodule init and git submodule update to initialize and update the Git Submodules.
Delete and Re-clone the Submodule	Delete the submodule and re-clone it from the correct repository.
Check for Git Version Compatibility	Ensure you’re running the latest version of Git to avoid compatibility issues.
Check for Windows-specific Issues	Update the .gitmodules file to use the Unix-style path separator (/) instead of the Windows-style path separator (\).

By following these solutions and troubleshooting tips, you’ll be able to overcome Elastic Beanstalk error 128 and get back to building amazing applications on AWS Elastic Beanstalk.

Frequently Asked Question

Are you stuck with the frustrating Elastic Beanstalk error 128 in Windows? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are some frequently asked questions and answers to help you troubleshoot and resolve the issue.