diff --git a/dev.notes/how to add a branch as a submodule.md b/dev.notes/how to add a branch as a submodule.md
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+1. create an orphan branch
+   ```shell
+   git checkout --orphan 'third-party/my-branch'
+   ```
+2. make sure no files are staged yet
+   ```shell
+   git rm -r -f --cached .
+   ```
+3. copy some new files (or add ones that already exist)
+   ```shell
+   cp ~/myfile.txt ./
+   ```
+4. stage the required files
+   ```shell
+   git add myfile.txt
+   ```
+   you can also stage all files in the current directory
+   ```shell
+   git add .
+   ```
+5. commit the files
+   ```shell
+   git commit -m 'my commit msg'
+   ```
+6. add the branch as submodule  
+   ```shell
+   git -c protocol.file.allow=always submodule add -f -b 'third-party/my-branch' file://"$(pwd)" 'my-relative-dir/without/dot/at/beginning'
+   ```
+   git by default disallow local repos, this option `protocol.file.allow=always` forces git to allow it  
+   this will:  
+   - look for a **local** repo in the directory shown by `pwd` (current folder),  
+     notice how we don't simply use `./` because if we did that git will try to use the `origin` of the repo,  
+     and since the origin (github/gitlab/etc...) doesn't have this branch yet it will fail, using the file protocol (`file://absolute_path`) forces git to use the local repo files  
+     you can of course push the branch to origin before doing this step  
+   - look for a branch named `third-party/my-branch`
+   - create a submodule pointing at this branch inside a new folder `my-relative-dir/without/dot/at/beginning`  
+     notice that the new folder does **not** start with `./` as usual  
+7. fix the submodule path  
+   after the last command, the file `.gitmodules` will point at the absolute path of the repo on disk, fix it to be relative
+   ```shell
+   git -c protocol.file.allow=always submodule add -f -b 'third-party/my-branch' ./ 'my-relative-dir/without/dot/at/beginning'
+   ```
+   this time git won't try to grab the data from origin, it will just edit `.gitmodules`  
+8. new git management objects/files will be staged, you can view them
+   ```shell
+   git status
+   ```
+   possible output
+   ```shell
+   On branch third-party/my-branch
+
+   Changes to be committed:
+   (use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage)
+         modified:   .gitmodules
+         new file:   third-party/my-branch
+   ```  
+9. commit these 2 files
+   ```shell
+   git commit -m 'add branch third-party/my-branch as submodule'
+   ```