[ENHANCEMENT] Inherit custom Modes from submodules

[a-j-brevick]

Problem (one or two sentences)

Custom Roo modes written for a utility repo are often useful when working in a parent repository which submodules that repo, but are not available if a user has their VSCode workspace at the level of the parent repository.

Context (who is affected and when)

Happens when working in a large project that uses submodules. This is especially relevant for developers working on a submodule who want to share a Roo mode with someone (or themselves) working in a parent/customer repository.

Desired behavior (conceptual, not technical)

An option within the Roo Modes settings context to enable the recursive inclusion of custom modes from submodules. Alternatively, an optional field to give specific relative paths to submodules .roomodes file to include.

Constraints / preferences (optional)

Make sure this does not add any complexity for users who do not want to use this feature. Turn it off by default.

Request checklist

• I've searched existing Issues and Discussions for duplicates
• This describes a specific problem with clear context and impact

Roo Code Task Links (optional)

No response

Acceptance criteria (optional)

No response

Proposed approach (optional)

No response

Trade-offs / risks (optional)

No response

[roomote]

I've analyzed this issue and here's my proposed implementation plan:

Overview

The goal is to allow modes from submodule .roomodes files to be available when working in a parent repository. Currently, CustomModesManager.ts only loads modes from two sources: the global settings file and the workspace root .roomodes.

Proposed Approach

1. Add New Settings (in packages/types/src/global-settings.ts)

• includeSubmoduleModes: boolean - Enable/disable submodule mode inheritance (default: false)
• submoduleModesPathsFilter: string[] (optional) - Allow users to specify which submodule paths to include (empty = all submodules)

2. Detect Git Submodules

Add a utility function to parse the .gitmodules file in the workspace root to get a list of submodule paths:

[submodule "libs/utilities"]
    path = libs/utilities
    url = ...

3. Modify CustomModesManager.ts

• Add method getSubmoduleRoomodes() to find .roomodes files in submodule directories
• Update getCustomModes() to include submodule modes with a new source type: "submodule"
• Precedence order (highest to lowest):
  1. Project .roomodes (workspace root)
  2. Submodule .roomodes files
  3. Global custom-modes.yaml
• Update watchCustomModesFiles() to watch submodule .roomodes files when the feature is enabled

4. UI Updates

• Add a toggle in the Modes settings section: "Include modes from submodules"
• Optionally show a list of detected submodules with checkboxes to filter which ones to include

Benefits

• Off by default, so no impact on users who don't use this feature
• Follows the existing precedence pattern (project > submodule > global)
• Works automatically with git submodules without manual configuration
• Optional path filtering for fine-grained control

Questions to Consider

1. Should submodule modes be editable from the parent project, or read-only?
2. Should the UI indicate which submodule a mode comes from?
3. For nested submodules (submodules within submodules), should we support recursive detection?

Please mention @roomote in a comment saying that you approve this plan, and I'll proceed with the implementation.

[a-j-brevick]

@roomote In my opinion, submodule modes should be read-only from the parent project.
Yes, the UI should indicate which submodule a mode comes from in the selection list.
Ideally, nested submodules should be supported with recursive detection, yes.

Otherwise, your proposed plan sounds good and ready for implementation.

[roomote]

Thanks for the feedback! I will proceed with the implementation, incorporating your requirements:

1. Read-only submodule modes - Submodule modes will not be editable from the parent project
2. Source indication in UI - The mode selection list will show which submodule a mode comes from
3. Recursive detection - Support for nested submodules will be included

I will open a PR to share my progress shortly.

[roomote]

Opened a draft PR with my attempt at implementing this enhancement: #10383

The implementation includes:

• Submodule modes are read-only from the parent project
• UI shows which submodule each mode comes from (with 📦 indicator)
• Nested submodules are supported with recursive detection

Feedback welcome!