Pushing to Git returning Error Code 403 fatal: HTTP request failed

Question

I was able to clone a copy of this repo over HTTPS authenticated. I‘ve made some commits and want to push back out to the GitHub server. Using Cygwin on Windows 7 x64.

C:\cygwin\home\XPherior\Code\lunch_call>git push
Password:
error: The requested URL returned error: 403 while accessing https://MichaelDrog
alis@github.com/derekerdmann/lunch_call.git/info/refs

fatal: HTTP request failed

Also set it up with verbose mode. I‘m still pretty baffled.

C:\cygwin\home\XPherior\Code\lunch_call>set GIT_CURL_VERBOSE=1

C:\cygwin\home\XPherior\Code\lunch_call>git push
Password:
* Couldn‘t find host github.com in the _netrc file; using defaults
* About to connect() to github.com port 443 (#0)
*   Trying 207.97.227.239... * 0x23cb740 is at send pipe head!
* Connected to github.com (207.97.227.239) port 443 (#0)
* successfully set certificate verify locations:
*   CAfile: C:\Program Files (x86)\Git/bin/curl-ca-bundle.crt
  CApath: none
* SSL connection using AES256-SHA
* Server certificate:
*        subject: 2.5.4.15=Private Organization; 1.3.6.1.4.1.311.60.2.1.3=US; 1.
3.6.1.4.1.311.60.2.1.2=California; serialNumber=C3268102; C=US; ST=California; L
=San Francisco; O=GitHub, Inc.; CN=github.com
*        start date: 2011-05-27 00:00:00 GMT
*        expire date: 2013-07-29 12:00:00 GMT
*        subjectAltName: github.com matched
*        issuer: C=US; O=DigiCert Inc; OU=www.digicert.com; CN=DigiCert High Ass
urance EV CA-1
*        SSL certificate verify ok.
> GET /derekerdmann/lunch_call.git/info/refs?service=git-receive-pack HTTP/1.1
User-Agent: git/1.7.4.3282.g844cb
Host: github.com
Accept: */*
Pragma: no-cache

< HTTP/1.1 401 Authorization Required
< Server: nginx/1.0.4
< Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:44:41 GMT
< Content-Type: text/plain
< Connection: keep-alive
< Content-Length: 55
< WWW-Authenticate: Basic realm="GitHub"
<
* Ignoring the response-body
* Expire cleared
* Connection #0 to host github.com left intact
* Issue another request to this URL: ‘https://MichaelDrogalis@github.com/dereker
dmann/lunch_call.git/info/refs?service=git-receive-pack‘
* Couldn‘t find host github.com in the _netrc file; using defaults
* Re-using existing connection! (#0) with host github.com
* Connected to github.com (207.97.227.239) port 443 (#0)
* 0x23cb740 is at send pipe head!
* Server auth using Basic with user ‘MichaelDrogalis‘
> GET /derekerdmann/lunch_call.git/info/refs?service=git-receive-pack HTTP/1.1
Authorization: Basic XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
User-Agent: git/1.7.4.3282.g844cb
Host: github.com
Accept: */*
Pragma: no-cache

< HTTP/1.1 401 Authorization Required
< Server: nginx/1.0.4
< Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:44:41 GMT
< Content-Type: text/plain
< Connection: keep-alive
< Content-Length: 55
* Authentication problem. Ignoring this.
< WWW-Authenticate: Basic realm="GitHub"
* The requested URL returned error: 401
* Closing connection #0
* Couldn‘t find host github.com in the _netrc file; using defaults
* About to connect() to github.com port 443 (#0)
*   Trying 207.97.227.239... * 0x23cb740 is at send pipe head!
* Connected to github.com (207.97.227.239) port 443 (#0)
* successfully set certificate verify locations:
*   CAfile: C:\Program Files (x86)\Git/bin/curl-ca-bundle.crt
  CApath: none
* SSL re-using session ID
* SSL connection using AES256-SHA
* old SSL session ID is stale, removing
* Server certificate:
*        subject: 2.5.4.15=Private Organization; 1.3.6.1.4.1.311.60.2.1.3=US; 1.
3.6.1.4.1.311.60.2.1.2=California; serialNumber=C3268102; C=US; ST=California; L
=San Francisco; O=GitHub, Inc.; CN=github.com
*        start date: 2011-05-27 00:00:00 GMT
*        expire date: 2013-07-29 12:00:00 GMT
*        subjectAltName: github.com matched
*        issuer: C=US; O=DigiCert Inc; OU=www.digicert.com; CN=DigiCert High Ass
urance EV CA-1
*        SSL certificate verify ok.
* Server auth using Basic with user ‘MichaelDrogalis‘
> GET /derekerdmann/lunch_call.git/info/refs HTTP/1.1
Authorization: Basic xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
User-Agent: git/1.7.4.3282.g844cb
Host: github.com
Accept: */*
Pragma: no-cache

* The requested URL returned error: 403
* Expire cleared
* Closing connection #0
error: The requested URL returned error: 403 while accessing https://MichaelDrog
alis@github.com/derekerdmann/lunch_call.git/info/refs

fatal: HTTP request failed

These are the versions of git and curl that I have:

C:\Users\XPherior>git --version
git version 1.7.4.msysgit.0

C:\Users\XPherior>curl --version
curl 7.21.7 (amd64-pc-win32) libcurl/7.21.7 OpenSSL/0.9.8r zlib/1.2.5
Protocols: dict file ftp ftps gopher http https imap imaps ldap pop3 pop3s rtsp
smtp smtps telnet tftp
Features: AsynchDNS GSS-Negotiate Largefile NTLM SSL SSPI libz

Look at the comment, which should be posted as an answer. Made it work with 1.7.1, had the missing User/Password prompt problem, too. Props to stackoverflow.com/a/9575906/805284 ... – sjas Mar 1 ‘13 at 14:27 — sjas, Mar 1 ‘13 at 14:27
check the user has read/write access to the repository – Céline Aussourd May 1 ‘13 at 10:49 — Céline Aussourd, May 1 ‘13 at 10:49
In the future, don‘t paste "Authorization: Basic <stuff>" when showing example http headers. It‘s easy to base64 decode that and get your password. @mike: if you haven‘t changed your github password since you posted this question, I would suggest you do so. – FlipMcF Jul 31 ‘13 at 22:07 — FlipMcF, Jul 31 ‘13 at 22:07
@FlipMcF Thanks man. Was unaware. Password changed. – Mike Aug 1 ‘13 at 13:01 — Mike, Aug 1 ‘13 at 13:01
@Mike NP. Now I get to shamelessly promote a little blog I wrote on it: goo.gl/bpae94 – FlipMcF Aug 1 ‘13 at 17:03 — FlipMcF, Aug 1 ‘13 at 17:03

AtomicCharles · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-08 23:25:49Z

I just got the same problem and just figured out what‘s cause.

Github seems only supports ssh way to read&write the repo, although https way also displayed ‘Read&Write‘.

So you need to change your repo config on your PC to ssh way:

edit .git/config file under your repo directory
find url=entry under section [remote "origin"]
change it from url=https://MichaelDrogalis@github.com/derekerdmann/lunch_call.git tourl=ssh://git@github.com/derekerdmann/lunch_call.git. that is, change all the texts before @ symbol to ssh://git
Save config file and quit. now you could use git push origin master to sync your repo on GitHub

This is often encountered when you clone with the git read-only address (which is the default when you aren‘t logged in) instead of the read+write ssh address. – Nitrodist Nov 15 ‘11 at 15:22 — Nitrodist, Nov 15 ‘11 at 15:22
My .git/config was more like url=https://github.com/mynickname/my_repo.git But I also changed it like url=ssh://git@github.com/mynickname/my_repo.git and it did the trick – Guillaume Flandre Dec 29 ‘11 at 21:16 — Guillaume Flandre, Dec 29 ‘11 at 21:16
You can change a repo url with git remote set-url command. See my answer below. – ilzoff Jun 4 ‘12 at 22:33 — ilzoff, Jun 4 ‘12 at 22:33
or simply change it from the command line using git remote set-url <name> git@github.com:<username>/<repo>.git – Yasky Jul 9 ‘12 at 5:31 — Yasky, Jul 9 ‘12 at 5:31
For those looking for a non ssh solution, check a few of the other answers here. Adding your username to the https url seems to work. (change config url so that https://@github.com/... is UNAME@github.com/...) – Cyrus Dec 12 ‘12 at 17:05 — Cyrus, Dec 12 ‘12 at 17:05

Thiago F Macedo · Answer 2 · 2014-01-28 00:32:40Z

To definitely be able to login using https protocol, you should first set your authentication credential to the git Remote URI:

git remote set-url origin https://yourusername@github.com/user/repo.git

Then you‘ll be asked for a password when trying to git push.

In fact, this is on the http authentication format. You could set a password too:

https://youruser:password@github.com/user/repo.git

You should be aware that if you do this, your github password will be stored in plaintext in your .git directory, which is obviously undesirable.

SSH blocked at work so I have to use HTTPS. Adding the username fixes my issues. – David Poole Oct 13 ‘12 at 15:40 — David Poole, Oct 13 ‘12 at 15:40
This should be the accepted answer. No reason to manually edit a config file when there‘s a command line interface to it. – Steve Bennett Jun 12 ‘13 at 5:23 — Steve Bennett, Jun 12 ‘13 at 5:23
Also, for me, this way (username@github...) asked for password and worked, whereas ssh://git@github... failed expecting public key auth. – Steve Bennett Jun 12 ‘13 at 5:25 — Steve Bennett, Jun 12 ‘13 at 5:25
works and should be the accepted answer! Especially in environments in which ssh does not work, this is the way to go. Thanks! – AndreasEK Oct 16 ‘13 at 14:14 — AndreasEK, Oct 16 ‘13 at 14:14
@Achint it‘s an authentication format. You could set your password toohttps://youruser:password@github.com/user/repo.git despite not secure – Thiago F MacedoDec 2 ‘13 at 17:24 — Thiago F Macedo, Dec 2 ‘13 at 17:24

ilzoff · Answer 3 · 2012-06-04 22:29:55Z

One small addition to Seans answer.

Instead of editing .git/config file manually, you can use git remote set-url command.

In your case it should be:

git remote set-url origin ssh://git@github.com/derekerdmann/lunch_call.git

I find it easier and cleaner, than messing around with dot-files.

help.github.com: Changing a remote‘s URL

I don‘t know if this is just an old post and git has changed, but as today to fix the problem I had to use git remote set-url origin ssh://git@github.com:derekerdmann/lunch_call.git with a colon between the github.com and the repo name – KevinL Aug 20 at 19:49 — KevinL, Aug 20 at 19:49

BMB · Answer 4 · 2012-01-17 17:27:28Z

The other answers that suggest switching to SSH sort of miss the point. HTTPS is supported, but you must log in with you GITHUB password, not your SSH passphrase (which was what was giving me the same exact error).

I was having the same problem, but making sure to use my actual GitHub password at the terminal password prompt fixed the solution with no alteration to the config, or resorting to SSH.

The reason it is important to note this, is many public institutions (such as my school) will block SSH, but allow HTTPS (which is the only reason I started cloning over HTTPS in the first place).

Hope that helps anyone else having the same issue...

but why? I didn‘t have to do that in the past. Did a certificate expire, or something? – Thufir Jun 11 ‘12 at 11:42 — Thufir, Jun 11 ‘12 at 11:42
Not sure, I‘m not an expert, that‘s just how I got it to work in my case :) – BMB Dec 4 ‘12 at 9:45 — BMB, Dec 4 ‘12 at 9:45

Zach Saucier · Answer 5 · 2014-02-21 22:05:55Z

Edit .git/config file under your repo directory

Find url= entry under section [remote "origin"]

Change it from url=https://github.com/rootux/ms-Dropdown.git tohttps://USERNAME@github.com/rootux/ms-Dropdown.git

where USERNAME is your github user name

nisah · Answer 6 · 2012-06-27 14:44:36Z

I think @deepwaters got the answer correct for older versions. The HTTPS URL needs to have the username. I had git 1.7.0.4 and git push origin master wouldn‘t even ask for a password till I added it.

Yes, this is correct! – Rafael Reiter Mar 25 ‘13 at 15:58 — Rafael Reiter, Mar 25 ‘13 at 15:58

gsf · Answer 7 · 2012-06-20 19:03:40Z

Upgrade your git. GitHub has answered this question at https://help.github.com/articles/error-the-requested-url-returned-error-403.

It‘s half the answer, for sure. Other half is what we have here. – Mike Jun 20 ‘12 at 19:06 — Mike, Jun 20 ‘12 at 19:06

Mike · Answer 8 · 2011-09-16 03:29:40Z

up vote6down vote

Figured it out. I cloned over HTTPS. Setting up my public SSH keys, cloning over SSH, and pushing over SSH fixed it.

answered Sep 16 ‘11 at 3:29

Mike
6,39062660

Hmmm... but what when you can‘t use anything but https, because of a corp firewall, for instance?... According to the github blog, the https access was added to github just for that purpose? – filofel Nov 21 ‘11 at 14:59

I really don‘t know. I always clone over SSH now. – Mike Nov 22 ‘11 at 1:45

Just for posterity (I noticed the timestamp), in regards to filofel‘s comment: Check out my answer listed above. I have the same restriction you mention, at my school, and found I was supplying the wrong password/passphrase to the terminal prompt. Hope it helps any others with the same issue. – BMB Feb 25 ‘12 at 0:10

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islam · Answer 9 · 2012-12-06 18:37:21Z

Just add you username into url like this : https://islam9@github.com/islam9/bootstrap-rtl

please check: http://islamkhalil.wordpress.com/2012/12/06/github-error-pushing-to-git-returning-error-code-403-fatal/

Nick Veys · Answer 10 · 2011-09-16 00:32:12Z

up vote4down vote

A 403 code is "Forbidden". The server saw your request and refused it. Do you have permission to push to that repository?

answered Sep 16 ‘11 at 0:32

Nick Veys
10.3k1440

Me and a friend are having the same problem. The repo is mine, and he can‘t push. How do we fix this? – gibson Nov 11 at 17:07

add a comment

patcon · Answer 11 · 2012-03-05 23:49:54Z

up vote2down vote

For anyone curious, my mac machine vs lucid vm ran git 1.7.6 vs 1.7.0.4, and the exact same repo was pushable from my mac (newer git) but not the VM

Same curl version. Perhaps some older git versions don‘t support https pushes?

answered Mar 5 ‘12 at 23:49

patcon
1,015166

Yes, https push to github works here (even through proxy with password). I use git 1.7.3. For me, it failed first because I typed the wrong password. – guettli Apr 26 ‘12 at 10:37

5

It works for me with git 1.7.1, but there is one thing you have to pay attention too (and that was what I missed in my first try): Give the user name in the HTTPS-URL, i.e.url=https://username@github.com/username/repo.git – lwho Jun 16 ‘12 at 10:04

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Juan Sosa · Answer 12 · 2012-10-18 01:16:36Z

change it from

url=https://MichaelDrogalis@github.com/derekerdmann/lunch_call.git

to

url=ssh://git@github.com/derekerdmann/lunch_call.git

It works!

Do not forget the "git" before the "@".

noisy · Answer 13 · 2014-04-01 23:23:39Z

Sometimes there is nothing wrong with settings, and there are some problems on github servers.

https://status.github.com - current status of github :)

You can also get GitHub status updates from their Twitter status account. – Cupcake Jul 29 at 16:06 — Cupcake, Jul 29 at 16:06

RichardW11 · Answer 14 · 2012-08-29 11:57:46Z

I had this problem right now, and it turned out that my server /etc/resolver.conf file had a bad ip address. Might help others.

gnoll110 · Answer 15 · 2013-05-07 00:01:18Z

It could be an accounting issue. The Github account of the upstream (private) repo owner may not be financial. I‘ve seen this where the client‘s credit card expired.

Lucas Ou · Answer 16 · 2014-02-17 21:08:37Z

I figured out my own variation of this problem.

The issue was not changing the protocol from https to ssl, but instead, setting the Github global username and email! (I was trying to push to a private repository.

git config --global user.email "your_github_email_@email.com"

git config --global user.name "Your full name"

Does not work for me. Config has been set, use github.com.. with no ‘@‘ in it – ses Mar 13 at 2:19 — ses, Mar 13 at 2:19

Alex Stone · Answer 17 · 2014-03-10 19:13:44Z

up vote1down vote

After changing https to http within gitbox app, it worked for me.

answered Mar 10 at 19:13

Alex Stone
8,9821585182

got 403 while accessing by http. – ses Mar 13 at 2:13

github 铺设403错误的处理

Pushing to Git returning Error Code 403 fatal: HTTP request failed

27 Answers