696
votes

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
[email protected]/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://[email protected]/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
[email protected]/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
30
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
check the user has read/write access to the repositoryCéline Aussourd
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
@FlipMcF Thanks man. Was unaware. Password changed.Mike
@Mike NP. Now I get to shamelessly promote a little blog I wrote on it: goo.gl/bpae94FlipMcF

30 Answers

890
votes

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:

  1. edit .git/config file under your repo directory
  2. find url=entry under section [remote "origin"]
  3. change it from url=https://[email protected]/derekerdmann/lunch_call.git to [email protected]/derekerdmann/lunch_call.git. that is, change all the texts before @ symbol to ssh://git
  4. Save config file and quit. now you could use git push origin master to sync your repo on GitHub
466
votes

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://[email protected]/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:[email protected]/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.

122
votes

One small addition to Sean's 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://[email protected]/derekerdmann/lunch_call.git

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

58
votes

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 to https://[email protected]/rootux/ms-Dropdown.git

where USERNAME is your github user name

47
votes

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...

37
votes

If you are using windows, sometimes this may happen because Windows stores credentials for outer repo (in our case github) in its own storage. And credentials that saved there can be different from those you need right now.

enter image description here

So to avoid this problem, just find github in this storage and delete saved credentials. After this, while pushing git will request your credentials and will allow you to push.

28
votes

Same error and resolution on Mac OS X.

Everything was working fine till I created a new account on GitHub and tried to push

$ git push -u origin master

And got the error:

remote: Permission to NEWUSER/NEWREPO.git denied to OLDUSER. fatal: unable to access ‘https://github.com/NEWUSER/NEWREPO.git/': The requested URL returned error: 403

It should have fixed by setting the user.name either for global or current repo

$ git config –-global user.name NEWUSER
$ git config user.name NEWUSER

But it didn’t.

I got it fixed by deleting the OLDUSER associated with GitHub from Keychain Access app under Passwords section. Then the push command went successful.

$ git push -u origin master

reference

20
votes

This works for me -:

git remote set-url origin https://[email protected]/user/repo.git

Hope it helps

17
votes

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.

14
votes
12
votes

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

9
votes

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

9
votes

I actually had a very simple fix to this. All i did was edit the git config file differently after cloning the repository. The remote origin url is what you need to edit in your default config file. It should look like seen below

[core]
    repositoryformatversion = 0
    filemode = true
    bare = false
    logallrefupdates = true
[remote "origin"]
    fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
    url = https://*username*@github.com/*username*/*repository*.git
[branch "master"]
    remote = origin
    merge = refs/heads/master
8
votes
  1. Click on your repository
  2. On the right hand side, click on "Settings"
  3. On the left hand side option panel, click on "Collaborators"
  4. Add the person name you know in GitHub
  5. Click "Add Collaborators"

After this our "Push to Git" worked fine.

8
votes

Do this for a temporary fix

git push -u https://username:[email protected]/username/repo_name.git master

7
votes

I faced the same error and the cause was stupid - I did not have privileges to commit to selected repository. I did not know that I have to

  1. fork selected project first
  2. clone repository locally
  3. commit my changes locally
  4. push changes to my github clone
  5. request pull request to upstream

as described in https://help.github.com/categories/63/articles

5
votes

For those having permission denied 403 error while using ssh(according to Xiao) or http urls try these commands

>git config --global --unset-all credential.helper

>git config --unset-all credential.helper

with administrator rights

>git config --system --unset-all credential.helper
5
votes

None of the above answers worked for my enterprise GitHub account. Follow these steps for pushing via ssh key generation way.

Create a repo by visiting your git account.

Generate ssh key:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -C "[email protected]"

Copy the contents of the file ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub to your SSH keys in your GitHub account settings. Test SSH key:

ssh -T [email protected]
clone the repo:
git clone git://github.com/username/your-repository

Now cd to your git clone folder and do:

git remote set-url origin [email protected]:username/your-repository.git

Now try editing a file (try the README) and then do:

git add -A
git commit -am "my update msg"
git push -u origin master

Update: new git version seems to recommend not to have any file while new repo is created. Hence make aa blank repo.

4
votes

change it from

url=https://[email protected]/derekerdmann/lunch_call.git 

to

url=ssh://[email protected]/derekerdmann/lunch_call.git

It works!

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

4
votes

Below is the solution

For Windows you can find the keys here:

control panel > user accounts > credential manager > Windows credentials > Generic credentials

Next, remove the Github keys.

In mac

1-In Finder, search for the Keychain Access app.

2In Keychain Access, search for github.com.

3-Find the "internet password" entry for github.com.

4-Edit or delete the entry accordingly.

3
votes

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?

3
votes

Add the user name as part of the URL and This error happens because the git command is hitting http instead of https. So set the url

git remote set-url origin https://<username>@github.com/Path_to_repo.git

After which you will be prompted for password:

3
votes

What worked for me:

My repo was a fork and still linked to the the parents repo.

git remote -v

Will tell you if it is your repo or not.

git remote set-url origin https://github.com/USERNAME/OTHERREPOSITORY.git

Allows you to reconfigure it to your repo and then allow you to push.

2
votes

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 "[email protected]"

git config --global user.name "Your full name"
2
votes

Github has page dedicated to troubleshooting this error:

https://help.github.com/articles/https-cloning-errors

In my case it turned out that using a new version of git (1.8.5.2) solved this problem.

2
votes

Anyone who didn't solve their problem with these solutions follow this thread:

"This happens when two git accounts are being used on same machine" https://stackoverflow.com/a/52046047/7861886

it has Windows solution and also i have added Mac solution for Mac users in comments.

1
votes

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.

1
votes

This happened to me because my coworker accidentially disabled the repository that this repository was forked from. Just might check to ensure that the original git(hub) repo actually still exists.

1
votes

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.