{"record":{"id":"276548ab321a6e39","repo":"GoogleContainerTools/skaffold","slug":"failed-to-clone-repo-s-w","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"failed to clone repo %s: %w","messagePattern":"failed to clone repo (.+?): %w","errorType":"exception","errorClass":null,"httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"pkg/skaffold/git/gitutil.go","lineNumber":103,"sourceCode":"}\n\n// getRepoDir returns the cache directory name for a remote repo\nfunc getRepoDir(g Config) (string, error) {\n\tinputs := []string{g.Repo, g.Ref}\n\thasher := sha256.New()\n\tenc := json.NewEncoder(hasher)\n\tif err := enc.Encode(inputs); err != nil {\n\t\treturn \"\", err\n\t}\n\n\treturn base64.URLEncoding.EncodeToString(hasher.Sum(nil))[:32], nil\n}\n\nfunc syncRepo(ctx context.Context, g Config, opts config.SkaffoldOptions) (string, error) {\n\tskaffoldCacheDir, err := config.GetRemoteCacheDir(opts)\n\tr := gitCmd{Dir: skaffoldCacheDir}\n\tif err != nil {\n\t\treturn \"\", fmt.Errorf(\"failed to clone repo %s: %w\", g.Repo, err)\n\t}\n\tif err := os.MkdirAll(skaffoldCacheDir, 0700); err != nil {\n\t\treturn \"\", fmt.Errorf(\n\t\t\t\"failed to clone repo %s: trouble creating cache directory: %w\", g.Repo, err)\n\t}\n\n\tref := g.Ref\n\tif ref == \"\" {\n\t\tref, err = defaultRef(ctx, g.RepoCloneURI, g.Repo)\n\t\tif err != nil {\n\t\t\treturn \"\", fmt.Errorf(\"failed to clone repo %s: trouble getting default branch: %w\", g.Repo, err)\n\t\t}\n\t}\n\n\thash, err := getRepoDir(g)\n\tif err != nil {\n\t\treturn \"\", fmt.Errorf(\"failed to clone git repo: unable to create directory name: %w\", err)\n\t}","sourceCodeStart":85,"sourceCodeEnd":121,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/GoogleContainerTools/skaffold/blob/a1189de023efc32d4b8e11f395acc678aa555011/pkg/skaffold/git/gitutil.go#L85-L121","documentation":"syncRepo starts by resolving the remote cache directory via config.GetRemoteCacheDir(opts). Note the result is assigned before the error check, so any error from GetRemoteCacheDir is wrapped with this 'failed to clone repo' message even though no cloning happened yet. The wrapped cause is whatever GetRemoteCacheDir returned.","triggerScenarios":"Calling SyncRepo/syncRepo when config.GetRemoteCacheDir(opts) returns an error — i.e. skaffold cannot determine the remote cache directory from the provided SkaffoldOptions (e.g. the flag/config value is invalid or unavailable).","commonSituations":"Passing an invalid --remote-cache-dir value; calling the skaffold API/programmatic path with a zero-value or partially populated SkaffoldOptions; environment/config resolution failure for the default cache location.","solutions":["Inspect the wrapped cause (%w) printed below this message to see why GetRemoteCacheDir failed.","Pass an explicit, valid cache path via --remote-cache-dir to bypass default resolution.","Ensure SkaffoldOptions are fully populated when invoking SyncRepo programmatically (don't pass a zero-value struct).","Check that the home/config directory used for the default cache path is resolvable (HOME set, config dir readable)."],"exampleFix":"// before\nopts := config.SkaffoldOptions{}          // zero value; no cache dir\npath, err := git.SyncRepo(ctx, cfg, opts)\n// after\nopts := config.SkaffoldOptions{RemoteCacheDir: \"/tmp/skaffold-cache\"}\npath, err := git.SyncRepo(ctx, cfg, opts)","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"if opts.RemoteCacheDir == \"\" {\n    // let skaffold resolve the default, but ensure the environment supports it\n    if os.Getenv(\"HOME\") == \"\" {\n        return errors.New(\"HOME not set; pass an explicit --remote-cache-dir\")\n    }\n}","typeGuard":"func hasValidCacheDir(opts config.SkaffoldOptions) bool {\n    if opts.RemoteCacheDir == \"\" {\n        return true // default resolution applies; validate HOME instead\n    }\n    fi, err := os.Stat(filepath.Dir(opts.RemoteCacheDir))\n    return err == nil && fi.IsDir()\n}","tryCatchPattern":"path, err := git.SyncRepo(ctx, cfg, opts)\nif err != nil {\n    if strings.Contains(err.Error(), \"failed to clone repo \"+cfg.Repo) &&\n        !strings.Contains(err.Error(), \"trouble\") && !strings.Contains(err.Error(), \"git\") {\n        log.Warnf(\"cache dir resolution failed (no clone attempted): %v\", err)\n        return git.SyncRepo(ctx, cfg, config.SkaffoldOptions{RemoteCacheDir: fallbackDir})\n    }\n    return err\n}","preventionTips":["Always pass a valid --remote-cache-dir in automated/programmatic contexts instead of relying on defaults.","Note the error message is misleading here: GetRemoteCacheDir failures surface as 'failed to clone repo'; always read the wrapped cause.","Ensure HOME/config dirs are set and readable in CI containers.","Sanity-check SkaffoldOptions fields before invoking SyncRepo in tests and tools."],"tags":["git","cache","configuration","misleading-message"],"backgroundTag":"invalid-remote-cache-dir","analyzedSha":"a1189de023efc32d4b8e11f395acc678aa555011","analyzedAt":"2026-09-05T12:09:27.064Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-09-05T12:09:27.064Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-12T17:17:11.597Z"}