What causes "Failed to clone repository: ${safeErr.message}" in coleam00/Archon?

Run `git clone ` manually to see the underlying git error

Failed to clone repository: ${safeErr.message}

Error message

Failed to clone repository: ${safeErr.message}

What it means

cloneRepository runs `git clone` with GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 so credential prompts fail fast instead of hanging. Any git clone failure is sanitized (credentials stripped) and rethrown as 'Failed to clone repository: <reason>'.

Source

Thrown at packages/core/src/handlers/clone.ts:393

  // Remove the empty source/ directory before cloning (git clone requires non-existent target)
  try {
    await rm(targetPath, { recursive: true });
  } catch (error) {
    const err = error as NodeJS.ErrnoException;
    if (err.code !== 'ENOENT') {
      throw error;
    }
  }

  try {
    // GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 turns any missing-creds scenario into an
    // immediate, readable error instead of a hung stdin credential prompt.
    await execFileAsync('git', ['clone', cloneUrl, targetPath], {
      env: { ...process.env, GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT: '0' },
    });
  } catch (error) {
    const safeErr = sanitizeError(error as Error);
    throw new Error(`Failed to clone repository: ${safeErr.message}`);
  }

  // Add to git safe.directory
  await execFileAsync('git', ['config', '--global', '--add', 'safe.directory', targetPath]);
  getLog().debug({ path: targetPath }, 'safe_directory_added');

  const result = await registerRepoAtPath(targetPath, `${ownerName}/${repoName}`, workingUrl);
  getLog().info({ url: workingUrl, targetPath }, 'clone_completed');
  return result;
}

/**
 * Register an existing local repository in the database (no git clone).
 */
export async function registerRepository(localPath: string): Promise<RegisterResult> {
  // Validate path exists and is a git repo
  try {
    await execFileAsync('git', ['-C', localPath, 'rev-parse', '--git-dir']);

View on GitHub (pinned to 0773b97458)

Solutions

Run `git clone <url>` manually to see the underlying git error
For private repos, configure credentials: `gh auth login` or a credential helper / deploy key
Verify the clone URL and that the repo exists and you have access
Check network/proxy connectivity to github.com; switch SSH URL to HTTPS if SSH keys are missing

Example fix

// before
await cloneRepository({ url: 'git@github.com:acme/private.git' });
// after
// gh auth login  (or use HTTPS URL with token)
await cloneRepository({ url: 'https://github.com/acme/private.git' });

Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Validate before calling

await new Promise((res, rej) => execFile('git', ['ls-remote', cloneUrl], (e) => e ? rej(e) : res(null)));

Try / catch

try { await cloneRepository(args); } catch (e) { if (e.message.startsWith('Failed to clone repository')) { console.error(e.message + '\nCheck: URL correctness, credentials (gh auth login), and network access.'); } throw e; }

Prevention

Authenticate before cloning private repos (gh auth login or credential helper)
Pre-verify repo access with `git ls-remote <url>`
Use HTTPS URLs unless SSH keys are configured for the runtime user
Ensure network/proxy allows github.com from the execution environment

When it happens

Trigger: Calling cloneRepository when `git clone <cloneUrl> <targetPath>` exits non-zero: bad URL, nonexistent repo, missing/invalid credentials for a private repo, network failure, or existing non-empty target.

Common situations: Private repo without a configured credential helper or token; typo'd clone URL; no network access / proxy blocking github.com; SSH key not set up while using an SSH URL; repo deleted or renamed.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of coleam00/Archon@0773b97458 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/128caca0bbb19a0a. Report an issue: GitHub.