How to fix fatal: Could not read from remote repository. Please make sure you have the correct access rights and the repository exists. in Git

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This error occurs when Git cannot establish a connection to the remote repository. Common causes include SSH key issues, incorrect repository URLs, missing access permissions, or network problems preventing the connection.

What this error means

The "fatal: Could not read from remote repository" error indicates that Git attempted to communicate with a remote repository (like one hosted on GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket) but failed to establish a connection. This is a generic error that can stem from several different underlying issues. The error message "Please make sure you have the correct access rights and the repository exists" provides two main hints: 1. **Access rights**: Your authentication method (SSH keys or HTTPS credentials) may not be configured correctly, or you may not have permission to access the repository 2. **Repository exists**: The remote URL might be incorrect, the repository may have been deleted or renamed, or it might be a private repository you cannot access This error commonly appears when: - Cloning a repository for the first time - Pushing or pulling changes - Fetching updates from upstream - Working with submodules that reference remote repositories

How to fix "fatal: Could not read from remote repository. Please make sure you have the correct access rights and the repository exists."

1Verify your SSH connection to the remote host

First, test if you can connect to the remote Git server via SSH:

For GitHub:

bash

ssh -T [email protected]

For GitLab:

bash

ssh -T [email protected]

For Bitbucket:

bash

ssh -T [email protected]

Expected success message (GitHub):

bash

Hi username! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.

If you see "Permission denied (publickey)", your SSH key is not configured correctly. If you see a connection timeout, there may be network/firewall issues.

2Check if your SSH key exists and is loaded

Verify that you have an SSH key and it's loaded into the SSH agent:

Check for existing SSH keys:

bash

ls -la ~/.ssh

Look for files like id_ed25519, id_rsa, id_ecdsa (private keys) and their .pub counterparts.

Start the SSH agent and add your key:

bash

# Start the agent
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

# Add your key (replace with your key name)
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
# or
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Verify the key is loaded:

bash

ssh-add -l

If no keys are loaded, you'll see "The agent has no identities."

3Generate a new SSH key if needed

If you don't have an SSH key, generate one:

bash

# Generate a new ED25519 key (recommended)
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

# Or generate an RSA key (for older systems)
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "[email protected]"

When prompted:
- Press Enter to accept the default file location
- Enter a passphrase (recommended) or press Enter for no passphrase

Add the key to your SSH agent:

bash

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Copy the public key to your clipboard:

bash

# macOS
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub | pbcopy

# Linux (with xclip)
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub | xclip -selection clipboard

# Windows (Git Bash)
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub | clip

4Add your SSH key to your Git hosting account

Add the public key to your GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket account:

GitHub:
1. Go to Settings > SSH and GPG keys > New SSH key
2. Give it a descriptive title
3. Paste your public key
4. Click "Add SSH key"

GitLab:
1. Go to Preferences > SSH Keys
2. Paste your public key
3. Set an expiration date (optional)
4. Click "Add key"

Bitbucket:
1. Go to Personal settings > SSH keys
2. Click "Add key"
3. Paste your public key
4. Click "Add key"

Verify it works:

bash

ssh -T [email protected]

5Check and fix the remote URL

Verify your remote URL is correct:

bash

git remote -v

Example output:

bash

origin  [email protected]:username/repo.git (fetch)
origin  [email protected]:username/repo.git (push)

Common issues to check:
- Typo in username or repository name
- Repository was renamed or moved to a different organization
- Using SSH URL ([email protected]:) but SSH isn't set up
- Using HTTPS URL (https://) but need to use SSH

Update the remote URL if needed:

bash

# Change to SSH
git remote set-url origin [email protected]:username/repo.git

# Change to HTTPS
git remote set-url origin https://github.com/username/repo.git

Verify the repository exists by visiting it in your browser.

6Check SSH key file permissions

SSH requires strict permissions on key files. Fix permissions if they're too open:

bash

# Set correct permissions on .ssh directory
chmod 700 ~/.ssh

# Set correct permissions on private key
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa

# Set correct permissions on public key
chmod 644 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
chmod 644 ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

# Set correct permissions on config file
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/config

If permissions are too open, SSH will refuse to use the key and you'll see warnings like:

bash

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@         WARNING: UNPROTECTED PRIVATE KEY FILE!          @
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

7Configure SSH to use the correct key

If you have multiple SSH keys, configure SSH to use the right one for each host:

Create or edit ~/.ssh/config:

bash

nano ~/.ssh/config

Add configuration for your Git host:

bash

# GitHub
Host github.com
    HostName github.com
    User git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_github
    IdentitiesOnly yes

# GitLab
Host gitlab.com
    HostName gitlab.com
    User git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_gitlab
    IdentitiesOnly yes

# Work GitHub (using different key)
Host github-work
    HostName github.com
    User git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_work
    IdentitiesOnly yes

For the work alias, update your remote:

bash

git remote set-url origin git@github-work:company/repo.git

8Use SSH over HTTPS port if port 22 is blocked

Some networks block SSH port 22. Use port 443 instead:

Test if port 443 works:

bash

ssh -T -p 443 [email protected]

Configure SSH to always use port 443 for GitHub:

Edit ~/.ssh/config:

bash

Host github.com
    HostName ssh.github.com
    Port 443
    User git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Or use HTTPS with credential caching:

bash

# Switch to HTTPS
git remote set-url origin https://github.com/username/repo.git

# Cache credentials for 1 hour
git config --global credential.helper 'cache --timeout=3600'

# Or store credentials permanently (less secure)
git config --global credential.helper store

9Debug SSH connection issues

Use verbose mode to diagnose SSH connection problems:

bash

# Verbose SSH connection test
ssh -vT [email protected]

Key things to look for in the output:

1. "Offering public key" - Shows which key SSH is trying to use
2. "Server accepts key" - Key was accepted
3. "Permission denied" - Authentication failed
4. "Connection timed out" - Network/firewall issue

Common debug patterns:

bash

# Key not found
debug1: No more authentication methods to try.
Permission denied (publickey).

# Wrong key being offered
debug1: Offering public key: /home/user/.ssh/id_rsa
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey

# Key file permissions issue
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@         WARNING: UNPROTECTED PRIVATE KEY FILE!          @
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

10Add host to known_hosts if prompted

If this is your first time connecting to a host, SSH will ask you to verify its authenticity:

bash

The authenticity of host 'github.com (140.82.121.4)' can't be established.
ED25519 key fingerprint is SHA256:+DiY3wvvV6TuJJhbpZisF/zLDA0zPMSvHdkr4UvCOqU.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])?

Verify the fingerprint against the official documentation:
- GitHub: https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/githubs-ssh-key-fingerprints
- GitLab: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/gitlab_com/#ssh-host-keys-fingerprints

If it matches, type `yes` to add to known_hosts.

In CI/CD environments, you may need to pre-populate known_hosts:

bash

mkdir -p ~/.ssh
ssh-keyscan github.com >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts

How to fix fatal: Could not read from remote repository. Please make sure you have the correct access rights and the repository exists. in Git

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How to fix "fatal: Could not read from remote repository. Please make sure you have the correct access rights and the repository exists."

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