How to Fix Git Clone Failures When Deploying PHP Projects with Docker

M66 2025-10-27

Common Reasons for Git Clone Failures in Docker PHP Deployments

When deploying PHP projects with Docker, executing the git clone command may fail due to the following reasons:

Insufficient permissions: the current user does not have access to the remote repository.
Incorrect Git configuration: username, email, or SSH key may be misconfigured.
Unstable network connection: network interruptions can cause clone failures.

Solutions

Check Permissions

Ensure that the current user has access to the remote repository. You can check using the following command:

git ls-remote <remote-repository-url>

If the repository content cannot be displayed, contact the administrator or configure permissions yourself.

Check Git Configuration

Verify that Git is configured correctly, including username, email, and SSH key:

Username: git config user.name
Email: git config user.email
SSH key: ssh-add -l

If the configuration is incorrect, modify it using the following commands:

git config user.name <username>
git config user.email <email>

Check Network Connection

An unstable network may cause clone failures. Try the following:

Ensure the network connection is stable.
Use the --retry option when cloning:
```
git clone --retry <repository-url>
```

Practical Example

Scenario: Deploying a Laravel PHP web application using Docker.

Problem: Error when cloning the repository:

git clone git@github.com:my-user/my-project.git
Cloning into 'my-project'...
fatal: could not read Username for 'https://github.com': terminal prompts disabled

Solution:

Check that the SSH key is correctly added and use the --retry option:

ssh-add -l  # Check SSH key
git clone --retry git@github.com:my-user/my-project.git

Using these methods, the repository can be successfully cloned and the Laravel PHP web application deployed.