How to fix and reason for "fatal: Unable to find remote helper for 'https'"

[Gary M]

Hi,

I have weird error that is new after I rebuilt my windows install. I'm sure its a config (path/env) issue, but I don't know what it is.

I've been using git with maven in netbeans for the last few years without issue. Maven/NB calls the windows command shell.  After the win10 and apps reinstall, executing git from the windows shell gives me an error "fatal: Unable to find remote helper for 'https"

>git clone https://github.com/geomesa/geomesa-tutorials.git
Cloning into 'geomesa-tutorials'...
fatal: Unable to find remote helper for 'https'

Git works without issue in the git bash shell.  

I have git, curl and openssl installed and in the windows path:

>git --version

git version 2.8.3

>curl --version
curl 7.33.0 (x86_64-pc-win32) libcurl/7.33.0
Protocols: dict file ftp gopher http imap ldap pop3 rtsp smtp telnet tftp
Features: AsynchDNS GSS-Negotiate Largefile NTLM SSPI

>openssl version
OpenSSL 1.0.2j  26 Sep 2016

What did I forget ? 

thx

gary

[Gary M]

Found the issue.

The repository changed from https://stash.xxxx.net  to https:/bitbucket.xxxx.net.  

This causes the poor error reporting :  fatal: Unable to find remote helper for 'https'

thanks

[Johannes Schindelin]

Hi Gary,

On Sun, 15 Jan 2017, Gary M wrote:

> The repository changed from https://stash.xxxx.net to
> https:/bitbucket.xxxx.net.
>
> This causes the poor error reporting : fatal: Unable to find remote helper
> for 'https'

That is indeed a pretty poor error message.

But I do not quite understand the details (at least not enough to take a
crack at fixing the message): do you mean to say that the server answered
with a 304? Or did the original URL not work *at all* anymore?

Ciao,
Johannes

[Gary M]

Hi Johannes,

Its a bit goofy. However, I believe there was some conflict with cygwin. When I removed cygwin, the issue was resolved. Another oddity is an irregular behavior when Git for windows is not the first entry in the OS file path. Same utilities from other sources, including bash, interferes with git for windows operations.  This circumstance occurs when another application demotes Git in the OS path, in my case HP's Fortify. Subsequent reinstall and upgrades without removing the old git version leaves the path in the demoted position.

cheers,

gary 

[Johannes Schindelin]

Hi Gary,

On Mon, 16 Jan 2017, Gary M wrote:

> Its a bit goofy. However, I believe there was some conflict with cygwin.

Yes, that would make sense. Git for Windows uses MSYS2 (a derivative of
Cygwin, think of it as "portable Cygwin") for the POSIX parts, i.e. the
Git commands that are still implemented as shell/Perl scripts.

And MSYS2 does not necessarily play well together with Cygwin: they are
too similar and want to do pretty much the same things.

> When I removed cygwin, the issue was resolved. Another oddity is an
> irregular behavior when Git for windows is not the first entry in the OS
> file path. Same utilities from other sources, including bash, interferes
> with git for windows operations. This circumstance occurs when another
> application demotes Git in the OS path, in my case HP's Fortify. Subsequent
> reinstall and upgrades without removing the old git version leaves the path
> in the demoted position.

Right.

However, the PATH should include <Git>\cmd. And if the git.exe in that
directory is used, everything should work fine: this git.exe is not
*actually* Git, it is just a simple wrapper that adjusts the environment
(including the PATH) before calling the *real* git.exe.

So I am still a bit concerned about this issue...

Ciao,
Johannes

[Gary M]

Hi Johannes,

Yes, I know what you mean about feeling uncomfortable with an intermittent, unpredictable behavior.  

I will continue to work the issue, and post any/all new findings.

v/r

gary