Understanding the Error

The error error: RPC failed; curl 56 Recv failure is a generic network-related error that can occur during git clone, git pull, or git push operations. It indicates that there was a problem with the data transfer between your computer and the remote Git server.

curl 56 specifically points to a failure in receiving network data. This can be caused by several factors, including:

  • A slow or unstable internet connection.
  • A very large repository or a large push/pull operation that times out.
  • Network proxies, firewalls, or antivirus software interfering with the connection.
  • Server-side issues.

Solution 1: Check Your Network Connection

The simplest cause is a poor network connection.

  • Try the operation again to see if it was a temporary glitch.
  • Switch to a more stable network if possible.
  • Check if you can access other websites or the Git remote server (e.g., github.com) in your browser.

Solution 2: Increase the Git HTTP Buffer

If you are working with a large repository, Git’s default HTTP buffer might be too small. You can increase it with the following command:

git config --global http.postBuffer 524288000

This command sets the buffer size to 500 MB (524,288,000 bytes). You can adjust this value based on the size of your repository.

Solution 3: Use a Shallow Clone

If the error occurs while cloning a very large repository, you can perform a “shallow clone.” This downloads only the most recent commit history, significantly reducing the amount of data to be transferred.

git clone --depth 1 <repository_url>

This will clone only the latest commit. You can fetch more of the history later if needed.

Solution 4: Switch to SSH

Sometimes, these issues are specific to the HTTPS protocol. Switching your remote connection to use SSH can often resolve the problem.

  1. Ensure you have an SSH key set up with your Git host.

  2. Change the remote URL from HTTPS to SSH format.

    git remote set-url origin git@github.com:user/repo.git

SSH is often more resilient to network interruptions for large data transfers.

Solution 5: Check Proxies and Firewalls

If you are on a corporate network, a proxy or firewall might be interfering with the connection.

  • Configure Git for your proxy: 
    git config --global http.proxy http://proxy.example.com:8080
  • Temporarily disable your firewall or antivirus to see if it resolves the issue. If it does, you may need to add an exception for Git.

Solution 6: Update Your Git Version

Older versions of Git might have bugs related to network operations. Ensure you are using a recent version of Git.

git --version

If your version is old, update it from the official Git website.

Conclusion

The curl 56 Recv failure error is typically a network or configuration issue. By checking your connection, increasing the HTTP buffer, using a shallow clone for large repositories, or switching to SSH, you can usually resolve this error and get back to work.

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