Git is a powerful version control system widely used for collaborative software development. However, users often encounter errors during Git operations. One common issue is the “cannot open ‘.git/FETCH_HEAD’: Permission denied” error.
The error message indicates that Git is unable to open the ‘.git/FETCH_HEAD’ file due to permission issues. This file is used by Git to store information about the last fetch operation. Permission denied errors typically occur when the user attempting the Git operation does not have the necessary permissions to access or modify the ‘.git’ directory.
Possible Causes:
Insufficient User Permissions: The user executing the Git pull operation may not have the required permissions to access and modify the Git repository.
Root User vs. Regular User: Running commands with sudo (superuser) privileges can lead to permission issues, especially if the Git repository was initially cloned by a different user.
Solution:
- Verify User Permissions: Before executing Git commands, ensure that the user has the necessary permissions to access and modify the Git repository. Navigate to the repository’s directory and check the ownership and permissions:
cd /opt/lampp/htdocs/myhospitalnow/mhn-hospital-ms
ls -la
Make sure that the user has read and write permissions for the ‘.git’ directory and its contents.
Run Git Commands Without sudo: Avoid using sudo when running Git commands, especially if the repository was initially cloned without superuser privileges. Running Git commands with sudo can lead to permission issues.
git pull origin master
If you encounter permission issues, consider adjusting the ownership and permissions of the repository files and directories.
Adjust Ownership and Permissions: If the repository was cloned with a different user or if permissions are incorrect, adjust the ownership and permissions accordingly. Use the following commands:
sudo chown -R your_username:your_group .git
sudo chmod -R 775 .git
Replace your_username and your_group with your actual username and group.
