How to Fix Error “Fatal Origin Does Not Appear to Be a Git Repository” on macOS?

If you’re using Git on macOS Sierra and encounter the “fatal: ‘origin’ does not appear to be a git repository fatal: the remote end hung up unexpectedly” error, it may be due to an outdated Git client version.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the steps to fix the “git fatal: ‘origin’ does not appear to be a git repository” error on macOS Sierra by updating Git package using Homebrew and then retrying the above operations again using the updated version of Git client.

But what is Git on Mac?

Git is a free and open source distributed version control system designed to meet and deal with small to very large projects with both speed and efficiency.

This platform is easy to learn and has a tiny footprint with lightning-fast performance. Most importantly, it gives each developer a local copy of the entire development history, which means they can do their work offline and then later push their changes to the central server.

If you’re new to Git, then you might be wondering about its purpose on Macs. Well, in short, Git allows developers to easily collaborate on code development projects, making it convenient for them to roll back changes if something goes wrong.

macOS comes with Git pre-installed, but it is not set up by default. This means that when you first try to use Git on your computer, you may encounter issues like the “fatal origin does not appear to be a git repository” error.

Luckily, this error is easy to fix. And we will share the fixes in the succeeding sections.

What is the “origin does not appear to be a git repository fatal” error?

One of the most common issues that Apple users have to deal with on macOS Sierra or High Sierra is the “fatal ‘origin’ does not appear to be a git repository” error message that appears when you attempt to clone git repositories from GitHub or Bitbucket on your Mac computer.

The error usually occurs after you install Xcode 9 or macOS 10.13 High Sierra update or when you try to use Terminal commands such as -cd, -ls, -mkdir, -git init, and -git pull. This can also happen if you accidentally ran the command in the wrong directory or if you deleted the .git folder. Either way, it’s easy to fix!

How to fix the “fatal: ‘origin/master’ does not appear to be a git repository” error

For the most part, Git works pretty well on macOS, but you may still encounter some weird errors from time to time. Here’s how to fix the “fatal: ‘origin’ does not appear to be a git repository” error on your Mac.

Fix #1: First, close any applications accessing the repository

If you have any applications open that are accessing the repository, close them. This includes text editors, IDEs, and any terminal windows. Next, make sure you have a .git directory at the root of your project.

The .git directory is where Git stores all of its metadata for the project. If this directory is missing, it could be that you accidentally deleted it or that you’re trying to access a repository that isn’t a Git repository.

If the .git directory exists, check to see if there is a HEAD file inside of it. The HEAD file points to the most recent commit in the repository. If this file is missing, it means that there are no commits in the repository yet.

Fix #2: Delete the origin from your repo and re-add it

If you’re getting the “error fatal: origin does not appear to be a git repository” message, it may suggest that your remote (origin) repo is no longer pointing to a valid git repository. To fix this, you need to delete the origin from your repo and re-add it. Here’s how to do it in Terminal:

You should first git init your repo, then add files and stage them with git add (e.g., git add *.c). After that, do a git commit -m Initial Commit.

Fix #3: Checkout from the master branch only

It’s likely that your problem is that you’re trying to checkout from the wrong branch. The error message you’re seeing is telling you that the origin doesn’t appear to be a git repository. This is because you’re probably trying to checkout from the master branch, which doesn’t exist in your fork.

To fix this, simply check out from the correct branch, and all should work fine. You can use the command line git tool for this. However, if you’re more comfortable with GUI tools like SourceTree or GitHub Desktop, these would also work for this situation.

Fix #4: Avoid git commands when you are trying to push/pull code from the origin

Now, if you are running a push/pull code when the error appears, avoid using git commands as this may trigger the error to show. For a guide on what to do, refer to the below information:

1. When you see the error message, first check to see if you are in the right directory. You should be in the main directory of your project, not inside of a sub-directory.
2. If you are in the right directory, then check to make sure that your project is actually a git repository. You can do this by running the `git status` command.
3. If you see any files that are not being tracked by git, add them to the repository with the `git add` command.
4. Once all of your files are being tracked, try running the `git pull` or `git push` command again.

Fix #5: Make sure your username is correct in remotes

One way to solve this error is by making sure that your username is correct in the remotes for your git repository. To check this, open the file in a text editor and look for the section that says [remote origin]. The line underneath should have your username followed by an @ sign. If it does not, simply add your username there and save the file. You should now be able to run git push without any errors.

Fix #6: Verify your connection with GitHub

Another solution would be to verify the connection between your computer and GitHub. In order to do so, you need to click on Advanced Options in the lower right corner of your screen. Here, you will find two tabs – Connection Status and SSH Keys.

Under Connection Status, make sure that under SSH public key status you see either a green light or a red light next to Public Key (if applicable). Clicking into this box will show more information about what’s going on with the key.

For example, if GitHub is not currently online or is blocked due to firewall settings at work or school then you will see no internet connection status here. To fix this problem, go back up top where you clicked Advanced Options and select Add New Connection. Fill out the boxes with the appropriate information for connecting to GitHub via SSH. After clicking Connect, your connections should be verified and fixed!

Fix #7: Force Push Only When Necessary

In some cases, you may need to forcefully push your changes to the remote repository. This is usually only necessary if you have made changes to the remote repository that are not reflected in your local copy.

To do this, simply use the `git push` command with the `–force` option. However, be careful when using this option, as it can cause problems if used incorrectly.

Fix #8: Try different clone options (e.g., –bare, -n, etc.)

When you get this error, it may suggest that your current directory is not a valid git repository. There are a few different methods to resolve this git error. One way is to try different clone options.

For example, you can try the –bare or -n option. Another way is to initialize a new git repository in the current directory. You can easily do this by running the ‘git init’ command. If you still can’t get it to work, then you may need to delete the .git directory and start over again from scratch.

Once you have deleted the .git directory, simply run the following commands: git init && git remote add origin url_to_original_repository.

Fix #9: Use Outbyte MacAries

There are multiple causes for the “fatal origin does not appear to be a git repository” error and you may need several steps to resolve it. Some of the causes include problems with permissions, not enough memory space, and hardware or software failure. In this case, Outbyte MacAries can help you fix these issues effectively in minutes.

Outbyte MacAries is a software program that can help you fix the error by optimizing your macOS. It is simple and easy to use. Just download and install the software, then run it and follow the instructions. Within minutes, your problem will be fixed.

Fix #10: If all else fails, use GitHub Desktop instead of Terminal

GitHub Desktop is a GUI application that can be used to manage your repositories instead of using the Terminal. To do this, simply download GitHub Desktop, open it, and sign in with your GitHub credentials. Then, clone your repository to your computer. After that, you should be able to make and push changes without any problems.

Ways to avoid the “fatal: ‘origin’ does not appear to be a git repository” error

There are a few ways to avoid this error, and the first is by ensuring that you have added a remote repository. You can do this by running the git remote add origin command. If you’ve already added a remote repository, make sure that your origin URL is correct.

The second way to avoid this error is by running the git pull command before you try to push your changes. This will give you the assurance that your local repository is up-to-date with the remote repository.

Finally, if you’re still getting the error, it may be because you’re trying to push to a branch that doesn’t exist on the remote repository. To fix this, you can create the branch on the remote repository and then push your changes to it.

Wrapping Up

If you’ve gotten the “fatal origin does not appear to be a git repository” error on macOS Catalina or Sierra, there are a few things you can do to fix it. And hopefully, we were able to present all fixes in the best possible way.

If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to drop us a line below. We’ll be happy to assist. Also, if there are other issues that you want us to talk about, make sure you let us know in the comments section down below. The comment section is open for any discussion and suggestions regarding fixing “fatal origin does not appear to be a git repository” on macOS, so feel free to participate! Last but not least, if you enjoyed reading this post, then please share it with your friends so they can benefit from it as well!