Unable to get a public repository downloaded using "git clone" from console

[casachs-user]

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Issues

Body

About a week ago, I added a touchsreen LCD to install on a Rasberry PI and successfully downloaded the https://github.com/goodtft/LCD-show.git respository per online instructions to configure the system to work with it. However, the files got corrupted and I needed to clone the repository - so I tried over the weekend and again today but I keep getting asked for username and password, and they aren't working (and I'm not even sure what those should be - my github credentials?) Alternatives online and in the forum state I should use SSH instead, but the directions for setting that up are not very helpful and seem geared to more advanced users. For the record, I am not a novice use of either command line interfaces nor of Unix/Linux having programmed on such systems in the past at university.

Any suggestions or pointers to get around this issue? The repository was fully accessible a week ago without needing credentials, and now it isn't. Any troubleshooting I've tried hasn't worked. If someone can point me to a resource online to set up the SSH and how to use that from the console, that would be helpful.

[onetwothird]

You don't need to log in to clone a public repo, so no SSH needed either. That password prompt usually means there's a typo in the URL. GitHub asks for a login instead of saying "repo not found."

Try copy-pasting this exactly:

git clone https://github.com/goodtft/LCD-show.git

If the old broken folder is still there, delete it first with rm -rf LCD-show. Should work after that 👍

[rj-karan]

Hi @casachs-user 👋

The previous suggestion is probably not the cause: the URL in your command is identical to the one suggested, so it isn't a typo. Since it worked a week ago and now prompts for credentials, the repo itself has most likely changed.

Why it asks for a username and password

For HTTPS clones, GitHub prompts for credentials when it can't find the repo anonymously. This happens if the repo was removed, disabled, renamed, or made private. It does this deliberately so it doesn't reveal whether a private repo exists. Your GitHub login won't help, and you don't need SSH for a public repo.

Confirm it in 30 seconds

1. Open https://github.com/goodtft/LCD-show in a private/incognito window. A 404 means the repo is gone or disabled.
2. In the terminal, run this to get a clear error instead of a prompt:

GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 git clone https://github.com/goodtft/LCD-show.git

You should see repository not found or similar.

Workarounds if it's gone

Option 1: Download the driver from your display vendor

LCDwiki hosts LCD-show.tar.gz on its Raspberry Pi LCD driver page. Then:

tar -xvzf LCD-show.tar.gz
chmod -R 755 LCD-show
cd LCD-show/

Run the script matching your screen (e.g. sudo ./LCD35-show).

Option 2: Use a fork

Search GitHub for LCD-show, compare commit history and recent activity, and clone a maintained fork the same way:

git clone https://github.com/<fork-owner>/LCD-show.git

Option 3: Check your manual

Some vendors (e.g. Waveshare) host their own driver repo, which may differ from goodtft.

⚠️ The *-show scripts run as root and modify boot config, so skim the script for your model before running it, especially if it comes from a third-party fork.

If you tell me your display model and Pi OS version, I can point you to the right driver source and the exact command for your setup. Hope this helps! 🙂

[max731242-droid]

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Issues

Body

About a week ago, I added a touchsreen LCD to install on a Rasberry PI and successfully downloaded the https://github.com/goodtft/LCD-show.git respository per online instructions to configure the system to work with it. However, the files got corrupted and I needed to clone the repository - so I tried over the weekend and again today but I keep getting asked for username and password, and they aren't working (and I'm not even sure what those should be - my github credentials?) Alternatives online and in the forum state I should use SSH instead, but the directions for setting that up are not very helpful and seem geared to more advanced users. For the record, I am not a novice use of either command line interfaces nor of Unix/Linux having programmed on such systems in the past at university.

Any suggestions or pointers to get around this issue? The repository was fully accessible a week ago without needing credentials, and now it isn't. Any troubleshooting I've tried hasn't worked. If someone can point me to a resource online to set up the SSH and how to use that from the console, that would be helpful.

You shouldn't need your GitHub username or password to clone a public repository over HTTPS.

A couple of things I'd try:

1. Make sure you're using the HTTPS clone URL:
   https://github.com/goodtft/LCD-show.git

2. Try cloning it directly:
   git clone https://github.com/goodtft/LCD-show.git

3. If Git asks for credentials, check whether your Git configuration or credential helper is reusing old credentials.

4. You can also test whether the repository is publicly accessible by opening its GitHub page in a browser.

If HTTPS continues asking for authentication, try checking your Git version and credential-helper configuration before switching to SSH.

For SSH setup, GitHub has an official guide:
https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/connecting-to-github-with-ssh

One other thing: if the repository has become private or restricted, the owner will need to restore public access or grant you permission.

[casachs-user]

Was able to confirm via a private/incognito window that the repo was availalbe and just ran the git clone with the URL I used before and it worked. Not sure what, if anything, changed... I certainly didn't do anything different. Thanks for the replies. I have multiple paths forward if I experience something similar in the future.

…

On Fri, Nov 13, 2026 at 1:40 PM Shadow.exe ***@***.***> wrote: 💬 Feature/Topic Area Issues Body About a week ago, I added a touchsreen LCD to install on a Rasberry PI and successfully downloaded the https://github.com/goodtft/LCD-show.git respository per online instructions to configure the system to work with it. However, the files got corrupted and I needed to clone the repository - so I tried over the weekend and again today but I keep getting asked for username and password, and they aren't working (and I'm not even sure what those should be - my github credentials?) Alternatives online and in the forum state I should use SSH instead, but the directions for setting that up are not very helpful and seem geared to more advanced users. For the record, I am not a novice use of either command line interfaces nor of Unix/Linux having programmed on such systems in the past at university. Any suggestions or pointers to get around this issue? The repository was fully accessible a week ago without needing credentials, and now it isn't. Any troubleshooting I've tried hasn't worked. If someone can point me to a resource online to set up the SSH and how to use that from the console, that would be helpful. You shouldn't need your GitHub username or password to clone a public repository over HTTPS. A couple of things I'd try: 1. Make sure you're using the HTTPS clone URL: https://github.com/goodtft/LCD-show.git 2. Try cloning it directly: git clone https://github.com/goodtft/LCD-show.git 3. If Git asks for credentials, check whether your Git configuration or credential helper is reusing old credentials. 4. You can also test whether the repository is publicly accessible by opening its GitHub page in a browser. If HTTPS continues asking for authentication, try checking your Git version and credential-helper configuration before switching to SSH. For SSH setup, GitHub has an official guide: https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/connecting-to-github-with-ssh One other thing: if the repository has become private or restricted, the owner will need to restore public access or grant you permission. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#213071?email_source=notifications&email_token=CUYXBZUOSYHJ7WNEMHMFDRD5Y55VFA5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCOJWGAYDMMRSUZZGKYLTN5XKO3LFNZ2GS33OUVSXMZLOOSWGM33PORSXEX3DNRUWG2Y#discussioncomment-19600622>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/CUYXBZWBBC55RECX6UPOIHT5Y55VFAVCNFSNUABIKJSXA33TNF2G64TZHMZTAMJVG4ZTGNBUHNCGS43DOVZXG2LPNY5TCMJTGA2DCNBXUF3AE> . Triage notifications, keep track of coding agent tasks and review pull requests on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/ios/CUYXBZQT6UHHKJVIYVY34C35Y55VFA5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCOJWGAYDMMRSUZZGKYLTN5XKO3LFNZ2GS33OUVSXMZLOOSVGM33PORSXEX3JN5ZQ> and Android <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/android/CUYXBZUKT5LCYJLWFXVXCET5Y55VFA5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCOJWGAYDMMRSUZZGKYLTN5XKO3LFNZ2GS33OUVSXMZLOOSXGM33PORSXEX3BNZSHE33JMQ>. Download it today! You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

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