Homebrew install: Failed during: git fetch origin master:refs/remotes/origin/master -n --depth=1

Question

I ran the following command on terminal (Mac El Capitan)

$ /usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"

and got the following error message:

Failed during: git fetch origin master:refs/remotes/origin/master -n --depth=1

Additionally tried:

sudo chown $(whoami):admin /usr/local && sudo chown -R $(whoami):admin /usr/local

then the two commands above.

Any idea how to install Homebrew?

brew is not recognized and ruby version 2.0.0, git version 2.7.4

Answer 1

After a few hours of research and brute force I learned the issue was due to git not being configured properly. Some articles suggested downgrading your git or reinstalling all together. However, I resolved the issue just by adding the following

git config --global user.email [email protected]

Then remove the cellar and homebrew directories from /usr/local and re-try the installation.

Answer 2

1. create a file named run.sh
2. add this:

rm -rf /usr/local/bin/brew
rm -rf /usr/local/share/doc/homebrew
rm -rf /usr/local/share/man/man1/brew.1
rm -rf /usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions/_brew
rm -rf /usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/brew
rm -rf /usr/local/Homebrew

3. run the file using sh run.sh

Or, just run all these commands manually one by one.

Answer 3

@ashdaily commands worked for me, addindg sudo on last command and then executing also the @Sinux command too:

rm -rf /usr/local/bin/brew
rm -rf /usr/local/share/doc/homebrew
rm -rf /usr/local/share/man/man1/brew.1
rm -rf /usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions/_brew
rm -rf /usr/local/etc/bash_completion.d/brew
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/Homebrew
rm -rf /opt/homebrew

Answer 4

Fastest and easiest way is to uninstall Homebrew by following command -

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/uninstall.sh)"

and after this, fresh install of Homebrew by following command -

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Answer 5

Steps to fix it on Big Sur (2021):

1. git config --global user.email [email protected]
2. Remove the cellar and homebrew directories from /usr/local
3. Re-try the installation

Works for me on Big Sur.