Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-11

How to Fix: Error on git clone in cygwin: error: inflate: data stream error (invalid code lengths set)

Git clone error in Cygwin due to invalid packed object. Check permissions and try cloning again.

Quick Answer: Check the repository's permissions and try cloning again, as the issue might be related to file system issues.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🔍 Why This Happens
  2. ✅ Best Solutions to Fix It
  3. 🎯 Final Words

Git clone error in Cygwin: 'inflate: data stream error (invalid code lengths set)'

This error occurs when Git is unable to correctly decompress a packed object during the cloning process. It's frustrating because it prevents the successful cloning of repositories, and it can be caused by various factors such as corrupted or incomplete objects in the repository.

🔍 Why This Happens

  • The primary cause of this error is a corrupted or incomplete object in the repository. This can happen due to issues with the Git server, network connectivity problems, or incorrect repository configuration.
  • Another possible reason for this error is an issue with Cygwin's file system handling. The 'd---------+' permissions you mentioned could be causing problems, as they may not allow Cygwin to properly access and read the repository files.

✅ Best Solutions to Fix It

Fixing Corrupted Objects

  1. Step 1: Remove any existing .git/objects/pack directory in the cloned repository. This will force Git to recreate the pack file.
  2. Step 2: Run `git fsck --full` command to identify and remove any corrupted objects from the repository.
  3. Step 3: Try cloning the repository again using `git clone` with the `--force` option to overwrite existing files.

Fixing Cygwin File System Issues

  1. Step 1: Change the file system permissions of the cloned repository to allow Cygwin to properly access and read the files. You can do this by running `chmod -R a+rwx /cygdrive/d/test/` in Cygwin.
  2. Step 2: Verify that the 'd---------+' permissions are not causing issues by checking the repository's ownership and file system type using `ls -l` or `stat` commands in Cygwin.

🎯 Final Words

To resolve the 'inflate: data stream error (invalid code lengths set)' issue when cloning a repository with Git on Cygwin, try fixing corrupted objects by removing existing pack files and running `git fsck --full`. If issues persist, check and adjust file system permissions to allow Cygwin to access the repository files. By following these steps, you should be able to successfully clone your repository.

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