Software⏱️ 2 min read📅 2026-05-31

How to Fix: github: server certificate verification failed

Git clone error on Debian Jessie due to server certificate verification failure.

Quick Answer: Try adding the GitHub CA bundle to your system's trusted certificates, or use a different Git version that includes the CA bundle by default.

To resolve the 'server certificate verification failed' error when cloning a GitHub repository, follow these steps:

🛑 Root Causes of the Error

  • Insufficient or outdated system CA certificates.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Method 1: Update System CA Certificates

  1. Step 1: Open a terminal as the root user and run sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install ca-certificates.

Method 2: Add GitHub's CA Certificate Manually

  1. Step 1: Download the GitHub CA certificate from https://github.com/gh/distribution/releases/download/v2.0.27/ca-certificates.

✨ Wrapping Up

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the 'server certificateverification failed' error and successfully clone your GitHub repository.

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