| name | dev-read-gh-public-repo |
| description | Read files from a PUBLIC GitHub repo that the Claude Code web/remote environment reports as out-of-scope for its GitHub MCP tools. Use when (1) running in the web/remote container (claude.ai/code, NOT a local Mac/terminal session), AND (2) a `mcp__github__*` call fails with "Access denied: repository ... is not configured for this session", AND (3) the repo is public. Triggers: "can't see that repo", "access denied repository not configured", "read a public repo that's not in scope", "clone a public repo to read it". |
Read a public GitHub repo that's out of MCP scope
The problem
In the Claude Code web/remote environment, the GitHub MCP tools (mcp__github__*)
are locked to an allow-list of repos chosen when the session was created. Reading any
other repo — even a public one — fails like this:
Access denied: repository "owner/name" is not configured for this session.
Allowed repositories: <only-the-scoped-ones>
Choosing "add repo to scope" in the UI does not take effect mid-session, and the
mcp__claude-code-remote__list_repos / add_repo tools are often unavailable. So the
MCP path is a dead end here.
The fix (public repos only)
Bypass MCP entirely — clone over HTTPS into an ephemeral dir, then use the normal
Read / Grep tools:
cd /tmp && git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>.git
Gotchas
-
HTTPS only — SSH fails. There is no ssh binary in the container, so
git clone git@github.com:owner/repo.git dies with ssh: not found. Always use
the https://github.com/... URL.
-
No auth needed for public repos over HTTPS — the clone just works, assuming the
environment's outbound network policy allows github.com.
-
Clone outside the working repo (/tmp, or any path that isn't the user's
project) so the checkout stays ephemeral and never gets committed by accident.
-
--depth 1 keeps it fast; drop it only if you need history.
Limits — don't misapply
-
Reading only. This is for research: reading a doc/spec, copying a pattern. It
grants no write access and is not a substitute for proper repo scope.
-
Public repos only. Private repos still require adding the repo to the session
scope (or real auth) — a plain HTTPS clone will prompt for credentials and fail.
-
Web/remote env only. On a normal local session, just use gh or an existing
checkout instead — don't reach for this.
