authentication - Cannot clone git from Azure DevOps using PAT

Question

I cannot clone a simple repository from Azure DevOps. OS: Ubuntu 18.10

I do this:

• Got to Azure DevOps
• Click on the top right corner on my user name
• Go to the security tab
• Create a PAT with all the scope (to be sure there is no scope problem)
• Copy the PAT to the clipboard
• Paste the PAT somewhere else to confirm the PAT has been copied correctly (I know... not safe but that is out of the scope of this question)
• Go to my console
• Issue: git clone https://myorganization.visualstudio.com/myproject/_git/myrepo/
• I enter the user name and the password (the PAT)

I keep getting this message from Git: fatal: Authentication failed for 'https://myorganization.visualstudio.com/myproject/_git/myrepo/'

I was reading the solutions of other people but none worked for me. I also tried this:

• Pass the token in the form https://usename:[email protected]/myproject/_git/myrepo/ I am really surprised people say this worked... for my git complains because believes the : means the port.
• Tried to activate/deactivate credential manager of git * Tried on Windows and Ubuntu.
• Tried to activate and deactivate the simple credentials.
• Tried with the simple credentials, i.e. username + password.
• Tried to put my user name in https://username@....
• Tried to use SSH
• Tried to use the http.extraHeader in the git command with the header being

  Authorization: Basic Base64Encoded(uname:PAT)

• Tried to use the http.extraHeader in the git command with the header being

  Authorization: Bearer PAT

• Tried to use the VSCode client. It generates the PAT by itself but still cannot authenticate and clone.
• Tried to use the Rider VSTS client. It generates the PAT by itself but still cannot authenticate and clone.
• Tried to use the git credentials manager for Linux. It promps the Code and when we authenticate in the browser, it generates a PAT successfully. Still, after that cannot authenticate.

Any clue why this is not working?

Answer 1

I have had success using PAT like this;

1. copy clone url for your repository e.g. git clone https://<domain>.visualstudio.com/<domain>/_git/<domain>
2. After you have copied you PAT use as;

git clone https://<PAT>@<domain>.visualstudio.com/<domain>/_git/<domain>

No Username nor password should be required as the PAT should suffice.