How to Fix the "RPC failed; HTTP 413 curl 22" Error in Nginx

12 October 2018

Understanding the Issue: ‘RPC failed; HTTP 413 curl 22’ #

If you’ve stumbled upon the error message “RPC failed; HTTP 413 curl 22 The requested URL returned error: 413 Request Entity Too Large,” you’re probably trying to push a rather hefty commit over HTTP to your server running Nginx. This error means that the size of the request you’re trying to send exceeds the limit that the server is willing to accept. So, how do you fix it?

Nginx Solution: Updating the Configuration File #

Don’t fret; the solution is simpler than it sounds. Follow these steps to rid yourself of this error:

Step 1: Locate Your Nginx Configuration File #

The first thing you need to do is find your nginx.conf file. The location may differ based on your setup, but generally, you’ll find it in /etc/nginx/nginx.conf.

Step 2: Edit the Configuration File #

Open the configuration file in a text editor of your choice. Scroll until you find one of the following blocks: http, server, or location.

Step 3: Add or Update ‘client_max_body_size’ #

Insert the line client_max_body_size 50m; within the block you’ve chosen. Feel free to change the 50m to whatever size limit fits your needs.

Step 4: Save and Close the File #

Once you’ve made the change, save the file and exit the text editor.

Step 5: Reload the Nginx Configuration #

To make sure Nginx takes into account your new setting, reload the service by running the following command in your terminal:

sudo service nginx reload

Step 6: Test the New Configuration #

Go ahead and try to push your commit over HTTP once more. If all has gone well, the error should no longer appear.

Wrap-Up #

And there you have it! You’ve successfully increased the body size limit, resolving the “RPC failed; HTTP 413 curl 22” error. Happy coding!