switch returns

Enhance API call robustness and user feedback in misc/tools.func: add explicit handling for HTTP 401 (authentication) and 000/no-response cases, provide clearer error messages and actionable guidance (e.g. export GITHUB_TOKEN, check network/DNS), and preserve retry/backoff logic. Adjusted curl invocation/error capture to avoid echoing sentinel values and updated messages for 403/404/other HTTP errors. Changes touch github_api_call, codeberg_api_call, get_latest_gh_tag, check_for_gh_release, and fetch_and_deploy_gh_release to fail earlier and clean up temp files on errors.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -409,6 +409,10 @@ Exercise vigilance regarding copycat or coat-tailing sites that seek to exploit
 
 ## 2026-02-25
 
+### 🆕 New Scripts
+
+  - Zerobyte ([#12321](https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/pull/12321))
+
 ### 🚀 Updated Scripts
 
   - #### 🐞 Bug Fixes

ct/headers/zerobyte

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+ _____                   __          __     
+/__  /  ___  _________  / /_  __  __/ /____ 
+  / /  / _ \/ ___/ __ \/ __ \/ / / / __/ _ \
+ / /__/  __/ /  / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / /_/  __/
+/____/\___/_/   \____/_.___/\__, /\__/\___/ 
+                           /____/           

ct/strapi.sh

@@ -1,61 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-source <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/main/misc/build.func)
-# Copyright (c) 2021-2026 community-scripts ORG
-# Author: pespinel
-# License: MIT | https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/raw/main/LICENSE
-# Source: https://strapi.io/
-
-APP="Strapi"
-var_tags="${var_tags:-cms}"
-var_cpu="${var_cpu:-2}"
-var_ram="${var_ram:-4096}"
-var_disk="${var_disk:-8}"
-var_os="${var_os:-debian}"
-var_version="${var_version:-13}"
-var_unprivileged="${var_unprivileged:-1}"
-
-header_info "$APP"
-variables
-color
-catch_errors
-
-function update_script() {
-  header_info
-  check_container_storage
-  check_container_resources
-  if [[ ! -f /etc/systemd/system/strapi.service ]]; then
-    msg_error "No ${APP} Installation Found!"
-    exit
-  fi
-
-  NODE_VERSION="24" setup_nodejs
-
-  msg_info "Stopping Strapi"
-  systemctl stop strapi
-  msg_ok "Stopped Strapi"
-
-  msg_info "Updating Strapi"
-  cd /opt/strapi
-  $STD npm install
-  msg_ok "Updated Strapi"
-
-  msg_info "Building Strapi"
-  export NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=3072"
-  $STD npm run build
-  msg_ok "Built Strapi"
-
-  msg_info "Starting Strapi"
-  systemctl start strapi
-  msg_ok "Started Strapi"
-  msg_ok "Updated successfully!"
-  exit
-}
-
-start
-build_container
-description
-
-msg_ok "Completed Successfully!\n"
-echo -e "${CREATING}${GN}${APP} setup has been successfully initialized!${CL}"
-echo -e "${INFO}${YW} Access it using the following URL:${CL}"
-echo -e "${TAB}${GATEWAY}${BGN}http://${IP}:1337${CL}"

ct/zerobyte.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+source <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/main/misc/build.func)
+# Copyright (c) 2021-2026 community-scripts ORG
+# Author: community-scripts
+# License: MIT | https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/raw/main/LICENSE
+# Source: https://github.com/nicotsx/zerobyte
+
+APP="Zerobyte"
+var_tags="${var_tags:-backup;encryption;restic}"
+var_cpu="${var_cpu:-2}"
+var_ram="${var_ram:-6144}"
+var_disk="${var_disk:-10}"
+var_os="${var_os:-debian}"
+var_version="${var_version:-13}"
+var_unprivileged="${var_unprivileged:-1}"
+
+header_info "$APP"
+variables
+color
+catch_errors
+
+function update_script() {
+  header_info
+  check_container_storage
+  check_container_resources
+
+  if [[ ! -d /opt/zerobyte ]]; then
+    msg_error "No ${APP} Installation Found!"
+    exit
+  fi
+
+  if check_for_gh_release "zerobyte" "nicotsx/zerobyte"; then
+    msg_info "Stopping Service"
+    systemctl stop zerobyte
+    msg_ok "Stopped Service"
+
+    msg_info "Backing up Configuration"
+    cp /opt/zerobyte/.env /opt/zerobyte.env.bak
+    msg_ok "Backed up Configuration"
+    
+    NODE_VERSION="24" setup_nodejs
+    CLEAN_INSTALL=1 fetch_and_deploy_gh_release "zerobyte" "nicotsx/zerobyte" "tarball"
+
+    msg_info "Building Zerobyte"
+    export NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=3072"
+    cd /opt/zerobyte
+    $STD bun install
+    $STD node ./node_modules/vite/bin/vite.js build
+    msg_ok "Built Zerobyte"
+
+    msg_info "Restoring Configuration"
+    cp /opt/zerobyte.env.bak /opt/zerobyte/.env
+    rm -f /opt/zerobyte.env.bak
+    msg_ok "Restored Configuration"
+
+    msg_info "Starting Service"
+    systemctl start zerobyte
+    msg_ok "Started Service"
+    msg_ok "Updated successfully!"
+  fi
+  exit
+}
+
+start
+build_container
+description
+
+msg_ok "Completed Successfully!\n"
+echo -e "${CREATING}${GN}${APP} setup has been successfully initialized!${CL}"
+echo -e "${INFO}${YW} Access it using the following URL:${CL}"
+echo -e "${TAB}${GATEWAY}${BGN}http://${IP}:4096${CL}"

frontend/public/json/strapi.json

@@ -1,48 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "name": "Strapi",
-  "slug": "strapi",
-  "categories": [
-    12
-  ],
-  "date_created": "2026-02-25",
-  "type": "ct",
-  "updateable": true,
-  "privileged": false,
-  "interface_port": 1337,
-  "documentation": "https://docs.strapi.io/",
-  "website": "https://strapi.io/",
-  "logo": "https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/selfhst/icons@main/webp/strapi.webp",
-  "config_path": "/opt/strapi/.env",
-  "description": "Strapi is a leading open-source headless CMS that enables developers to build powerful APIs quickly. It features a flexible content structure with customizable content types, supporting both REST and GraphQL APIs. The intuitive admin panel allows non-technical users to manage content easily, while developers can extend functionality through plugins. Built on Node.js, Strapi offers role-based access control, media library management, and internationalization support out of the box.",
-  "install_methods": [
-    {
-      "type": "default",
-      "script": "ct/strapi.sh",
-      "resources": {
-        "cpu": 2,
-        "ram": 4096,
-        "hdd": 8,
-        "os": "debian",
-        "version": "13"
-      }
-    }
-  ],
-  "default_credentials": {
-    "username": null,
-    "password": null
-  },
-  "notes": [
-    {
-      "text": "First-time setup requires creating an admin account at http://IP:1337/admin",
-      "type": "info"
-    },
-    {
-      "text": "Default installation uses SQLite. For production use, consider configuring PostgreSQL or MySQL.",
-      "type": "info"
-    },
-    {
-      "text": "Building the admin panel requires 4GB RAM. Container may take 10-15 minutes to fully initialize.",
-      "type": "warning"
-    }
-  ]
-}

frontend/public/json/zerobyte.json

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+{
+    "name": "Zerobyte",
+    "slug": "zerobyte",
+    "categories": [
+        7
+    ],
+    "date_created": "2026-02-25",
+    "type": "ct",
+    "updateable": true,
+    "privileged": false,
+    "interface_port": 4096,
+    "documentation": "https://github.com/nicotsx/zerobyte#readme",
+    "website": "https://github.com/nicotsx/zerobyte",
+    "logo": "https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/selfhst/icons@main/webp/zerobyte.webp",
+    "config_path": "/opt/zerobyte/.env",
+    "description": "Zerobyte is a backup automation tool built on top of Restic that provides a modern web interface to schedule, manage, and monitor encrypted backups across multiple storage backends including NFS, SMB, WebDAV, SFTP, S3, and local directories.",
+    "install_methods": [
+        {
+            "type": "default",
+            "script": "ct/zerobyte.sh",
+            "resources": {
+                "cpu": 2,
+                "ram": 6144,
+                "hdd": 10,
+                "os": "Debian",
+                "version": "13"
+            }
+        }
+    ],
+    "default_credentials": {
+        "username": null,
+        "password": null
+    },
+    "notes": [
+        {
+            "text": "For remote mount support (NFS, SMB, WebDAV, SFTP), enable FUSE device passthrough on the LXC container. (FUSE is pre-configured)",
+            "type": "info"
+        }
+    ]
+}

install/strapi-install.sh

@@ -1,69 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-
-# Copyright (c) 2021-2026 community-scripts ORG
-# Author: pespinel
-# License: MIT | https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/raw/main/LICENSE
-# Source: https://strapi.io/
-
-source /dev/stdin <<<"$FUNCTIONS_FILE_PATH"
-color
-verb_ip6
-catch_errors
-setting_up_container
-network_check
-update_os
-
-msg_info "Installing Dependencies"
-$STD apt install -y \
-  build-essential \
-  python3 \
-  python3-setuptools \
-  libvips42
-msg_ok "Installed Dependencies"
-
-NODE_VERSION="24" setup_nodejs
-
-msg_info "Installing Strapi (Patience)"
-mkdir -p /opt/strapi
-cd /opt/strapi
-$STD npx --yes create-strapi-app@latest . --quickstart --no-run --skip-cloud
-msg_ok "Installed Strapi"
-
-msg_info "Building Strapi"
-cd /opt/strapi
-export NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=3072"
-$STD npm run build
-msg_ok "Built Strapi"
-
-msg_info "Creating Service"
-cat <<EOF >/opt/strapi/.env
-HOST=0.0.0.0
-PORT=1337
-APP_KEYS=$(openssl rand -base64 32)
-API_TOKEN_SALT=$(openssl rand -base64 32)
-ADMIN_JWT_SECRET=$(openssl rand -base64 32)
-TRANSFER_TOKEN_SALT=$(openssl rand -base64 32)
-JWT_SECRET=$(openssl rand -base64 32)
-EOF
-cat <<EOF >/etc/systemd/system/strapi.service
-[Unit]
-Description=Strapi CMS
-After=network.target
-
-[Service]
-Type=simple
-WorkingDirectory=/opt/strapi
-EnvironmentFile=/opt/strapi/.env
-ExecStart=/usr/bin/npm run start
-Restart=on-failure
-Environment=NODE_ENV=production
-
-[Install]
-WantedBy=multi-user.target
-EOF
-systemctl enable -q --now strapi
-msg_ok "Created Service"
-
-motd_ssh
-customize
-cleanup_lxc

install/zerobyte-install.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Copyright (c) 2021-2026 community-scripts ORG
+# Author: community-scripts
+# License: MIT | https://github.com/community-scripts/ProxmoxVE/raw/main/LICENSE
+# Source: https://github.com/nicotsx/zerobyte
+
+source /dev/stdin <<<"$FUNCTIONS_FILE_PATH"
+color
+verb_ip6
+catch_errors
+setting_up_container
+network_check
+update_os
+
+msg_info "Installing Dependencies"
+echo "davfs2 davfs2/suid_file boolean false" | debconf-set-selections
+$STD apt-get install -y \
+  bzip2 \
+  fuse3 \
+  sshfs \
+  davfs2 \
+  openssh-client
+msg_ok "Installed Dependencies"
+
+fetch_and_deploy_gh_release "restic" "restic/restic" "singlefile" "latest" "/usr/local/bin" "restic_*_linux_amd64.bz2"
+mv /usr/local/bin/restic /usr/local/bin/restic.bz2
+bzip2 -d /usr/local/bin/restic.bz2
+chmod +x /usr/local/bin/restic
+
+fetch_and_deploy_gh_release "rclone" "rclone/rclone" "prebuild" "latest" "/opt/rclone" "rclone-*-linux-amd64.zip"
+ln -sf /opt/rclone/rclone /usr/local/bin/rclone
+
+fetch_and_deploy_gh_release "shoutrrr" "nicholas-fedor/shoutrrr" "prebuild" "latest" "/opt/shoutrrr" "shoutrrr_linux_amd64_*.tar.gz"
+ln -sf /opt/shoutrrr/shoutrrr /usr/local/bin/shoutrrr
+
+msg_info "Installing Bun"
+export BUN_INSTALL="/root/.bun"
+curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | $STD bash
+ln -sf /root/.bun/bin/bun /usr/local/bin/bun
+ln -sf /root/.bun/bin/bunx /usr/local/bin/bunx
+msg_ok "Installed Bun"
+
+NODE_VERSION="24" setup_nodejs
+fetch_and_deploy_gh_release "zerobyte" "nicotsx/zerobyte" "tarball"
+
+msg_info "Building Zerobyte (Patience)"
+cd /opt/zerobyte
+export VITE_RESTIC_VERSION=$(cat ~/.restic)
+export VITE_RCLONE_VERSION=$(cat ~/.rclone)
+export VITE_SHOUTRRR_VERSION=$(cat ~/.shoutrrr)
+export NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=3072"
+$STD bun install
+$STD node ./node_modules/vite/bin/vite.js build
+msg_ok "Built Zerobyte"
+
+msg_info "Configuring Zerobyte"
+mkdir -p /var/lib/zerobyte/{data,restic/cache,repositories,volumes}
+APP_SECRET=$(openssl rand -hex 32)
+cat <<EOF >/opt/zerobyte/.env
+BASE_URL=http://${LOCAL_IP}:4096
+APP_SECRET=${APP_SECRET}
+PORT=4096
+ZEROBYTE_DATABASE_URL=/var/lib/zerobyte/data/zerobyte.db
+RESTIC_CACHE_DIR=/var/lib/zerobyte/restic/cache
+ZEROBYTE_REPOSITORIES_DIR=/var/lib/zerobyte/repositories
+ZEROBYTE_VOLUMES_DIR=/var/lib/zerobyte/volumes
+MIGRATIONS_PATH=/opt/zerobyte/app/drizzle
+NODE_ENV=production
+EOF
+msg_ok "Configured Zerobyte"
+
+msg_info "Creating Service"
+cat <<EOF >/etc/systemd/system/zerobyte.service
+[Unit]
+Description=Zerobyte Backup Automation
+After=network.target
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+User=root
+WorkingDirectory=/opt/zerobyte
+EnvironmentFile=/opt/zerobyte/.env
+ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/bun .output/server/index.mjs
+Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=5
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
+EOF
+systemctl enable -q --now zerobyte
+msg_ok "Created Service"
+
+motd_ssh
+customize
+cleanup_lxc

misc/tools.func

@@ -783,16 +783,25 @@ github_api_call() {
 
   for attempt in $(seq 1 $max_retries); do
     local http_code
-    http_code=$(curl -fsSL -w "%{http_code}" -o "$output_file" \
+    http_code=$(curl -sSL -w "%{http_code}" -o "$output_file" \
       -H "Accept: application/vnd.github+json" \
       -H "X-GitHub-Api-Version: 2022-11-28" \
       "${header_args[@]}" \
-      "$url" 2>/dev/null || echo "000")
+      "$url" 2>/dev/null) || true
 
     case "$http_code" in
     200)
       return 0
       ;;
+    401)
+      msg_error "GitHub API authentication failed (HTTP 401)."
+      if [[ -n "${GITHUB_TOKEN:-}" ]]; then
+        msg_error "Your GITHUB_TOKEN appears to be invalid or expired."
+      else
+        msg_error "The repository may require authentication. Try: export GITHUB_TOKEN=\"ghp_your_token\""
+      fi
+      return 1
+      ;;
     403)
       # Rate limit - check if we can retry
       if [[ $attempt -lt $max_retries ]]; then
@@ -801,11 +810,22 @@ github_api_call() {
         retry_delay=$((retry_delay * 2))
         continue
       fi
-      msg_error "GitHub API rate limit exceeded. Set GITHUB_TOKEN to increase limits."
+      msg_error "GitHub API rate limit exceeded (HTTP 403)."
+      msg_error "To increase the limit, export a GitHub token before running the script:"
+      msg_error "  export GITHUB_TOKEN=\"ghp_your_token_here\""
       return 1
       ;;
     404)
-      msg_error "GitHub API endpoint not found: $url"
+      msg_error "GitHub repository or release not found (HTTP 404): $url"
+      return 1
+      ;;
+    000 | "")
+      if [[ $attempt -lt $max_retries ]]; then
+        sleep "$retry_delay"
+        continue
+      fi
+      msg_error "GitHub API connection failed (no response)."
+      msg_error "Check your network/DNS: curl -sSL https://api.github.com/rate_limit"
       return 1
       ;;
     *)
@@ -813,7 +833,7 @@ github_api_call() {
         sleep "$retry_delay"
         continue
       fi
-      msg_error "GitHub API call failed with HTTP $http_code"
+      msg_error "GitHub API call failed (HTTP $http_code)."
       return 1
       ;;
     esac
@@ -833,14 +853,18 @@ codeberg_api_call() {
 
   for attempt in $(seq 1 $max_retries); do
     local http_code
-    http_code=$(curl -fsSL -w "%{http_code}" -o "$output_file" \
+    http_code=$(curl -sSL -w "%{http_code}" -o "$output_file" \
       -H "Accept: application/json" \
-      "$url" 2>/dev/null || echo "000")
+      "$url" 2>/dev/null) || true
 
     case "$http_code" in
     200)
       return 0
       ;;
+    401)
+      msg_error "Codeberg API authentication failed (HTTP 401)."
+      return 1
+      ;;
     403)
       # Rate limit - retry
       if [[ $attempt -lt $max_retries ]]; then
@@ -849,11 +873,20 @@ codeberg_api_call() {
         retry_delay=$((retry_delay * 2))
         continue
       fi
-      msg_error "Codeberg API rate limit exceeded."
+      msg_error "Codeberg API rate limit exceeded (HTTP 403)."
       return 1
       ;;
     404)
-      msg_error "Codeberg API endpoint not found: $url"
+      msg_error "Codeberg repository or release not found (HTTP 404): $url"
+      return 1
+      ;;
+    000 | "")
+      if [[ $attempt -lt $max_retries ]]; then
+        sleep "$retry_delay"
+        continue
+      fi
+      msg_error "Codeberg API connection failed (no response)."
+      msg_error "Check your network/DNS: curl -sSL https://codeberg.org"
       return 1
       ;;
     *)
@@ -861,7 +894,7 @@ codeberg_api_call() {
         sleep "$retry_delay"
         continue
       fi
-      msg_error "Codeberg API call failed with HTTP $http_code"
+      msg_error "Codeberg API call failed (HTTP $http_code)."
       return 1
       ;;
     esac
@@ -1441,7 +1474,7 @@ get_latest_github_release() {
 
   if ! github_api_call "https://api.github.com/repos/${repo}/releases/latest" "$temp_file"; then
     rm -f "$temp_file"
-    return 1
+    return 0
   fi
 
   local version
@@ -1449,7 +1482,8 @@ get_latest_github_release() {
   rm -f "$temp_file"
 
   if [[ -z "$version" ]]; then
-    return 1
+    msg_error "Could not determine latest version for ${repo}"
+    return 0
   fi
 
   echo "$version"
@@ -1466,7 +1500,7 @@ get_latest_codeberg_release() {
   # Codeberg API: get all releases and pick the first non-draft/non-prerelease
   if ! codeberg_api_call "https://codeberg.org/api/v1/repos/${repo}/releases" "$temp_file"; then
     rm -f "$temp_file"
-    return 1
+    return 0
   fi
 
   local version
@@ -1480,7 +1514,8 @@ get_latest_codeberg_release() {
   rm -f "$temp_file"
 
   if [[ -z "$version" ]]; then
-    return 1
+    msg_error "Could not determine latest version for ${repo}"
+    return 0
   fi
 
   echo "$version"
@@ -1567,13 +1602,34 @@ get_latest_gh_tag() {
     "${header_args[@]}" \
     "https://api.github.com/repos/${repo}/tags?per_page=100" 2>/dev/null) || true
 
+  if [[ "$http_code" == "401" ]]; then
+    msg_error "GitHub API authentication failed (HTTP 401)."
+    if [[ -n "${GITHUB_TOKEN:-}" ]]; then
+      msg_error "Your GITHUB_TOKEN appears to be invalid or expired."
+    else
+      msg_error "The repository may require authentication. Try: export GITHUB_TOKEN=\"ghp_your_token\""
+    fi
+    rm -f /tmp/gh_tags.json
+    return 1
+  fi
+
   if [[ "$http_code" == "403" ]]; then
-    msg_warn "GitHub API rate limit exceeded while fetching tags for ${repo}"
+    msg_error "GitHub API rate limit exceeded (HTTP 403)."
+    msg_error "To increase the limit, export a GitHub token before running the script:"
+    msg_error "  export GITHUB_TOKEN=\"ghp_your_token_here\""
+    rm -f /tmp/gh_tags.json
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  if [[ "$http_code" == "000" || -z "$http_code" ]]; then
+    msg_error "GitHub API connection failed (no response)."
+    msg_error "Check your network/DNS: curl -sSL https://api.github.com/rate_limit"
     rm -f /tmp/gh_tags.json
     return 1
   fi
 
   if [[ "$http_code" != "200" ]] || [[ ! -s /tmp/gh_tags.json ]]; then
+    msg_error "Unable to fetch tags for ${repo} (HTTP ${http_code})"
     rm -f /tmp/gh_tags.json
     return 1
   fi
@@ -1659,6 +1715,15 @@ check_for_gh_release() {
 
     if [[ "$http_code" == "200" ]] && [[ -s /tmp/gh_check.json ]]; then
       releases_json="[$(</tmp/gh_check.json)]"
+    elif [[ "$http_code" == "401" ]]; then
+      msg_error "GitHub API authentication failed (HTTP 401)."
+      if [[ -n "${GITHUB_TOKEN:-}" ]]; then
+        msg_error "Your GITHUB_TOKEN appears to be invalid or expired."
+      else
+        msg_error "The repository may require authentication. Try: export GITHUB_TOKEN=\"ghp_your_token\""
+      fi
+      rm -f /tmp/gh_check.json
+      return 1
     elif [[ "$http_code" == "403" ]]; then
       msg_error "GitHub API rate limit exceeded (HTTP 403)."
       msg_error "To increase the limit, export a GitHub token before running the script:"
@@ -1679,12 +1744,26 @@ check_for_gh_release() {
 
     if [[ "$http_code" == "200" ]] && [[ -s /tmp/gh_check.json ]]; then
       releases_json=$(</tmp/gh_check.json)
+    elif [[ "$http_code" == "401" ]]; then
+      msg_error "GitHub API authentication failed (HTTP 401)."
+      if [[ -n "${GITHUB_TOKEN:-}" ]]; then
+        msg_error "Your GITHUB_TOKEN appears to be invalid or expired."
+      else
+        msg_error "The repository may require authentication. Try: export GITHUB_TOKEN=\"ghp_your_token\""
+      fi
+      rm -f /tmp/gh_check.json
+      return 1
     elif [[ "$http_code" == "403" ]]; then
       msg_error "GitHub API rate limit exceeded (HTTP 403)."
       msg_error "To increase the limit, export a GitHub token before running the script:"
       msg_error "  export GITHUB_TOKEN=\"ghp_your_token_here\""
       rm -f /tmp/gh_check.json
       return 1
+    elif [[ "$http_code" == "000" || -z "$http_code" ]]; then
+      msg_error "GitHub API connection failed (no response)."
+      msg_error "Check your network/DNS: curl -sSL https://api.github.com/rate_limit"
+      rm -f /tmp/gh_check.json
+      return 1
     else
       msg_error "Unable to fetch releases for ${app} (HTTP ${http_code})"
       rm -f /tmp/gh_check.json
@@ -2608,12 +2687,22 @@ function fetch_and_deploy_gh_release() {
   done
 
   if ! $success; then
-    if [[ "$http_code" == "403" ]]; then
+    if [[ "$http_code" == "401" ]]; then
+      msg_error "GitHub API authentication failed (HTTP 401)."
+      if [[ -n "${GITHUB_TOKEN:-}" ]]; then
+        msg_error "Your GITHUB_TOKEN appears to be invalid or expired."
+      else
+        msg_error "The repository may require authentication. Try: export GITHUB_TOKEN=\"ghp_your_token\""
+      fi
+    elif [[ "$http_code" == "403" ]]; then
       msg_error "GitHub API rate limit exceeded (HTTP 403)."
       msg_error "To increase the limit, export a GitHub token before running the script:"
       msg_error "  export GITHUB_TOKEN=\"ghp_your_token_here\""
+    elif [[ "$http_code" == "000" || -z "$http_code" ]]; then
+      msg_error "GitHub API connection failed (no response)."
+      msg_error "Check your network/DNS: curl -sSL https://api.github.com/rate_limit"
     else
-      msg_error "Failed to fetch release metadata from $api_url after $max_retries attempts (HTTP $http_code)"
+      msg_error "Failed to fetch release metadata (HTTP $http_code)"
     fi
     return 1
   fi