Fixing “curl: (23) Failure writing output to destination” Error on Ubuntu 20.04

In this article, we’ll be discussing how to resolve the “curl: (23) Failure writing output to destination” error on Ubuntu 20.04. This error often occurs when you’re trying to run the command sh <(curl -L https://nixos.org/nix/install) --daemon.

Understanding the Error

The curl command is a powerful tool that allows you to transfer data to or from a network server, using one of the supported protocols (HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and more). The error “curl: (23) Failure writing output to destination” typically indicates that curl is unable to write data to a certain location. This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as lack of sufficient permissions, a full filesystem, or conflicts with other installed versions of curl.

Solution 1: Checking Permissions

One of the most common causes of this error is insufficient permissions to write to the destination folder. To resolve this, ensure that you have the necessary permissions to write to the desired location.

It’s generally recommended to download files inside your home folder, where you typically have full permissions. To navigate to your home folder, use the cd ~ command.

Solution 2: Using the -s Option

The -s or --silent option in the curl command is used to suppress or mute all progress meters that would otherwise be shown on the standard error output. If you’re receiving a lot of unnecessary output, using this option can help you identify the specific error message causing the failure.

Here’s how you would use this option:

sh <(curl -s -L https://nixos.org/nix/install) --daemon

Solution 3: Removing Snap Curl

If you’ve previously installed curl using Snap, this could potentially cause conflicts. To resolve this, uninstall the Snap version of curl by running the following command:

sudo snap remove curl

Next, install the apt version of curl using the command:

sudo apt install curl

Solution 4: Removing and Reinstalling Curl

If none of the above solutions work, you might want to try completely removing curl and reinstalling it. You can remove curl using the command:

sudo apt-get remove curl

And then reinstall it with:

sudo apt install curl

Solution 5: Checking Filesystem

Another possible cause of this error is a full filesystem, or other issues that could prevent writing to the destination folder. You can check the available disk space using the df -h command, which displays the amount of disk space used and available on the filesystem.

Solution 6: Using Root User

If you’re logged in as a non-root user, you might encounter this error. To resolve this, try running the command as the root user. You can switch to the root user by running sudo su, and then executing the command.

Conclusion

The “curl: (23) Failure writing output to destination” error can be caused by a variety of issues, but by following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to resolve it. Remember to always backup any important data before making changes to your system.

As with any system administration task, the specific solution that works for you may vary depending on your system configuration and the cause of the error. If you continue to experience issues, consider reaching out to the Ubuntu community for further assistance.