The “Weird server reply” error in cURL often means the server sent a response that cURL could not understand. There are several causes and associated fixes for the issue. Read the article to know more. At Bobcares, with our Server Management Service, we can handle your issues.

Overview

1. What is “Weird Server Reply” in cURL?
2. Cause 1 & Fix
3. Cause 2 & Fix
4. Cause 3 & Fix
5. Cause 4 & Fix
6. Cause 5 & Fix
7. Cause 6 & Fix

What is “Weird Server Reply” in cURL?

The “Weird server reply” error in cURL shows that cURL received a response from the server that it didn’t understand or wasn’t expecting. This can happen due to various reasons. Let’s look into some of them and its fix.

Cause 1 & Fix

Cause: The server responds with encoded or binary data that cURL cannot properly process. This often happens when trying to connect to an SMTP server without using the correct SSL/TLS settings.

Fix: Check that we are using the right protocol, port, and security settings for the SMTP server. Double-check that we are using the correct URL and credentials. To test the connection with the SMTP server, run the updated cURL command.

Cause 2 & Fix

Cause: There is a problem with the server settings or how the server processes the request. This may be the result of a failed virtual host, proxy settings, or other server-side issues.

Fix: Connect directly to the server using Telnet or similar tool and check the raw server answer. This is able to find whether the problem is with the server’s response. Check the server logs to figure out if there are any issues or clues as to why the server is responding unexpectedly.

Cause 3 & Fix

Cause: Even when the response contains legitimate data, the server returns an HTTP status code that cURL considers an error. This can occur when the server returns a 4xx or 5xx status code.

Fix: Try some other cURL command or library to check whether the problem is limited to the present implementation. Check that there are no network-level problems, such as firewalls or proxies, that may be interfering with the connection.

Cause 4 & Fix

Cause: Because cURL lacks a built-in function to interact with gRPC servers over HTTP, the “Weird server reply” error may occur when using it to connect with them.

Fix: To connect with the gRPC server, use a gRPC-specific client library or tool, such as those offered by the grpc-web project. cURL is not a good choice for this task.

Cause 5 & Fix

Cause: When sending emails using output tools or event-triggered emails, Alteryx Server may encounter the “Weird server reply” problem.

Fix: Rather than Alteryx, the problem was with the SMTP mail server. Make sure the SMTP server setup works correctly by testing it. To get around the problem with the “After Run” email event, add an email tool at the end of the process.

Cause 6 & Fix

Cause: A “Weird server reply” issue may appear when trying to access a Python REST API call from a Kubernetes container while trying to contact the service from outside the cluster.

Fix: Make sure that no network setup, such as proxies or firewalls, hinder the client’s ability to link with the Kubernetes service. Check the server logs for clues on the problem.

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Conclusion

In summary, the ‘Weird server reply’ error in cURL can result from server configuration issues, network interference, or problems with the specific application or service. Identifying and fixing the root cause will resolve the issue and allow successful server interaction using cURL.