HTTP code 403 is "forbidden", which makes it sound like you're trying to clone the fossil repository database file directly. When cloning over the net you need to give the URL of either a standalone RUNNING instance of the fossil web server OR a CGI script which runs the fossil app from an existing webserver (e.g. Apache). For example, here's a CGI script for one of my repos:

cat index.cgi

repository:

And the URL for that repo is:


For that to work i had to add a .htaccess file to my top-most directory (so i can run .cgi files in any subdirs):

cat .htaccess
Options +ExecCGI +Indexes
# doesn't work on my hoster :( AddHandler cgi-script .html
DirectoryIndex index.cgi index.php index.html