install_github error unclear when DESCRIPTION references private package

[aronatkins]

Using remotes-2.4.2

remotes::install_github("rstudio/bslib@dev")

The DESCRIPTION contains:

Remotes:
    rstudio/bsicons

Unfortunately, rstudio/bsicons is a private repository.

The error from remotes::install_github:

Downloading GitHub repo rstudio/bslib@dev
Error: Failed to install 'bslib' from GitHub:
  HTTP error 404.
  Not Found

  Did you spell the repo owner (`rstudio`) and repo name (`bsicons`) correctly?
  - If spelling is correct, check that you have the required permissions to access the repo.

This error does not indicate at all that the problem is with the data associated with rstudio/bslib. It is true that the user does not have permission to access the bsicons repository. Could remotes indicate more clearly that the problem is with a package referenced by bslib?

[gaborcsardi]

Yeah, that would make sense indeed.

[aronatkins]

Note: The bsicons repo is now public, so this particular combination no longer presents the same error.