github .tar.gz fallback

gistfile1.txt

diff --git a/scriptmodules/helpers.sh b/scriptmodules/helpers.sh
index e916b771..e1e4311c 100644
--- a/scriptmodules/helpers.sh
+++ b/scriptmodules/helpers.sh
@@ -351,6 +351,27 @@ function gitPullOrClone() {
         [[ "$branch" != "master" ]] && git+=" --branch $branch"
         echo "$git \"$repo\" \"$dir\""
         runCmd $git "$repo" "$dir"
+        if [[ "$?" -eq 128 && "$repo" == *github* ]]; then
+            echo "Pull/clone failed - attempting .tar.gz fallback..."
+            unset md_ret_errors
+            mkdir -p "$dir"
+            runCmd downloadAndExtract "${repo/\.git/}/archive/$branch.tar.gz" "$dir" 1
+            if [[ -f "$dir/.gitmodules" ]]; then
+                local sub_path_key
+                local sub_path
+                pushd "$dir" >/dev/null
+                git init .
+                git config -f .gitmodules --get-regexp '^submodule\..*\.path$' |
+                    while read sub_path_key sub_path
+                    do
+                        [[ ! -d "$sub_path/.git" ]] && rm -rf "$sub_path"
+                        runCmd git submodule add "$(git config -f .gitmodules --get "${sub_path_key//\.path/.url}")" "$path"
+                    done
+                runCmd git submodule update --init --recursive
+                rm -rf .git
+                popd >/dev/null
+            fi
+        fi
     fi
 }