Can't get 'git archive' to work

Getting the errors, see below.

Why "operation is not supported" through http and https? 'archive' is supposed to be the most efficient operation to get the specific snapshot of the repository, and it should be available without authentication.

In case of ssh with the key there is the strange error message about "core.gitProxy". What is this about? I am not using a proxy.

I couldn't get git archive to work even once.

# through ssh with an active ssh key
$ git archive --format=tar --remote=git@github.com:yurivict/vm-to-tor.git
Invalid command: 'git-upload-archive 'yurivict/vm-to-tor.git''
   You appear to be using ssh to clone a git:// URL.
   Make sure your core.gitProxy config option and the
   GIT_PROXY_COMMAND environment variable are NOT set.
fatal: The remote end hung up unexpectedly

# through ssh without an ssh key $ git archive --format=tar --remote=git@github.com:yurivict/vm-to-tor.git Permission denied (publickey). fatal: The remote end hung up unexpectedly

# through https $ git archive --format=tar --remote=https://github.com/yurivict/vm-to-tor.git fatal: Operation not supported by protocol.

# through http $ git archive --format=tar --remote=http://github.com/yurivict/vm-to-tor.git fatal: Operation not supported by protocol.

git-2.6.2 on FreeBSD 10.2

Yuri