do without .netrc

"git clone http://a:b@donatello.pri.univie.ac.at/repositories/0/Data/" 
is not working

also "git clone 
http://a@donatello.pri.univie.ac.at/repositories/0/Data/" is not asking 
for password. is it supposed to?

it is working without a:b@ part, but ~/.netrc instead

:-(, is it possible without .netrc

git version 1.5.4.3

thanks, regards

Jürgen