"Plugins load failed!" when no current context

[dewe]

Describe the bug
When starting k9s without a current context set, there's an error telling me that Plugins load failed!. But when having a current context set, or specifying the --context flag when starting k9s, it works as expected. I have no plugins.

To Reproduce

$ kubectl config unset current-context
Property "current-context" unset.

$ k9s
...

Historical Documents

k9s logs:

�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[32mINF�[0m �[1m🐶 K9s starting up...�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mFail to locate metrics-server�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"Get \"http://localhost:8080/api\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused"�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mconfig refine failed�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"unable to activate context \"\": getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mcan't connect to cluster�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"Get \"http://localhost:8080/version?timeout=15s\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused"�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[32mINF�[0m �[1m✅ Kubernetes connectivity�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[33mWRN�[0m �[1mSave failed. no active config detected�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mFail to load global/context configuration�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"Get \"http://localhost:8080/api\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused\nunable to activate context \"\": getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\"\ncannot connect to context: \nk8s connection failed for context: "�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mUnable to assert active namespace. Using default�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mLoad cluster resources - No API server connection�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mfailed to list contexts�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"no connection"�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[33mWRN�[0m �[1mUnable to dial discovery API�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"no connection to dial"�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mUnable to assert active namespace. Using default�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mUnable to assert active namespace. Using default�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mUnable to assert active namespace. Using default�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mUnable to assert active namespace. Using default�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mcan't connect to cluster�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"Get \"http://localhost:8080/version?timeout=15s\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused"�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mLoad cluster resources - No API server connection�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[33mWRN�[0m �[1mUnable to dial discovery API�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"no connection to dial"�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[33mWRN�[0m �[1mPlugins load failed: getcontext - invalid context specified: ""�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[33mWRN�[0m �[1mPlugins load failed: getcontext - invalid context specified: ""�[0m
�[90m9:25AM�[0m �[33mWRN�[0m �[1mPlugins load failed: getcontext - invalid context specified: ""�[0m
�[90m9:26AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mfailed to list namespaces�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"user not authorized to list all namespaces"�[0m�[0m
�[90m9:26AM�[0m �[33mWRN�[0m �[1mSave failed. no active config detected�[0m
�[90m9:26AM�[0m �[31mERR�[0m �[1mnuking k9s shell pod�[0m �[36merror=�[0m�[31m�[1m"getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""�[0m�[0m

Expected behavior
I'll end up in the k9s context meny with no error.

Versions (please complete the following information):

• OS: OSX 14
• K9s: v0.32.4
• K8s: v1.29.3

[emilkor1]

Happens to me as well, both with and without plugins. It seems to block me from choosing context for ~5 seconds with the following error: "😡 no connection to cached dial". Does not happen with k9s --context ....

[wazazaby]

Encountering the exact same problem as Emil, on K9s v0.32.4 and K8s v1.29.1.

[michaelfich]

I've also been encountering this issue. If I set a context explicitly prior to opening k9s, it's fine but I cannot switch to another context while in k9s without it breaking.

[jtnz]

Another way to reproduce this is:

KUBECONFIG='' k9s

Not only does this issue prevent you from selecting a context, but is also the cause of another long standing issue I've had that k9s will exit if you don't select a context fast enough.

We don't want to set a context (current-context: "") as we have many different k8s clusters and don't want any tooling connecting to one by default. We use the following as our ~/.kube/config file, as generated by:

$ KUBECONFIG='' kubectl config view
apiVersion: v1
clusters: null
contexts: null
current-context: ""
kind: Config
preferences: {}
users: null

We thenhave a standalone config file per cluster, joined together in $KUBECONFIG, e.g.

$ echo $KUBECONFIG
/home/foo/.kube/config:/home/foo/.kube/cluster-1:/home/foo/.kube/cluster-2:/home/foo/.kube/cluster-3

This all works 100% fine with kubectl --context context-1.

Also tested by wiping out ~/.local/share/k9s, ~/.local/state/k9s, and ~/.config/k9s.

Here's the full logs (KUBECONFIG='' k9s -l debug):

4:14PM INF 🐶 K9s starting up...
4:14PM ERR Fail to locate metrics-server error="Get \"http://localhost:8080/api\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused"
4:14PM ERR config refine failed error="unable to activate context \"\": getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""
4:14PM ERR can't connect to cluster error="Get \"http://localhost:8080/version?timeout=15s\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused"
4:14PM INF ✅ Kubernetes connectivity
4:14PM WRN Save failed. no active config detected
4:14PM ERR Fail to load global/context configuration error="Get \"http://localhost:8080/api\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused\nunable to activate context \"\": getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\"\ncannot connect to context: \nk8s connection failed for context: "
4:14PM DBG [Skin] Loading global skin ("skin")
4:14PM DBG Loading skin file: "/home/foo/.config/k9s/skins/skin.yaml"
4:14PM ERR Unable to assert active namespace. Using default error="getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""
4:14PM DBG Factory START with ns `"default"
4:14PM ERR Load cluster resources - No API server connection
4:14PM ERR failed to list contexts error="no connection"
4:14PM DBG Fetching latest k9s rev...
4:14PM DBG K9s latest rev: "v0.32.4"
4:14PM DBG [Skin] Loading global skin ("skin")
4:14PM DBG Loading skin file: "/home/foo/.config/k9s/skins/skin.yaml"
4:14PM WRN Unable to dial discovery API error="no connection to dial"
4:14PM ERR Unable to assert active namespace. Using default error="getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""
4:14PM ERR Unable to assert active namespace. Using default error="getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""
4:14PM ERR Unable to assert active namespace. Using default error="getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""
4:14PM ERR Unable to assert active namespace. Using default error="getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""
4:14PM ERR can't connect to cluster error="Get \"http://localhost:8080/version?timeout=15s\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused"
4:14PM ERR Load cluster resources - No API server connection
4:14PM WRN Unable to dial discovery API error="no connection to dial"
4:14PM WRN Plugins load failed: getcontext - invalid context specified: ""
4:14PM WRN Plugins load failed: getcontext - invalid context specified: ""
4:14PM WRN Plugins load failed: getcontext - invalid context specified: ""
4:14PM WRN Plugins load failed: getcontext - invalid context specified: ""
4:14PM WRN Plugins load failed: getcontext - invalid context specified: ""
4:14PM WRN Plugins load failed: getcontext - invalid context specified: ""
4:14PM WRN Plugins load failed: getcontext - invalid context specified: ""
4:14PM WRN Plugins load failed: getcontext - invalid context specified: ""
4:14PM ERR can't connect to cluster error="Get \"http://localhost:8080/version?timeout=15s\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused"
4:14PM ERR ClusterUpdater failed error="conn check failed (1/5)"
4:14PM ERR can't connect to cluster error="Get \"http://localhost:8080/version?timeout=15s\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused"
4:14PM ERR ClusterUpdater failed error="conn check failed (2/5)"
4:14PM ERR can't connect to cluster error="Get \"http://localhost:8080/version?timeout=15s\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused"
4:14PM ERR ClusterUpdater failed error="conn check failed (3/5)"
4:14PM ERR can't connect to cluster error="Get \"http://localhost:8080/version?timeout=15s\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused"
4:14PM ERR ClusterUpdater failed error="conn check failed (4/5)"
4:14PM ERR can't connect to cluster error="Get \"http://localhost:8080/version?timeout=15s\": dial tcp [::1]:8080: connect: connection refused"
4:14PM ERR Conn check failed (5/5). Bailing out!
4:14PM WRN Save failed. no active config detected
4:14PM ERR nuking k9s shell pod error="getcontext - invalid context specified: \"\""

[mahdizojaji]

i have this issue too

[bakgaard]

I got around my issue by specifying the context's namespace I had access to in my kube-config. I was not allowed to see all namespaces, but limiting it to a specific solved it.

[mahdizojaji]

I got around my issue by specifying the context's namespace I had access to in my kube-config. I was not allowed to see all namespaces, but limiting it to a specific solved it.

when we have mutiple cluster, we couldnt limit to specific namespace

[tws-rdelatorre]

The issue seems to be at the point where k9s tries to load plugins based on the context when said context is empty. I gave a PR a shot by just ignoring the loading of plugins from the context-based directory if the context comes empty.