ahmetb/kubectx · error

kubeconfig error: %w

Error message

kubeconfig error: %w

What it means

Wrapper error in RenameOp.Run: kc.Parse() failed to load/decode the kubeconfig before the rename could begin. The underlying cause (missing/invalid file, bad YAML) is wrapped with %w; the rename aborts.

Source

Thrown at cmd/kubectx/rename.go:52

func parseRenameSyntax(v string) (string, string, bool) {
	new, old, ok := strings.Cut(v, "=")
	if !ok || new == "" || old == "" {
		return "", "", false
	}
	return new, old, true
}

// rename changes the old (NAME or '.' for current-context)
// to the "new" value. If the old refers to the current-context,
// current-context preference is also updated.
func (op RenameOp) Run(_, stderr io.Writer) error {
	if err := checkIsolatedMode(); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	kc := new(kubeconfig.Kubeconfig).WithLoader(kubeconfig.DefaultLoader)
	defer kc.Close()
	if err := kc.Parse(); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("kubeconfig error: %w", err)
	}

	cur, err := kc.GetCurrentContext()
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get current context: %w", err)
	}
	if op.Old == "." {
		op.Old = cur
	}

	oldExists, err := kc.ContextExists(op.Old)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check context: %w", err)
	}
	if !oldExists {
		return fmt.Errorf("context \"%s\" not found, can't rename it", op.Old)
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to 12ad6fb22e)

Solutions

1. Fix the kubeconfig per the wrapped cause (validate with `kubectl config view`)
2. Check KUBECONFIG env var and file permissions

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cmd/kubectx/rename.go:52 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of ahmetb/kubectx@12ad6fb22e (2026-09-02). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1b1c01f5d7f6b3d8. Report an issue: GitHub.