ahmetb/kubectx · error

print error

Error message

print error: %w

What it means

printer.Success failed to write the 'Switched to context' confirmation to stderr. The switch itself already succeeded and was saved; only the user-facing output write failed, typically because stderr is closed or the underlying writer errored.

Solutions

1. Check that stderr is not closed or redirected to an unwritable target
2. If scripting, ensure the stderr pipe (e.g. kubectx | fzf style pipelines) stays open for the duration
3. The context switch did apply — verify with kubectl config current-context

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cmd/kubectx/switch.go:46 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/5304b49a65625f6b. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at cmd/kubectx/switch.go:46

	Target string // '-' for back and forth, or NAME
}

func (op SwitchOp) Run(_, stderr io.Writer) error {
	if err := checkIsolatedMode(); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	var newCtx string
	var err error
	if op.Target == "-" {
		newCtx, err = swapContext()
	} else {
		newCtx, err = switchContext(op.Target)
	}
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to switch context: %w", err)
	}
	if err = printer.Success(stderr, "Switched to context \"%s\".", printer.SuccessColor.Sprint(newCtx)); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("print error: %w", err)
	}
	return nil
}

// switchContext switches to specified context name.
func switchContext(name string) (string, error) {
	prevCtxFile, err := kubectxPrevCtxFile()
	if err != nil {
		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to determine state file: %w", err)
	}

	kc := new(kubeconfig.Kubeconfig).WithLoader(kubeconfig.DefaultLoader)
	defer kc.Close()
	if err := kc.Parse(); err != nil {
		return "", fmt.Errorf("kubeconfig error: %w", err)
	}

	prev, err := kc.GetCurrentContext()

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