{"record":{"id":"e072f5196ab4fea5","repo":"kubernetes/kops","slug":"error-populating-configuration-v","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"error populating configuration: %v","messagePattern":"error populating configuration: (.+?)","errorType":"exception","errorClass":null,"httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"cmd/kops/create.go","lineNumber":143,"sourceCode":"\t\tsections := text.SplitContentToSections(contents)\n\t\tfor _, section := range sections {\n\t\t\to, gvk, err := kopscodecs.Decode(section, nil)\n\t\t\tif err != nil {\n\t\t\t\treturn fmt.Errorf(\"error parsing file %q: %v\", f, err)\n\t\t\t}\n\n\t\t\tswitch v := o.(type) {\n\t\t\tcase *kopsapi.Cluster:\n\t\t\t\tcloud, err := cloudup.BuildCloud(v)\n\t\t\t\tif err != nil {\n\t\t\t\t\treturn err\n\t\t\t\t}\n\n\t\t\t\t// Adding a PerformAssignments() call here as the user might be trying to use\n\t\t\t\t// the new `-f` feature, with an old cluster definition.\n\t\t\t\terr = cloudup.PerformAssignments(v, vfsContext, cloud)\n\t\t\t\tif err != nil {\n\t\t\t\t\treturn fmt.Errorf(\"error populating configuration: %v\", err)\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t_, err = clientset.CreateCluster(ctx, v)\n\t\t\t\tif err != nil {\n\t\t\t\t\tif apierrors.IsAlreadyExists(err) {\n\t\t\t\t\t\treturn fmt.Errorf(\"cluster %q already exists\", v.ObjectMeta.Name)\n\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\treturn fmt.Errorf(\"error creating cluster: %v\", err)\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\tfmt.Fprintf(&sb, \"Created cluster/%s\\n\", v.ObjectMeta.Name)\n\t\t\t\tclusters = append(clusters, v)\n\t\t\t\t// cSpec = true\n\n\t\t\tcase *kopsapi.InstanceGroup:\n\t\t\t\tclusterName = v.ObjectMeta.Labels[kopsapi.LabelClusterName]\n\t\t\t\tif clusterName == \"\" {\n\t\t\t\t\treturn fmt.Errorf(\"must specify %q label with cluster name to create instanceGroup\", kopsapi.LabelClusterName)\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\tcluster, err := clientset.GetCluster(ctx, clusterName)","sourceCodeStart":125,"sourceCodeEnd":161,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/kubernetes/kops/blob/4c8573c808a73d578c5eadc86d410646ea0b0d73/cmd/kops/create.go#L125-L161","documentation":"For Cluster objects, RunCreate calls cloudup.PerformAssignments to fill in defaults requiring cloud queries (subnets, network CIDR assignment). Failures from cloud API access or invalid networking config are wrapped as \"error populating configuration: %v\".","triggerScenarios":"`kops create -f cluster.yaml` where PerformAssignments cannot query the cloud (missing credentials, region issues) or cannot allocate/validate subnets and CIDRs from the spec.","commonSituations":"Missing or expired cloud credentials (AWS_/GCE_ env vars, cloud config); specifying subnets/CIDRs that conflict or are unassignable; new-style cluster definitions used with old tooling without cloud access.","solutions":["Export valid cloud provider credentials and retry","Ensure the cloud/region in the spec is reachable and the account has permission to describe VPCs/networks","Explicitly set networkCIDR and subnet CIDRs in the manifest so assignment logic has less to compute","Check the wrapped inner error for the exact failing field (e.g. duplicate CIDR) and correct the cluster spec"],"exampleFix":"// before (cluster.yaml)\nnetworkCIDR: \"\"\n// after\nnetworkCIDR: 10.0.0.0/16","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"// pre-flight cloud access check\ncloud, err := cloudup.BuildCloud(cluster)\nif err != nil {\n    return fmt.Errorf(\"cloud unreachable: %v\", err)\n}\nif err := cloud.VPC(\"vpc-id\"); err != nil {\n    return fmt.Errorf(\"cannot describe VPC: %v\", err)\n}","typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":"if err := PerformAssignments(ctx); err != nil {\n    if isCredentialError(err) {\n        log.Printf(\"fix cloud credentials (aws sts get-caller-identity) and retry\")\n    }\n    return fmt.Errorf(\"error populating configuration: %v\", err)\n}","preventionTips":["Run `aws sts get-caller-identity` (or provider equivalent) before kops create","Specify explicit networkCIDR and subnet CIDRs to minimize cloud-dependent assignment","Ensure the account/region in the spec matches available credentials","Keep kops CLI version compatible with the manifest's feature set"],"tags":["cli","cloud","configuration","aws"],"backgroundTag":"missing-cloud-credentials","analyzedSha":"4c8573c808a73d578c5eadc86d410646ea0b0d73","analyzedAt":"2026-09-05T04:13:19.212Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-09-05T04:13:19.212Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-12T07:17:12.445Z"}