kubernetes/kops · error

error creating LaunchTemplateVersion: %v

Error message

error creating LaunchTemplateVersion: %v

What it means

When the launch template already exists, RenderAWS creates a new version via CreateLaunchTemplateVersion instead of a new template. If that API call fails, kOps wraps it as 'error creating LaunchTemplateVersion'. A nil version pointer would also panic here, but the primary trigger is an EC2 API rejection of the new version data.

Source

Thrown at upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awstasks/launchtemplate_target_api.go:179

			TagSpecifications: []ec2types.TagSpecification{
				{
					ResourceType: ec2types.ResourceTypeLaunchTemplate,
					Tags:         tags,
				},
			},
		}
		output, err := c.Cloud.EC2().CreateLaunchTemplate(ctx, input)
		if err != nil || output.LaunchTemplate == nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("error creating LaunchTemplate %q: %v", fi.ValueOf(t.Name), err)
		}
		e.ID = output.LaunchTemplate.LaunchTemplateId
	} else {
		input := &ec2.CreateLaunchTemplateVersionInput{
			LaunchTemplateName: t.Name,
			LaunchTemplateData: data,
		}
		if version, err := c.Cloud.EC2().CreateLaunchTemplateVersion(ctx, input); err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("error creating LaunchTemplateVersion: %v", err)
		} else {
			newDefault := strconv.FormatInt(*version.LaunchTemplateVersion.VersionNumber, 10)
			input := &ec2.ModifyLaunchTemplateInput{
				DefaultVersion:   &newDefault,
				LaunchTemplateId: version.LaunchTemplateVersion.LaunchTemplateId,
			}
			if _, err := c.Cloud.EC2().ModifyLaunchTemplate(ctx, input); err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("error updating launch template version: %w", err)
			}
		}
		if changes.Tags != nil {
			err = c.UpdateTags(fi.ValueOf(a.ID), e.Tags)
			if err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("error updating LaunchTemplate tags: %v", err)
			}
		}
		e.ID = a.ID

View on GitHub (pinned to 4c8573c808)

Solutions

1. Read the wrapped AWS error and fix the offending field (commonly UserData size or device mapping).
2. Retry the apply if the error was throttling (RequestLimitExceeded).
3. Grant ec2:CreateLaunchTemplateVersion in the kops IAM policy.
4. If stuck, delete and recreate the launch template task (kops will create a fresh template).

Example fix

// before: version with 70KB userdata rejected
// after
shrink userdata below 64KB or move payload to an S3-fetched script, then re-run kops update

// ensure template exists and userdata size is valid before apply
aws ec2 describe-launch-templates --launch-template-ids $LT_ID
wc -c userdata.sh  # must be < 65536

if strings.Contains(err, "RequestLimitExceeded") { exponential backoff, re-run kops update } else if strings.Contains(err, "InvalidLaunchTemplate") { fix the rejected field per wrapped message and re-apply }

When it happens

Trigger: RenderAWS on an existing launch template (e.ID set) where CreateLaunchTemplateVersion rejects the LaunchTemplateData - oversized userdata, invalid device mapping/instance type, API throttling, missing IAM permission.

Common situations: Rolling update pushing userdata beyond 64KB; changed instance type not supported in the template's context; EC2 throttling during large cluster updates; IAM policy lacking ec2:CreateLaunchTemplateVersion.

Related errors

• timed out waiting for volume to detach
• error listing AutoScaling LaunchTemplates: %v
• error deleting ec2 LaunchTemplate %q: %v
• error creating LaunchTemplate %q: %v
• error updating launch template version: %w

AI-assisted analysis of kubernetes/kops@4c8573c808 (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5064e8596a44309f. Report an issue: GitHub.