kubernetes/kops · error

error renaming temp file %q -> %q: %w

Error message

error renaming temp file %q -> %q: %w

What it means

Thrown by writeFileContents when the atomic final step — renaming the completed temp file over the destination path — fails. Typical causes: destination is a directory, cross-device link errors if temp and destination ended up on different mounts, permission issues on the destination, or the destination file is busy/immutable.

Source

Thrown at upup/pkg/fi/files.go:101

			}
		}
	}()

	if _, err := io.Copy(tempFile, in); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("error writing file %q: %v", tempFile.Name(), err)
	}

	if err := tempFile.Chmod(fileMode); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("error setting mode on temp file %q: %w", tempFile.Name(), err)
	}

	if err := tempFile.Close(); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("error closing temp file %q: %w", tempFile.Name(), err)
	}
	closeTempFile = false

	if err := os.Rename(tempFile.Name(), destPath); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("error renaming temp file %q -> %q: %w", tempFile.Name(), destPath, err)
	}
	deleteTempFile = false

	return nil
}

func EnsureFileMode(destPath string, fileMode os.FileMode) (bool, error) {
	changed := false
	stat, err := os.Lstat(destPath)
	if err != nil {
		return changed, fmt.Errorf("error getting file mode for %q: %v", destPath, err)
	}
	if (stat.Mode() & os.ModePerm) == fileMode {
		return changed, nil
	}
	klog.Infof("Changing file mode for %q to %s", destPath, fileMode)

	err = os.Chmod(destPath, fileMode)

View on GitHub (pinned to 4c8573c808)

Solutions

1. Check permissions and ownership on the existing destination path
2. Ensure the temp file (created in the destination directory) and destination are on the same filesystem
3. Remove a stale directory occupying the destination path
4. Verify the file isn't held with immutable attributes or locks preventing replace

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at upup/pkg/fi/files.go:101 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of kubernetes/kops@4c8573c808 (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/a065d521281f3209. Report an issue: GitHub.