kubernetes/kops · error

error starting sftp (executing 'sudo /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-s

Error message

error starting sftp (executing 'sudo /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-server'): %w

What it means

Returned by SSHPath.newClient when sftp.NewClientPipe over the launched sftp-server process fails — the subprocess started but the SFTP protocol handshake over stdin/stdout did not complete. Typically the remote sftp-server exited immediately (bad binary, sudo failure surfaced late) or the stream became unusable.

Source

Thrown at util/pkg/vfs/sshfs.go:86

	}

	stdin, err := s.StdinPipe()
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating sftp client (at stdin pipe): %w", err)
	}
	stdout, err := s.StdoutPipe()
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating sftp client (at stdout pipe): %w", err)
	}

	err = s.Start("sudo /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-server")
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating sftp client (executing 'sudo /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-server'): %w", err)
	}

	c, err := sftp.NewClientPipe(stdout, stdin)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error starting sftp (executing 'sudo /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-server'): %w", err)
	}
	return c, nil
}

func (p *SSHPath) Path() string {
	return "ssh://" + p.server + p.path
}

func (p *SSHPath) String() string {
	return p.Path()
}

func (p *SSHPath) Remove(ctx context.Context) error {
	sftpClient, err := p.newClient(ctx)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	defer sftpClient.Close()

View on GitHub (pinned to 4c8573c808)

Solutions

1. Inspect the wrapped error for EOF, which indicates the remote sftp-server died — verify the binary and sudo setup on the host
2. Retry after re-establishing the SSH connection; transient protocol handshakes failures occur on loaded links

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at util/pkg/vfs/sshfs.go:86 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/d1a342faeba7c4cf. Report an issue: GitHub.