kubernetes/kops · error

unexpected target type for deletion: %T

Error message

unexpected target type for deletion: %T

What it means

deleteLaunchTemplate.Delete asserts the passed target is an *awsup.AWSAPITarget before issuing the DeleteLaunchTemplate call. This error means the target was some other CloudupTarget implementation, an internal type-safety failure rather than an AWS-side problem. It indicates the task is being run against an unexpected target, so deletion is refused before touching AWS.

Source

Thrown at upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/awstasks/launchtemplate_target_api.go:435

}

var _ fi.CloudupDeletion = (*deleteLaunchTemplate)(nil)

// TaskName returns the task name
func (d *deleteLaunchTemplate) TaskName() string {
	return "LaunchTemplate"
}

// Item returns the launch template name
func (d *deleteLaunchTemplate) Item() string {
	return fi.ValueOf(d.lc.LaunchTemplateName)
}

func (d *deleteLaunchTemplate) Delete(t fi.CloudupTarget) error {
	ctx := context.TODO()
	awsTarget, ok := t.(*awsup.AWSAPITarget)
	if !ok {
		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected target type for deletion: %T", t)
	}

	if _, err := awsTarget.Cloud.EC2().DeleteLaunchTemplate(ctx, &ec2.DeleteLaunchTemplateInput{
		LaunchTemplateName: d.lc.LaunchTemplateName,
	}); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("error deleting LaunchTemplate %s: error: %s", d.Item(), err)
	}

	return nil
}

// String returns a string representation of the task
func (d *deleteLaunchTemplate) String() string {
	return d.TaskName() + "-" + d.Item()
}

func (d *deleteLaunchTemplate) DeferDeletion() bool {
	return false // TODO: Should we defer deletion?

View on GitHub (pinned to 4c8573c808)

Solutions

1. Ensure the launch template deletion is run via `kops update cluster` against an AWS cluster so an AWSAPITarget is used
2. Check custom code/tests constructing the target — pass awsup.NewAWSAPITarget(cloud)
3. Inspect recent modifications to the target plumbing if this appears after a kOps upgrade
4. File a kOps bug if triggered by stock kOps on an AWS cluster

Example fix

// before (test)
deleteTask.Delete(myTerraformTarget)
// after
target := awsup.NewAWSAPITarget(cloud)
deleteTask.Delete(target)

awsTarget, ok := t.(*awsup.AWSAPITarget)
if !ok {
  return fmt.Errorf("unexpected target type for deletion: %T", t)
}

if err := deleteTask.Delete(target); err != nil {
  if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "unexpected target type") {
    return fmt.Errorf("launch template deletion requires an AWS API target, got %T", target)
  }
  return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: The fi.CloudupTarget passed to Delete is not *awsup.AWSAPITarget — e.g. running under a different cloud target (terraform/baremetal-style target) or a test/mock target injected into the apply loop for this AWS task.

Common situations: Custom code or tests invoking task Delete with a mock target; plugin/patch code routing awstasks through a non-AWS target; internal kOps bug after target refactor.

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 creating LaunchTemplateVersion: %v

AI-assisted analysis of kubernetes/kops@4c8573c808 (2026-09-05). Data as JSON: /api/errors/444c80774e64d0e7. Report an issue: GitHub.