Kubectl: [v1.18.0] kubectl's version cannot be retrieved WITHOUT a kube config or additional params

Created on 4 Apr 2020 · 12Comments · Source: kubernetes/kubectl

It should be possible to check the kubectl version WITHOUT having a valid or any kubeconfig file.

However, now it just throws an error and does NOT display the version in use (v1.18):

 # kubectl version
W0404 15:19:07.071657   17635 loader.go:223] Config not found: /root/.kube/config
error: Missing or incomplete configuration info.  Please point to an existing, complete config file:

  1. Via the command-line flag --kubeconfig
  2. Via the KUBECONFIG environment variable
  3. In your home directory as ~/.kube/config

To view or setup config directly use the 'config' command.

arekubectl kinbug sicli

Source

Xtigyro

Most helpful comment

if you use --client=true it will work:

kubectl version --client=true

Client Version: version.Info{Major:"1", Minor:"18", GitVersion:"v1.18.0", GitCommit:"9e991415386e4cf155a24b1da15becaa390438d8", GitTreeState:"clean", BuildDate:"2020-03-25T14:58:59Z", GoVersion:"go1.13.8", Compiler:"gc", Platform:"linux/amd64"}

I agree that it would be nice to print the client version though even if there is no config file.

brianpursley on 5 Apr 2020

👍8 👀2

All 12 comments

if you use --client=true it will work:

kubectl version --client=true

Client Version: version.Info{Major:"1", Minor:"18", GitVersion:"v1.18.0", GitCommit:"9e991415386e4cf155a24b1da15becaa390438d8", GitTreeState:"clean", BuildDate:"2020-03-25T14:58:59Z", GoVersion:"go1.13.8", Compiler:"gc", Platform:"linux/amd64"}

I agree that it would be nice to print the client version though even if there is no config file.

brianpursley on 5 Apr 2020

👍8 👀2

when you just use version without any options it should fetch client and server version and fetching server version without kubeconfig file would not be possible, so i think this is expected behaviour

-srini

bseenu on 5 Apr 2020

👎2

I think a local tool should be able to print its version without any external dependencies or extra parameters.

If it does not have a kubeconfig, it should print the client version and throw the same error after that.

If you specify --client=true, it should still print just the client version - the same goes for --server=true.

Xtigyro on 6 Apr 2020

It actually should not act like this... My PR will fix this:https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/89913

zhouya0 on 7 Apr 2020

👍3 🎉2

~~even after https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/89913, this is still not working as it did in 1.17~~

edit: might be my local build... verifying...

liggitt on 17 Apr 2020

will be fixed in 1.18 by https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/90244

/assign @soltysh

liggitt on 17 Apr 2020

/kind bug

brianpursley on 29 Apr 2020

/sig cli
/area kubectl

seans3 on 27 May 2020

Seems to be fixed now.

Xtigyro on 27 May 2020

/close

seans3 on 27 May 2020

@seans3: Closing this issue.

In response to this:

/close

Instructions for interacting with me using PR comments are available here. If you have questions or suggestions related to my behavior, please file an issue against the kubernetes/test-infra repository.