Minikube: 0.31.0 start throws E1212 19:15:18.580331 25180 start.go:210] Error parsing version semver: Version string empty

[gowrisankar22]

0.31.0 start throws E1212 19:15:18.580331 25180 start.go:210] Error parsing version semver: Version string empty but installation is successful on windows with virtualbox. what is was that error ?

C:UsersssDesktop>minikube-windows-amd64.exe start
Starting local Kubernetes v1.10.0 cluster...
Starting VM...
Downloading Minikube ISO
178.87 MB / 178.87 MB [============================================] 100.00% 0s
Getting VM IP address...
E1212 19:15:18.580331 25180 start.go:210] Error parsing version semver: Version string empty
Moving files into cluster...
Downloading kubelet v1.10.0
Downloading kubeadm v1.10.0
Finished Downloading kubeadm v1.10.0
Finished Downloading kubelet v1.10.0
Setting up certs...
Connecting to cluster...
Setting up kubeconfig...
Stopping extra container runtimes...
Starting cluster components...
Verifying kubelet health ...
Verifying apiserver health ...Kubectl is now configured to use the cluster.
Loading cached images from config file.

Everything looks great. Please enjoy minikube!

Please provide the following details:

Environment:

Minikube version (use minikube version):

• OS (e.g. from /etc/os-release): windows
• VM Driver (e.g. cat ~/.minikube/machines/minikube/config.json | grep DriverName):virtualbox
• ISO version (e.g. cat ~/.minikube/machines/minikube/config.json | grep -i ISO or minikube ssh cat /etc/VERSION):v0.31.0.iso",

[nnt]

I am getting the same error message on Mac with minikube v0.31.0 and hyperkit v0.20180403-17-g3e954c

[alexsomesan]

Getting this on macOS too.

[milindrao]

Same problem. Windows 10 Enterprise. And unlike the OP, my start is hanging trying to download kubelet and kubeadm. No VirtualBox VM is being created (all though a host adapter was created)

c:DevKubernetes>minikube start
Starting local Kubernetes v1.10.0 cluster...
Starting VM...
Getting VM IP address...
E1212 21:58:23.596961 3196 start.go:210] Error parsing version semver: Version string empty
Moving files into cluster...
Downloading kubeadm v1.10.0
Downloading kubelet v1.10.0

Update: I "fixed" the problem by downgrading to Minikube 0.30.0. There seems to be problems with the 0.31.0 version. This may or may not be related - https://github.com/kubernetes/minikube/issues/3437. minikube start failed the first time with errors on VM. So I deleted the VM (which wasn't visible in VirtualBox) using minikube delete.

I still can't see the VM in VirtualBox. But that looks like a VirtualBox issue. I added it manually using C:DevKubernetes.minikubemachinesminikubeminikubeminikube.vbox. But it always shows as Powered Off even when Minikube is started. So no real point in adding it manually.

[liulang203]

Same problem. Windows 10 Enterprise.
λ minikube start --vm-driver hyperv --hyperv-virtual-switch "minikube-switch"
Starting local Kubernetes v1.10.0 cluster...
Starting VM...
Getting VM IP address...
E1213 11:01:32.642099 5040 start.go:210] Error parsing version semver: Version string empty
Moving files into cluster...
Setting up certs...
Connecting to cluster...
Setting up kubeconfig...
Stopping extra container runtimes...
Starting cluster components...

[mFarghaly]

I am getting the same error

minikube start --vm-driver=kvm2 --kubernetes-version=v1.12.0

output

Starting local Kubernetes v1.12.0 cluster...
Starting VM...
Getting VM IP address...
E1213 11:48:35.150827    7795 start.go:210] Error parsing version semver:  Version string empty
Moving files into cluster...
Setting up certs...
Connecting to cluster...
Setting up kubeconfig...
Stopping extra container runtimes...
Starting cluster components...
Verifying kubelet health ...
Verifying apiserver health ...Kubectl is now configured to use the cluster.
Loading cached images from config file.


Everything looks great. Please enjoy minikube!

[Nethminiromina]

Same issue.

Starting local Kubernetes v1.10.0 cluster...
Starting VM...
Getting VM IP address...
E1213 15:58:51.195217    4215 start.go:210] Error parsing version semver:  Version string empty
Moving files into cluster...
Setting up certs...
Connecting to cluster...
Setting up kubeconfig...
Stopping extra container runtimes...
Machine exists, restarting cluster components...
Verifying kubelet health ...
Verifying apiserver health ....Kubectl is now configured to use the cluster.
Loading cached images from config file.


Everything looks great. Please enjoy minikube!

But minikube is running correctly

$ sudo minikube status

host: Running
kubelet: Running
apiserver: Running
kubectl: Correctly Configured: pointing to minikube-vm at 192.168.99.100

[balopat]

This seems to be a red herring - not sure exactly yet how this situation turns up but I just had it on my machine too. I checked cat ~/.minikube/profiles/minikube/config.json, the kubernetes version field is empty string. But after logging the error minikube falls back to the default kubernetes version and everything is fine and actually saves the correct json. We should look at this, but it shouldn't cause any functional issues.

[balopat]

Got it - https://github.com/kubernetes/minikube/commit/ed8f7124a03bae34103ca9d082fdcb86c4bccd08#diff-ed78cd81495af3964aba5fbc898c33a2R164 @priyawadhwa can you have a look at this, please?

[alexsomesan]

@balopat this happens to me consistently on macOS with minikube v0.31.0 when trying to boot up a v1.13.0 K8S cluster.
I do have the version correctly filled in config.json and I did check for funny characters and whitespace directly around it - there is none.

[priyawadhwa]

@alexsomesan minikube was overwriting the config file on "minikube start" which caused this error to log, #3450 should fix it once merged

[alexsomesan]

Thanks, that makes my day sunnier. I'll watch #3450 then.