kubens - fails: No previous namespace found for current context

The dash toggles to the previous namespace, but kubens has not recorded one for this context yet - first switch, or the per-context cache was cleared. Switch namespaces once with kubens [name] (that records the previous one), and kubens - toggles from then on.

The error

No previous namespace found for current context

What to do

1. Switch once to record a previous namespace:

kubens [first]
kubens [second]

Expected: Each prints Active namespace is "[name]"..

1. Toggle:

kubens -

Expected: Prints Active namespace is "[first]"..

1. If it still fails, the cache lives per context under ~/.kube/cache/kubens/ - check it exists and is writable.

Expected: Cache file present after a successful switch.

When this applies

• the exact No previous namespace found for current context message
• first use of kubens - on a context
• after clearing ~/.kube/cache/kubens

When it does NOT apply

• no namespace exists with name (different error)
• the dash toggling to an unexpected namespace (stale cache - switch twice)

Works with

kubens (ahmetb/kubectx)

no previous context found (kubectx -)

The kubectx twin of this error. Same shape: switch once with an explicit name first.

Why it happens

kubens saves the previous namespace per context in a cache file under your home on every switch. No recorded switch for this context means the toggle has nothing to return to.

Edge cases

• Each context tracks its own previous namespace - toggling after a context switch uses that context's history.
• Read-only HOME (containers) breaks the cache; use explicit names there.

Resolved from

gh:nao1215/atago (e2e kubens behavior spec) - https://github.com/nao1215/atago/blob/HEAD/doc/e2e/kubectx.md