kubectx - fails: no previous context found

The dash toggles to the previously used context, but kubectx has not recorded one yet - fresh shell, cleared cache, or you have not switched since starting. Switch contexts once with kubectx [name] (that records the previous one), and kubectx - toggles from then on.

The error

no previous context found

What to do

1. Switch once to record a previous context:

kubectx [first]
kubectx [second]

Expected: Each prints Switched to context "[name]"..

1. Toggle:

kubectx -

Expected: Prints Switched to context "[first]"..

1. If it still fails, check the cache file:

ls ~/.kube/cache/kubectx 2>/dev/null || ls ~/.cache/kubectx

Expected: File exists after a successful switch.

When this applies

• the exact no previous context found message
• first use of kubectx - in a fresh home directory
• after wiping the kubectx cache

When it does NOT apply

• no context exists with the name (different error)
• the dash switching to the wrong context (stale cache - switch twice to refresh)

Works with

kubectx (ahmetb/kubectx)

No previous namespace found for current context (kubens -)

The kubens twin of this error. Same shape: switch namespaces once first.

Why it happens

kubectx stores the previous context in a cache file under your home on every switch. No switches yet means no file, and the toggle has nothing to go back to.

Edge cases

• Containers or CI with a fresh HOME on every run never accumulate a previous context - use explicit names there.
• sudo -s changes HOME, so root's kubectx has a different previous-context file than yours.

Resolved from

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