cmctl as kubectl plugin and shell completion

[abiwot]

How to get cmctl shell completion working when used as kubectl plugin

Trying to get the cmctl shell completion to work when installed as the kubectl plugin (kubectl cert-manager TAB). I think I need some clarification around exactly what needs to be done.

Environment:

• kubeadm=v1.31.0
• containerd=1.7.12
• OS=Ubuntu 24.04 (latest patches)
• kubectl=v1.31.0
• kubectl (shell completion)=working
• cert-manager=v1.15.3

kubectl shell completion steps:

1. Run sudo apt install -y bash-completion
2. Run echo "source <(kubectl completion bash)" >> $HOME/.bashrc
3. Run source $HOME/.bashrc

Reproduce:

1. Run OS=$(uname -s | tr A-Z a-z); ARCH=$(uname -m | sed 's/x86_64/amd64/' | sed 's/aarch64/arm64/'); curl -fsSL -o cmctl https://github.com/cert-manager/cmctl/releases/latest/download/cmctl_${OS}_${ARCH}
2. Run chmod +x cmctl
3. Run sudo mv cmctl /usr/local/bin/kubectl-cert_manager
4. Run kubectl cert-manager completion kubectl

OUTPUT:

#!/usr/bin/env sh
kubectl cert-manager __complete "$@"

Attempted:

1. echo "source <(kubectl cert-manager completion kubectl)" >> $HOME/.bashrc
2. kubectl cert-manager completion kubectl | sudo tee /etc/bash_completion.d/kubectl-cert_manager
3. Rebooted host, started new shell, sourced .bashrc = all same error

ERROR:

error: requires at least 1 arg(s), only received 0

[abiwot]

@dosu Step 2 is incorrect. There is no option kubectl cert-manager completion bash when cmctl is used as kubectl plugin. The only option is kubectl.

Even when this is corrected, the original error reported still exist.

[abiwot]

@dosu Step 3 is incorrect. There is no option cmctl completion kubectl The only options when when /usr/local/bin/cmtl is used (not a kubectl plugin) is:

• bash
• fish
• powershell
• zsh

[abiwot]

@dosu You made a good attempt to resolve this but you are referring to a solution that is already flagged as incorrect. It seems you are in a logical loop. You need to raise this issue to your "creator"

[inteon]

Sorry for the bot, it does not work as expected. I removed it and its comments.

[inteon]

The kubectl cert-manager completion kubectl --help command should provide you with the following instructions to setup shell completion:

To load completions:
$ kubectl cert-manager completion kubectl > kubectl_complete-cert_manager
$ sudo install kubectl_complete-cert_manager /usr/local/bin
...

[abiwot]

@inteon Thanks for the clarification. I needed to go one level deeper with the --help command. I figured it was a user error. tx

[abiwot]

Resolution: (see comment above) https://github.com/cert-manager/cmctl/issues/123#issuecomment-2363931312