KUBE_EDITOR path with spaces on Windows doesn't work

[theNailz]

What happened:
I'm trying to configure kubectl to edit files using Sublime Text 3. My Sublime Text is installed in the default location (C:\Program files\Sublime Text 3\sublime_text.exe), which contains spaces.
I cannot seem to find the correct syntax for defining the KUBE_EDITOR environment variable, which works with this path.

Error produced:

PS C:\dev> $Env:KUBE_EDITOR="C:\Program Files\Sublime Text 3\sublime_text.exe" ; kubectl edit svc myservice
'C:\Program' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
error: there was a problem with the editor "cmd /C C:\\Program Files\\Sublime Text 3\\sublime_text.exe"

What you expected to happen:
kubectl edit <resource> starts Sublime Text with the given resource yaml, either in CMD or PowerShell.

How to reproduce it (as minimally and precisely as possible):

# Powershell!
# Define the environment variable through system settings and run `kubetl edit <resource>`, or use this one-liner in Powershell:
# See also: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_environment_variables?view=powershell-7.3#using-the-variable-syntax
$Env:KUBE_EDITOR="C:\Program Files\Sublime Text 3\sublime_text.exe" ; kubectl edit svc myservice

# CMD
# Define the environment variable through system settings and run `kubetl edit <resource>`, or use this syntax in CMD:
# See also: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/set_1
set KUBE_CONFIG="C:\Program Files\Sublime Text 3\sublime_text.exe"
kubectl edit svc myservice

Anything else we need to know?:

I've tried the following values, none of these work:

• C:\Program Files\Sublime Text 3\sublime_text.exe (This is the correct path.)
• "C:\Program Files\Sublime Text 3\sublime_text.exe"
• 'C:\Program Files\Sublime Text 3\sublime_text.exe'
• C:\\Program Files\\Sublime Text 3\\sublime_text.exe
• file://C:/Program%20Files/Sublime%20Text%203/sublime_text.exe
• C:\Program^ Files\Sublime^ Text^ 3\sublime_text.exe
• C:\Program` Files\Sublime` Text` 3\sublime_text.exe

I have tried all variantions in both CMD and PowerShell.

Environment:

• Kubernetes client and server versions (use kubectl version):

PS C:\dev> kubectl version --output=yaml
clientVersion:
  buildDate: "2023-04-14T13:21:19Z"
  compiler: gc
  gitCommit: 4c9411232e10168d7b050c49a1b59f6df9d7ea4b
  gitTreeState: clean
  gitVersion: v1.27.1
  goVersion: go1.20.3
  major: "1"
  minor: "27"
  platform: windows/amd64
kustomizeVersion: v5.0.1
serverVersion:
  buildDate: "2023-04-20T00:33:18Z"
  compiler: gc
  gitCommit: 8d0255af07e95b841952563253d27b0d10bd72f0
  gitTreeState: clean
  gitVersion: v1.26.4+k3s1
  goVersion: go1.19.8
  major: "1"
  minor: "26"
  platform: linux/amd64

• Cloud provider or hardware configuration: n/a
• OS (e.g: cat /etc/os-release):

OS Name:                   Microsoft Windows 11 Pro
OS Version:                10.0.22621 N/A Build 22621
PowerShell                 6.2.1

[k8s-ci-robot]

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[dims]

i see a few more escape mechanisms in here:
https://www.howtogeek.com/694949/how-to-escape-spaces-in-file-paths-on-the-windows-command-line/

[theNailz]

@dims I have added two more variants to the list, with backticks and carets; neither works.

I have tried all variants in both CMD and PowerShell.

[dims]

/transfer kubernetes

[iyear]

https://www.sublimetext.com/docs/command_line.html#windows this may be helpful but have not been tested.

[oldium]

Fixed in #112104 (not yet merged). Just keep in mind that double-quotes need to be preserved when setting the KUBE_EDITOR from PowerShell - PowerShell removes them (unlike cmd.exe), so those two lines are equivalent:

set KUBE_EDITOR="C:\Program Files\Sublime Text 3\sublime_text.exe"

$Env:KUBE_EDITOR="`"C:\Program Files\Sublime Text 3\sublime_text.exe`""
# or
$Env:KUBE_EDITOR='"C:\Program Files\Sublime Text 3\sublime_text.exe"'

And with the fix from #112104 it will be possible to pass additional arguments like this (example for Notepad++):

set KUBE_EDITOR="C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe" -multiInst -notabbar -nosession

or

$Env:KUBE_EDITOR="`"C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe`" -multiInst -notabbar -nosession"
# or
$Env:KUBE_EDITOR='"C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe" -multiInst -notabbar -nosession'

[pacoxu]

/sig cli windows

/close
per comments above, feel free to reopen if it still exists.
I edited, and I mis-read the message. Sorry

This may be dup with #72734 closed).

[k8s-ci-robot]

@pacoxu: Closing this issue.

In response to this:

/sig cli windows

/close
per comments above, feel free to reopen if it still exists.

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.

[pacoxu]

/reopen

[k8s-ci-robot]

@pacoxu: Reopened this issue.

In response to this:

/reopen

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.

[theNailz]

@iyear Thanks! This way I was able to find a workaround:

1. Add the Sublime Text directory to your PATH
2. Set KUBE_EDITOR to sublime_text.exe -w (without the full path)

This does not fix the original issue, but does provide Windows users with a better editor, even when there are spaces in the path to the executable.

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[oldium]

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