Running `minikube delete` breaks `minikube start`

[Connor Doyle]

Deleting a running cluster seemed to break minikube.

[~]$ minikube start --show-libmachine-logs=true --stderrthreshold=0
Starting local Kubernetes cluster...
I0707 11:41:38.472798   13936 cluster.go:60] Machine exists!
I0707 11:41:38.730192   13936 cluster.go:60] Machine exists!
I0707 11:41:38.784298   13936 cluster.go:60] Machine exists!
E0707 11:41:38.849506   13936 start.go:70] Error starting host:  Error getting state for host: machine does not exist

Removing the local state (~/.minikube/) fixed the issue in my local environment (OS X + Virtualbox).

[water.dai]

hi~
please help me.
I have the same problem with yours.
But I am using minikube on centos.

How should I fix the bug :Error starting host: Error getting state for host: machine does not exist

[dlorenc]

Hey, until we track down and fix the issue you can just run:
minikube delete
rm -rf ~/.minikube

Then start

[water.dai]

thx.
really thx.
it works

[David Aronchick]

Just FYI - you can get this error message (putting here for SEO purposes):

$ minikube start
Starting local Kubernetes cluster...
E0718 17:25:04.560919   15539 start.go:74] Error starting host:  Error getting state for host: machine does not exist

[Aaron Prindle]

I believe we have fixed this now. Please reopen if this issue persists.

[Ian Mortimer]

I'm still getting this issue in 0.9.0.

[Zach Taylor]

Got this on v0.14 on a osx/xhyve.

[Justin Israel]

Same issue on OSX Sierra + virtualbox. It seems I always have to delete the ~/.minikube directory after stopping minikube. It will then redownload the latest iso and start again

[Bryan Thornbury]

Hitting this in OSX 10.12.6, minikube version v0.22.3, installed via homebrew cask, with virtualbox 5.1.12r112440

minikube delete causes machine doesn't exist errors on subsequent minikube start calls.

rm -rf ~/.minikube solves the problem

[Peter Fiddes]

in my case, using vm-driver xyhyve - had to sudo rm -rf ~/.minikube as some files root owned.
Installed from cask, minikube version - 0.23.0.

[Manikanta Gade]

Issue there with 0.24.1 too. Ideally it would be better if minikube creates new VM from already cached ISO files when running minikube start after minikube delete.

minikube: 0.24.1
Kubernetes: 1.8
Win 10 Pro x64
Virtualbox 5.1.30

[ḕℏỈẍȓ]

i have the same problem when reinstall minikube on my mac.
resolve it by rm -rf ~/.minikube

[John Tuttle]

I just had this problem with minikube 0.26.1. Looking at the verbose output, it hangs on:

Successfully loaded all cached images

@aaron-prindle Might be worth re-opening this one.

[Joel Huang]

It turned out the culprit was the Security & Privacy setting in macOS prevented VirtualBox from installed properly. This worked for me:

1. remove existing virtualbox by trash it && delete all virtualbox related files/folder under ~/Library/
2. reinstall it with latest version (if macOS is used, make sure check allow button in the Security & Privacy.
3. minikube delete
4. rm -rf ~/.minikube
5. minikube start --> it should download

Good luck!

[The_Data_Guy]

pls what is the equivalence of rm -rf ~/.minikube on windows