fix: send CLI errors to stderr instead of stdout

cmd/auth/login/login.go

@@ -163,10 +163,8 @@ func LoginCmd() *cobra.Command {
 
 			return nil
 		},
-		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if err := loginMain(cmd, &opts); err != nil {
-				os.Exit(1)
-			}
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return loginMain(cmd, &opts)
 		},
 	}
 

cmd/auth/logout/logout.go

@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package logout
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"os"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/huh"
@@ -18,10 +17,8 @@ func LogoutCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "logout",
 		Short: "Logout from Pangolin",
 		Long:  "Logout and clear your session",
-		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if err := logoutMain(cmd); err != nil {
-				os.Exit(1)
-			}
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return logoutMain(cmd)
 		},
 	}
 

cmd/auth/status/status.go

@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package status
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/fosrl/cli/internal/api"
@@ -17,10 +16,8 @@ func StatusCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "status",
 		Short: "Check authentication status",
 		Long:  "Check if you are logged in and view your account information",
-		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if err := statusMain(cmd); err != nil {
-				os.Exit(1)
-			}
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return statusMain(cmd)
 		},
 	}
 

cmd/authdaemon/authdaemon.go

@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"os/signal"
 	"syscall"
 
-	"github.com/fosrl/cli/internal/logger"
 	authdaemonpkg "github.com/fosrl/newt/authdaemon"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
@@ -51,8 +50,8 @@ func AuthDaemonCmd() *cobra.Command {
 			}
 			return nil
 		},
-		Run: func(c *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			runAuthDaemon(opts)
+		RunE: func(c *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return runAuthDaemon(opts)
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -84,12 +83,12 @@ func PrincipalsCmd() *cobra.Command {
 			}
 			return nil
 		},
-		Run: func(c *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		RunE: func(c *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			path := opts.PrincipalsFile
 			if path == "" {
 				path = defaultPrincipalsPath
 			}
-			runPrincipals(path, opts.Username)
+			return runPrincipals(path, opts.Username)
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -100,19 +99,19 @@ func PrincipalsCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	return cmd
 }
 
-func runPrincipals(principalsPath, username string) {
+func runPrincipals(principalsPath, username string) error {
 	list, err := authdaemonpkg.GetPrincipals(principalsPath, username)
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.Error("%v", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		return err
 	}
 	if len(list) == 0 {
 		fmt.Println("")
-		return
+		return nil
 	}
 	for _, principal := range list {
 		fmt.Println(principal)
 	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func runAuthDaemon(opts struct {
@@ -121,7 +120,7 @@ func runAuthDaemon(opts struct {
 	PrincipalsFile         string
 	CACertPath             string
 	GenerateRandomPassword bool
-}) {
+}) error {
 	cfg := authdaemonpkg.Config{
 		Port:                   opts.Port,
 		PresharedKey:           opts.PreSharedKey,
@@ -133,15 +132,11 @@ func runAuthDaemon(opts struct {
 
 	srv, err := authdaemonpkg.NewServer(cfg)
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.Error("%v", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		return err
 	}
 
 	ctx, stop := signal.NotifyContext(context.Background(), os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGTERM)
 	defer stop()
 
-	if err := srv.Run(ctx); err != nil {
-		logger.Error("%v", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
+	return srv.Run(ctx)
 }

cmd/down/client/client.go

@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package client
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"os"
 
 	"github.com/fosrl/cli/internal/config"
 	"github.com/fosrl/cli/internal/logger"
@@ -16,10 +15,8 @@ func ClientDownCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "client",
 		Short: "Stop the client connection",
 		Long:  "Stop the currently running client connection",
-		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if err := clientDownMain(cmd); err != nil {
-				os.Exit(1)
-			}
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return clientDownMain(cmd)
 		},
 	}
 

cmd/logs/client/client.go

@@ -26,10 +26,8 @@ func ClientLogsCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "client",
 		Short: "View client logs",
 		Long:  "View client logs. Use -f to follow log output.",
-		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if err := clientLogsMain(cmd, &opts); err != nil {
-				os.Exit(1)
-			}
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return clientLogsMain(cmd, &opts)
 		},
 	}
 

cmd/root.go

@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/fosrl/cli/cmd/auth/logout"
 	"github.com/fosrl/cli/cmd/authdaemon"
 	"github.com/fosrl/cli/cmd/down"
-	"github.com/fosrl/cli/cmd/list"
 	"github.com/fosrl/cli/cmd/logs"
 	selectcmd "github.com/fosrl/cli/cmd/select"
 	"github.com/fosrl/cli/cmd/ssh"
@@ -50,7 +49,6 @@ func RootCommand(initResources bool) (*cobra.Command, error) {
 	}
 	cmd.AddCommand(apply.ApplyCommand())
 	cmd.AddCommand(selectcmd.SelectCmd())
-	cmd.AddCommand(list.ListCmd())
 
 	// Platform-specific commands - nil on unsupported platforms
 	if upCmd := up.UpCmd(); upCmd != nil {
@@ -117,16 +115,15 @@ func RootCommand(initResources bool) (*cobra.Command, error) {
 }
 
 func mainCommandPreRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	cfg := config.ConfigFromContext(cmd.Context())
-
-	// Skip init/update check for version and update commands
-	// Check both the command name and if it's one of these specific commands
-	cmdName := cmd.Name()
-	if cmdName == "version" || cmdName == "update" {
+	if shouldSkipRuntimeInit(cmd) {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	ensureRuntimeDirs(cfg)
+	cfg := config.ConfigFromContext(cmd.Context())
+
+	if err := ensureRuntimeDirs(cfg); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	// Check for updates asynchronously
 	if !cfg.DisableUpdateCheck {
@@ -140,34 +137,44 @@ func mainCommandPreRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// Make sure all required directories exist once
-// before executing any subcommands.
-func ensureRuntimeDirs(cfg *config.Config) {
+// shouldSkipRuntimeInit returns true for commands that must not touch runtime
+// directories or emit diagnostics to stdout (for example shell completion).
+func shouldSkipRuntimeInit(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
+	for c := cmd; c != nil; c = c.Parent() {
+		switch c.Name() {
+		case "completion", "version", "update":
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// Make sure all required directories exist once before executing subcommands.
+func ensureRuntimeDirs(cfg *config.Config) error {
 	configDir, err := config.GetPangolinConfigDir()
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.Warning("failed to create pangolin configuration directory: %v", err)
-	} else {
-		err = os.MkdirAll(configDir, 0o755)
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.Warning("failed to create %s: %v", configDir, err)
-		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create pangolin configuration directory: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(configDir, 0o755); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create %s: %w", configDir, err)
 	}
 
 	if cfg.LogFile != "" {
 		logPathDirname := filepath.Dir(cfg.LogFile)
-
-		err = os.MkdirAll(logPathDirname, 0o755)
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.Warning("failed to create %s: %v", logPathDirname, err)
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(logPathDirname, 0o755); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to create %s: %w", logPathDirname, err)
 		}
 	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 // Execute is called by main.go
 func Execute() {
 	cmd, err := RootCommand(true)
 	if err != nil {
-		logger.Error("%v", err)
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 

cmd/select/account/account.go

@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package account
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/huh"
@@ -27,10 +26,8 @@ func AccountCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "account",
 		Short: "Select an account",
 		Long:  "List your logged-in accounts and select active one",
-		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if err := accountMain(cmd, &opts); err != nil {
-				os.Exit(1)
-			}
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return accountMain(cmd, &opts)
 		},
 	}
 

cmd/select/org/org.go

@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package org
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 
 	"github.com/fosrl/cli/internal/api"
 	"github.com/fosrl/cli/internal/config"
@@ -24,10 +23,8 @@ func OrgCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "org",
 		Short: "Select an organization",
 		Long:  "List your organizations and select one to use",
-		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if err := orgMain(cmd, &opts); err != nil {
-				os.Exit(1)
-			}
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return orgMain(cmd, &opts)
 		},
 	}