cmd: handle --version before metadata initialization

Print the version and exit before any cloud or metadata setup so that
invoking '--version' doesn't attempt IMDS or in-cluster Kubernetes API
calls. Previously those initialization attempts could time out or fail
in CI, local, or isolated build environments and cause '--version' to
return a non-zero status.

Normal startup behavior is unchanged when '--version' is not used.

Signed-off-by: Debasish Biswas <[email protected]>

Author: debasishbsws

cmd/main.go

@@ -93,6 +93,21 @@ func main() {
 		klog.ErrorS(err, "failed to validate and apply logging configuration")
 	}
 
+	// If only the --version flag was requested, print version and exit before
+	// performing any initialization that may require contacting external
+	// services (IMDS/Kubernetes API). This allows `--version` to work in
+	// environments without metadata available (e.g., local/lab machines).
+	if *version {
+		versionInfo, versionErr := driver.GetVersionJSON()
+		if versionErr != nil {
+			klog.ErrorS(err, "failed to get version")
+			klog.FlushAndExit(klog.ExitFlushTimeout, 1)
+		}
+		//nolint:forbidigo // Print version info without klog/timestamp
+		fmt.Println(versionInfo)
+		os.Exit(0)
+	}
+
 	var cloud cloudPkg.Cloud
 	var k8sClient kubernetes.Interface
 	var md metadata.MetadataService
@@ -160,17 +175,6 @@ func main() {
 		klog.FlushAndExit(klog.ExitFlushTimeout, 0)
 	}
 
-	if *version {
-		versionInfo, versionErr := driver.GetVersionJSON()
-		if versionErr != nil {
-			klog.ErrorS(err, "failed to get version")
-			klog.FlushAndExit(klog.ExitFlushTimeout, 1)
-		}
-		//nolint:forbidigo // Print version info without klog/timestamp
-		fmt.Println(versionInfo)
-		os.Exit(0)
-	}
-
 	if *toStderr {
 		klog.SetOutput(os.Stderr)
 	}