[BUG] cli: kagent version should not fail when controller is unavailable

[marcinkubica]

📋 Prerequisites

• I have searched the existing issues to avoid creating a duplicate
• By submitting this issue, you agree to follow our Code of Conduct
• I am using the latest version of the software
• I have tried to clear cache/cookies or used incognito mode (if ui-related)
• I can consistently reproduce this issue

🎯 Affected Service(s)

Not Sure

🚦 Impact/Severity

Minor inconvenience

🐛 Bug Description

❯ kagent version
Error starting port-forward: failed to establish connection to kagent-controller. error connecting to server. Please run 'install' command first

🔄 Steps To Reproduce

run version when not able to port forward locally to the controller

🤔 Expected Behavior

should warn is unable to determine backend (no connection) and not fail

📱 Actual Behavior

No response

💻 Environment

No response

🔧 CLI Bug Report

No response

🔍 Additional Context

No response

📋 Logs

📷 Screenshots

No response

🙋 Are you willing to contribute?

• I am willing to submit a PR to fix this issue

[marcinkubica]

blocks #514

brew test https://github.com/marcinkubica/homebrew-kagent/actions/runs/17628866264/job/50092067738#step:8:19 are failing and we would like them not to fail so we can add kagent to homebrew core ;)

Run brew test kagent --verbose --debug
Fetching gem metadata from https://rubygems.org/.......
Fetching minitest 5.25.5
Installing minitest 5.25.5
Bundle complete! 43 Gemfile dependencies, 33 gems now installed.
Bundled gems are installed into `../../../../linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/vendor/bundle`
/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/brew.rb (Formulary::FromNameLoader): loading kagent
/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/brew.rb (Formulary::FromTapLoader): loading marcinkubica/kagent/kagent
==> Testing marcinkubica/kagent/kagent
/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/test.rb (Formulary::FromPathLoader): loading /home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Homebrew/Library/Taps/marcinkubica/homebrew-kagent/Formula/kagent.rb
/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/test.rb (Formulary::FromAPILoader): loading gcc@11
==> /home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Cellar/kagent/0.6.9/bin/kagent version
Error starting port-forward: failed to establish connection to kagent-controller. error connecting to server. Please run 'install' command first
/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Homebrew/Library/Homebrew/ignorable.rb:30:in 'block in Object#raise'
Minitest::Assertion: Expected /"kagent_version":"0\.6\.9"/ to match "".
1. raise
2. ignore
3. backtrace
4. irb
5. shell
Choose an action: ==> Temporary files retained at:
/var/tmp/kagent-test-20250910-4819-qfj11d
Error: marcinkubica/kagent/kagent: failed
An exception occurred within a child process:
  SystemExit: exit

[marcinkubica]

Hi @FalcoSuessgott @EItanya
Should we reopen this one as we have non 0 exit code with fix #980

❯ kagent version
{"backend_version":"unknown","build_date":"2025-10-08","git_commit":"7a264e9","kagent_version":"0.6.19"}
panic: runtime error: invalid memory address or nil pointer dereference
[signal SIGSEGV: segmentation violation code=0x2 addr=0x8 pc=0x101b90ffc]

goroutine 1 [running]:
github.com/kagent-dev/kagent/go/cli/internal/cli/agent.(*PortForward).Stop(0x0)
	/home/runner/work/kagent/kagent/go/cli/internal/cli/agent/utils.go:70 +0x1c
main.main.func7(0x14000788f08, {0x101d11703?, 0x4?, 0x101d11707?})
	/home/runner/work/kagent/kagent/go/cli/cmd/kagent/main.go:128 +0xcc
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).execute(0x14000788f08, {0x1036c7340, 0x0, 0x0})
	/home/runner/go/pkg/mod/github.com/spf13/cobra@v1.10.1/command.go:1019 +0x7bc
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).ExecuteC(0x14000788008)
	/home/runner/go/pkg/mod/github.com/spf13/cobra@v1.10.1/command.go:1148 +0x350
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).Execute(...)
	/home/runner/go/pkg/mod/github.com/spf13/cobra@v1.10.1/command.go:1071
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).ExecuteContext(...)
	/home/runner/go/pkg/mod/github.com/spf13/cobra@v1.10.1/command.go:1064
main.main()
	/home/runner/work/kagent/kagent/go/cli/cmd/kagent/main.go:336 +0x11b4

[FalcoSuessgott]

Oh lol Will provide a fix later this day. Sorry about that