Err handling for Bugout client creation

nodes/node_balancer/cmd/nodebalancer/cli.go

@@ -224,7 +224,11 @@ func cli() {
 	}
 
 	// Init bugout client
-	bc := CreateBugoutClient()
+	bc, err := CreateBugoutClient()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("An error occurred during Bugout client creation: %v", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 	bugoutClient = bc
 
 	// Parse subcommands and appropriate FlagSet

nodes/node_balancer/cmd/nodebalancer/configs.go

@@ -60,16 +60,15 @@ var (
 	DEFAULT_AUTOGENERATED_MAX_CALLS_PER_PERIOD = int64(1000)
 )
 
-func CreateBugoutClient() bugout.BugoutClient {
+func CreateBugoutClient() (bugout.BugoutClient, error) {
 	bugoutTimeoutSeconds, err := strconv.Atoi(NB_BUGOUT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS_RAW)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("Unable to parse environment variable as integer: %v", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		return bugout.BugoutClient{}, fmt.Errorf("unable to parse environment variable as integer: %v", err)
 	}
 	NB_BUGOUT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS := time.Duration(bugoutTimeoutSeconds) * time.Second
 
 	broodClient := bugout.ClientBrood(BUGOUT_BROOD_URL, NB_BUGOUT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS)
-	return broodClient
+	return broodClient, nil
 }
 
 func CheckEnvVarSet() {