fix(lint): explicitly configures ireturn exceptions

Instead of using `//nolint:ireturn` the linter allows a use of `generic`
return types (on top of the listed defaults which now have been
explicitly set).

This approach also eliminates a re-occuring issue where `nolintlint`
reports aforementioned directive as not used by defined linter.

Related issue: golangci/golangci-lint#3228

On top of that we have `--fix` flag enabled for golangci-lint runner.
This results in removal of these comments as `nolintlint` tries to
autofix.

As a consequence the subsequent run of `make lint` yields errors for
previously disabled linters and the cycle continues :)

> [!IMPORTANT]
> This behaviour has also been observed for other linters.

As part of this the declarations of kustomize plugin constructor funcs
has been reworkted to return struct pointers instead.

\#stack-pr

.golangci.yml

@@ -43,6 +43,15 @@ linters-settings:
         alias: $1$2
       - pkg: github.com/openshift/api/(\w+)/(v[\w\d]+)
         alias: $1$2
+  ireturn:
+    allow:
+      # defaults https://golangci-lint.run/usage/linters/#ireturn
+      - anon
+      - error
+      - empty
+      - stdlib
+      # also allow generics
+      - generic
   revive:
     rules:
       - name: dot-imports

controllers/status/reporter.go

@@ -31,15 +31,15 @@ func NewStatusReporter[T client.Object](cli client.Client, object T, determine D
 }
 
 // ReportCondition updates the status of the object using the determineCondition function.
-func (r *Reporter[T]) ReportCondition(ctx context.Context, optionalErr error) (T, error) { //nolint:ireturn //reason: returns T satisfying client.Object interface
+func (r *Reporter[T]) ReportCondition(ctx context.Context, optionalErr error) (T, error) {
 	return UpdateWithRetry[T](ctx, r.client, r.object, r.determineCondition(optionalErr))
 }
 
 // SaveStatusFunc is a function that allow to define custom logic of updating status of a concrete resource object.
 type SaveStatusFunc[T client.Object] func(saved T)
 
 // UpdateWithRetry updates the status of object using passed function and retries on conflict.
-func UpdateWithRetry[T client.Object](ctx context.Context, cli client.Client, original T, update SaveStatusFunc[T]) (T, error) { //nolint:ireturn,lll //reason: returns T satisfying client.Object interface
+func UpdateWithRetry[T client.Object](ctx context.Context, cli client.Client, original T, update SaveStatusFunc[T]) (T, error) {
 	saved, ok := original.DeepCopyObject().(T)
 	if !ok {
 		return *new(T), errors.New("failed to deep copy object")

pkg/feature/feature_data.go

@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-//nolint:ireturn //reason: returning generic T data type
 package feature
 
 import (

pkg/feature/provider/types.go

@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-//nolint:ireturn //reason: returning generic T any (interface{})
 package provider
 
 import (
@@ -47,7 +46,7 @@ func (d DataProviderWithDefault[T]) Get(_ context.Context, _ client.Client) (T,
 }
 
 // Value returns actual value stored by the provider.
-func (d DataProviderWithDefault[T]) Value() T { //nolint:ireturn //reason: returns generic T
+func (d DataProviderWithDefault[T]) Value() T {
 	return d.value
 }
 

pkg/plugins/addLabelsplugin.go

@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
-//nolint:ireturn //reason: false positive, builtins.LabelTransformerPlugin is a struct
 package plugins
 
 import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/builtins" //nolint:staticcheck //Remove after package update
-	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/resmap"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/types"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/kyaml/resid"
 
@@ -17,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 //   - It adds labels to the "metadata/labels" path for all resource kinds.
 //   - It adds labels to the "spec/template/metadata/labels" and "spec/selector/matchLabels" paths
 //     for resources of kind "Deployment".
-func CreateAddLabelsPlugin(componentName string) resmap.Transformer { //nolint:ireturn //reason returning struct conflicts due to pointer receiver
+func CreateAddLabelsPlugin(componentName string) *builtins.LabelTransformerPlugin {
 	return &builtins.LabelTransformerPlugin{
 		Labels: map[string]string{
 			labels.ODH.Component(componentName): "true",

pkg/plugins/namespacePlugin.go

@@ -1,16 +1,14 @@
-//nolint:ireturn //reason: false positive, builtins.NamespaceTransformerPlugin is a struct
 package plugins
 
 import (
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/builtins" //nolint:staticcheck // Remove after package update
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/filters/namespace"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/resmap"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/types"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/kyaml/resid"
 )
 
 // CreateNamespaceApplierPlugin creates a plugin to ensure resources have the specified target namespace.
-func CreateNamespaceApplierPlugin(targetNamespace string) resmap.Transformer { //nolint:ireturn //reason returning struct conflicts due to pointer receiver
+func CreateNamespaceApplierPlugin(targetNamespace string) *builtins.NamespaceTransformerPlugin {
 	return &builtins.NamespaceTransformerPlugin{
 		ObjectMeta: types.ObjectMeta{
 			Name:      "odh-namespace-plugin",