Super-linter: ansbile-lint not running if VALIDATE_ALL_CODEBASE or RUN_LOCAL is true

[kunzese]

Describe the bug
Currently _ansible-lint_ will not run if VALIDATE_ALL_CODEBASE or RUN_LOCAL (which implies VALIDATE_ALL_CODEBASE) is set to true.

This is because the LIST_FILES array will be set to empty if the READ_ONLY_CHANGE_FLAG is set to 0:

https://github.com/github/super-linter/blob/master/lib/linter.sh#L464-L478

The only occurrences of READ_ONLY_CHANGE_FLAG=1 are within the BuildFileList() function which is called only if VALIDATE_ALL_CODEBASE is set to "false":

https://github.com/github/super-linter/blob/master/lib/linter.sh#L2270-L2275

Looks like a regression of this merged PR #34.

To Reproduce

$ docker run -e ACTIONS_RUNNER_DEBUG=true -e RUN_LOCAL=true -e ANSIBLE_DIRECTORY=playbooks -v <dir-with-ansible-code>:/tmp/lint github/super-linter | grep -i "ansible"
VALIDATE_ANSIBLE=true
ANSIBLE_DIRECTORY=/tmp/lint/playbooks
  -> Codebase does NOT have file:[.github/linters/.ansible-lint.yml], using Default rules at:[/action/lib/.automation/ ansible-lint.yml]
[ansible-lint]:
ansible-lint 4.2.0
Location:[/usr/bin/ansible-lint]

No output of this header https://github.com/github/super-linter/blob/master/lib/linter.sh#L390-L395 or any error messages https://github.com/github/super-linter/blob/master/lib/linter.sh#L554-L555.

Expected behavior
Ansible playbooks should also be linted on a local run/on VALIDATE_ALL_CODEBASE=true

[github-actions[bot]]

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[GaboFDC]

@kunzese Can you test against latest version?

[kunzese]

@GaboFDC

Unfortunately, it does not work properly even with the new version. IMHO it's because of two reasons.

The first one is easy #436:

https://github.com/github/super-linter/blob/de92cc732e16c1b39541c0b39466e389eb726e83/lib/worker.sh#L607

This will never return any files, because globbing within quotes is not possible.

The second issue is, now that we have some sweet ansible yaml files within $LIST_FILES, the variable $READ_ONLY_CHANGE_FLAG is per default 0 so our $LIST_FILES with all the ansible yaml files is set to empty here:

https://github.com/github/super-linter/blob/de92cc732e16c1b39541c0b39466e389eb726e83/lib/worker.sh#L613-L626

The only times $READ_ONLY_CHANGE_FLAG is set to 1 is within the BuildFileList() function, which is only called if $VALIDATE_ALL_CODEBASE is set to "false".

https://github.com/github/super-linter/blob/15cd021893f5b687e054f6c7f5a5691f12e1c90d/lib/linter.sh#L938-L943

[ferrarimarco]

Also, consider that yaml is also a valid extension in this case (like you do for YAMLlint) :)

[kunzese]

Also, consider that yaml is also a valid extension in this case (like you do for YAMLlint) :)

Yes of course. This was already addressed by #436.

[GaboFDC]

Maybe the documentation is not clear enough, but ansible files should be under an /ansible directory to be linted. Or a directory defined by ANSIBLE_DIRECTORY

[ferrarimarco]

Unfortunately, setting ANSIBLE_DIRECTORY was not enough in my case. What I see is (stripped down irrelevant output):

Pulling image: github/super-linter:v3.4.0
Digest: sha256:e72979b95769cbc23a652a8f2f855e03df594768da452bdf264801191e952261
Status: Downloaded newer image for github/super-linter:v3.4.0
docker.io/github/super-linter:v3.4.0

.......

Gathering GitHub information...
NOTE: ENV VAR [RUN_LOCAL] has been set to:[true]
bypassing GitHub Actions variables...
Linting all files in mapped directory:[/workspace]

......

Gathering user validation information...
- Validating [ANSIBLE] files in code base...

......

--- DEBUG INFO ---
---------------------------------------------
.....
VALIDATE_ANSIBLE=true
...
ANSIBLE_DIRECTORY=/workspace/configuration/ansible
....

---------------------------------------------
  -> Codebase does NOT have file:[/workspace/.ansible-lint.yml], using Default rules at:[/action/lib/.automation/.ansible-lint.yml]

....

Successfully found binary in system
Location:[/usr/bin/ansible-lint]

Then, there's nothing else related to ansible-lint (and I used to run it as a standalone tool.

[kunzese]

Same here. It all comes down to this code block where $LIST_FILES is emptied:

https://github.com/github/super-linter/blob/de92cc732e16c1b39541c0b39466e389eb726e83/lib/worker.sh#L613-L626

[rockaut]

Yes can confirm this too. I set -x to debug it:

+ LintAnsibleFiles /tmp/lint/test/linters/.ansible-lint.yml
+ PRINT_ARRAY=()
+ PRINT_ARRAY+=("")
+ PRINT_ARRAY+=("----------------------------------------------")
+ PRINT_ARRAY+=("----------------------------------------------")
+ PRINT_ARRAY+=("Linting [Ansible] files...")
+ PRINT_ARRAY+=("----------------------------------------------")
+ PRINT_ARRAY+=("----------------------------------------------")
+ LINTER_NAME=ansible-lint
++ command -v ansible-lint
+ VALIDATE_INSTALL_CMD=/usr/bin/ansible-lint
+ ERROR_CODE=0
+ '[' 0 -ne 0 ']'
+ [[ false == \t\r\u\e ]]
+ LIST_FILES=()
+ SKIP_FLAG=0
+ '[' -d /tmp/lint/ansible/playbooks ']'
+ mapfile -t LIST_FILES
++ ls '/tmp/lint/ansible/playbooks/*.yaml' /tmp/lint/ansible/playbooks/datasources.yml
+ '[' 0 -eq 0 ']'
+ LIST_FILES=()
+ echo '- Skipping Ansible lint run as file(s) that were modified were read only...'
- Skipping Ansible lint run as file(s) that were modified were read only...
+ SKIP_FLAG=1
+ '[' 1 -eq 0 ']'
+ IsTAP
+ '[' '' == tap ']'
+ return 1
+ IsTAP
+ '[' '' == tap ']'
+ return 1

Shouldn't READ_ONLY_CHANGE_FLAG just be 0 if VALIDATE_ALL_CODEBASE=true?

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[ferrarimarco]

@admiralAwkbar can we reopen this? I tested against the latest version, and the issue is still there.

Why was #34 necessary?