golangci/golangci-lint · error

build walk options: %w

Error message

build walk options: %w

What it means

fmt's preRunE builds goformat.NewRunnerOptions from the loaded config plus diff/diffColored/stdin flags. Failure is wrapped as "build walk options". This constructs file-walking/processing options (paths, exclusions, output modes); invalid combinations or values make fmt unable to set up its runner.

Source

Thrown at pkg/commands/fmt.go:107

	return nil
}

func (c *fmtCommand) preRunE(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
	if c.cfg.GetConfigDir() != "" && c.cfg.Version != "2" {
		return fmt.Errorf("invalid version of the configuration: %q", c.cfg.Version)
	}

	metaFormatter, err := goformatters.NewMetaFormatter(c.log, &c.cfg.Formatters, &c.cfg.Run)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create meta-formatter: %w", err)
	}

	matcher := processors.NewGeneratedFileMatcher(c.cfg.Formatters.Exclusions.Generated)

	opts, err := goformat.NewRunnerOptions(c.cfg, c.opts.diff, c.opts.diffColored, c.opts.stdin)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("build walk options: %w", err)
	}

	c.runner = goformat.NewRunner(c.log, metaFormatter, matcher, opts)

	return nil
}

func (c *fmtCommand) execute(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
	paths := cleanArgs(args)

	c.log.Infof("Formatting Go files...")

	err := c.runner.Run(paths)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to process files: %w", err)
	}

	return nil

View on GitHub (pinned to ed7a235d2d)

Solutions

1. Read the wrapped cause to see which option is invalid.
2. Don't mix --stdin with path arguments or --diff; use one input mode at a time.
3. Check --diff-colored is only used with --diff and your terminal supports it.
4. Validate exclusion patterns in the config's formatters.exclusions section.

Example fix

// before
golangci-lint fmt --stdin ./...
// after
golangci-lint fmt --stdin        # stdin alone
golangci-lint fmt ./...          # or paths alone

// ensure mutually exclusive flags aren't combined
if stdin && (len(paths) > 0 || diff) {
  return fmt.Errorf("--stdin cannot be combined with paths or --diff")
}
if diffColored && !diff {
  return fmt.Errorf("--diff-colored requires --diff")
}

if err := fmtCmd.Run(); err != nil {
  if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "build walk options") {
    log.Fatalf("bad flag combination: %v", errors.Unwrap(err))
  }
  return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running `golangci-lint fmt` with incompatible flags/options: e.g. --stdin together with paths or --diff, invalid diff coloring option, or invalid exclusions/run settings affecting the walker.

Common situations: Combining `fmt --stdin` with directory arguments; using --diff and --stdin simultaneously; malformed exclusion patterns in `formatters.exclusions`.

Related errors

• failed to create meta-formatter: %w
• failed to process files: %w
• can't get enabled formatters: %w
• %s is not a formatter
• unable to open file %s: %w

AI-assisted analysis of golangci/golangci-lint@ed7a235d2d (2026-09-02). Data as JSON: /api/errors/3e7ad0e8012fdc75. Report an issue: GitHub.