golangci/golangci-lint · error

compile schema: %w

Error message

compile schema: %w

What it means

validateConfiguration builds a jsonschema compiler with the embedded loader (jsonsch.NewEmbedLoader) and Draft7, then compiles the bundled schema with compiler.Compile(schemaPath). Any failure to load/compile the schema itself is wrapped as "compile schema: %w" — this indicates a problem with the schema, not the user's config.

Source

Thrown at pkg/commands/config_verify.go:53

		}

		printValidationDetail(cmd, v.DetailedOutput())

		return errors.New("the configuration contains invalid elements")
	}

	return nil
}

func validateConfiguration(schemaPath, targetFile string) error {
	compiler := jsonschema.NewCompiler()
	compiler.UseLoader(jsonsch.NewEmbedLoader())
	compiler.DefaultDraft(jsonschema.Draft7)

	// The name is not us
	schema, err := compiler.Compile(schemaPath)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("compile schema: %w", err)
	}

	var m any

	switch strings.ToLower(filepath.Ext(targetFile)) {
	case ".yaml", ".yml", ".json":
		m, err = decodeYamlFile(targetFile)
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}

	case ".toml":
		m, err = decodeTomlFile(targetFile)
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}

	default:

View on GitHub (pinned to ed7a235d2d)

Solutions

1. Rebuild/reinstall the binary from a clean checkout so the go:embed'ed schema assets are present
2. Check the wrapped %w error for the schema path/resource that failed to load
3. Update to the latest release — schema compile failures are usually tool-internal and fixed upstream
4. If patching, validate the embedded schema JSON is valid Draft7 and reachable at schemaPath

Example fix

// before (custom build with stripped embed)
// go build -tags noembed ./...  ->  compile schema: open jsonschema/schema.json: file does not exist

// after
// keep embed directives intact and build normally
go build ./cmd/golangci-lint

// preflight: ensure the embedded schema resource is present
if _, err := fs.ReadFile(embeddedFS, schemaPath); err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("schema asset missing from build at %s: %w", schemaPath, err)
}

func isSchemaCompileError(err error) bool {
    return err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "compile schema")
}

schema, err := compiler.Compile(schemaPath)
if err != nil {
    if isSchemaCompileError(err) {
        return fmt.Errorf("tool build appears corrupted (schema won't compile): %w — reinstall the binary", err)
    }
    return fmt.Errorf("compile schema: %w", err)
}

When it happens

Trigger: compiler.Compile(schemaPath) fails because the embedded schema resource cannot be located, parsed, or is invalid Draft7 JSON Schema.

Common situations: Corrupted or stripped binary where embedded assets (go:embed) are missing; an internal bug after a schema upgrade; running a modified/patched build lacking the embedded jsonschema files.

Related errors

• [%s] validate: %w

AI-assisted analysis of golangci/golangci-lint@ed7a235d2d (2026-09-02). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4691900714acdc04. Report an issue: GitHub.