golangci/golangci-lint · error

get base path: %w

Error message

get base path: %w

What it means

Loader.Load computes the base path via fsutils.GetBasePath using run.relative-path-mode and the config directory; any failure is wrapped as 'get base path: %w'. The base path is needed to resolve relative paths in the config against the correct root.

Source

Thrown at pkg/config/loader.go:114

	if opts.CheckDeprecation {
		err = l.handleDeprecation()
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}

		l.handleFormatterDeprecations()
	}

	l.handleGoVersion()

	err = goutil.CheckGoVersion(l.cfg.Run.Go)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}

	l.cfg.basePath, err = fsutils.GetBasePath(context.Background(), l.cfg.Run.RelativePathMode, l.cfg.cfgDir)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("get base path: %w", err)
	}

	err = l.handleEnableOnlyOption()
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}

	if opts.Validation {
		err = l.cfg.Validate()
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}
	}

	return nil
}

// Hack to append values from StringSlice flags.

View on GitHub (pinned to ed7a235d2d)

Solutions

1. Read the wrapped inner error for the root cause
2. Set run.relative-path-mode to a valid value (e.g. cfg, gomod, gitroot, subdir) or remove it to use the default
3. Ensure the config directory and working directory exist and are accessible

Example fix

# before
run:
  relative-path-mode: bogus-mode
# after
run:
  relative-path-mode: gomod

switch cfg.Run.RelativePathMode {
case "", "cfg", "gomod", "gitroot", "subdir", "wd":
	// ok
default:
	return fmt.Errorf("unsupported relative-path-mode: %s", cfg.Run.RelativePathMode)
}

if err := loader.Load(ctx); err != nil {
	if strings.HasPrefix(err.Error(), "get base path:") {
		log.Fatalf("base path resolution failed: %v", err)
	}
}

When it happens

Trigger: GetBasePath failing due to an invalid run.relative-path-mode value, an inaccessible cfgDir, or filesystem errors while resolving the working directory (e.g. deleted cwd).

Common situations: Setting run.relative-path-mode to an unsupported value; running the binary from a deleted working directory; container/CI environments where the config dir doesn't exist.

Related errors

• can't write heap profile: %w
• can't open file %s: %w
• error getting working directory: %w
• Can't get working dir: %s
• the configuration contains invalid elements

AI-assisted analysis of golangci/golangci-lint@ed7a235d2d (2026-09-02). Data as JSON: /api/errors/250f6825d28d1b39. Report an issue: GitHub.