languagetool-org/languagetool · error · RuntimeException

Remote rules configuration file cannot be found:

Error message

Remote rules configuration file cannot be found: 

What it means

The 'remoteRulesFile' property points to a configuration file for remote rules (e.g. remotely managed rule settings). When the configured path does not exist or is not a regular file, HTTPServerConfig throws this RuntimeException at startup because remote rule configuration cannot be loaded.

Source

Thrown at languagetool-server/src/main/java/org/languagetool/server/HTTPServerConfig.java:391

          throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid value for textCheckerQueueSize, must be >= 1: " + textCheckerQueueSize);
        }

        boolean atdMode = getOptionalProperty(props, "mode", "LanguageTool").equalsIgnoreCase("AfterTheDeadline");
        if (atdMode) {
          throw new IllegalArgumentException("The AfterTheDeadline mode is not supported anymore in LanguageTool 3.8 or later");
        }
        String rulesConfigFilePath = getOptionalProperty(props, "rulesFile", null);
        if (rulesConfigFilePath != null) {
          rulesConfigFile = new File(rulesConfigFilePath);
          if (!rulesConfigFile.exists() || !rulesConfigFile.isFile()) {
            throw new RuntimeException("Rules Configuration file cannot be found: " + rulesConfigFile);
          }
        }
        String remoteRulesConfigFilePath = getOptionalProperty(props, "remoteRulesFile", null);
        if (remoteRulesConfigFilePath != null) {
          remoteRulesConfigFile = new File(remoteRulesConfigFilePath);
          if (!remoteRulesConfigFile.exists() || !remoteRulesConfigFile.isFile()) {
            throw new RuntimeException("Remote rules configuration file cannot be found: " + remoteRulesConfigFile);
          }
        }
        cacheSize = Integer.parseInt(getOptionalProperty(props, "cacheSize", "0"));
        if (cacheSize < 0) {
          throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid value for cacheSize: " + cacheSize + ", use 0 to deactivate cache");
        }
        if (props.containsKey("cacheTTLSeconds") && !props.containsKey("cacheSize")) {
          throw new IllegalArgumentException("Use of cacheTTLSeconds without also setting cacheSize has no effect.");
        }
        cacheTTLSeconds = Integer.parseInt(getOptionalProperty(props, "cacheTTLSeconds", "300"));
        maxErrorsPerWordRate = Float.parseFloat(getOptionalProperty(props, "maxErrorsPerWordRate", "0"));
        suggestionsEnabled = Boolean.parseBoolean(getOptionalProperty(props, "suggestionsEnabled", "true"));
        maxSpellingSuggestions = Integer.parseInt(getOptionalProperty(props, "maxSpellingSuggestions", "0"));
        blockedReferrers = Arrays.asList(getOptionalProperty(props, "blockedReferrers", "").split(",\\s*"));
        setTrustedSources(getOptionalProperty(props, "trustedSources", null));
        String premiumAlwaysValue = props.getProperty("premiumAlways");
        if (premiumAlwaysValue != null) {
          premiumAlways = Boolean.parseBoolean(premiumAlwaysValue.trim());

View on GitHub (pinned to 2e990059ce)

Solutions

1. Correct the 'remoteRulesFile' property to point at an existing regular file (absolute path recommended)
2. Check file existence with 'ls -l <path>' and fix permissions if unreadable
3. Remove the 'remoteRulesFile' property if remote rules are not used

Example fix

// before (server.properties)
remoteRulesFile=/etc/languagetool/remote-rules.conf

// after: file deployed first, or property removed
# remoteRulesFile removed (not using remote rules)

String p = props.getProperty("remoteRulesFile");
if (p != null && !new File(p).isFile()) {
    throw new IllegalStateException("remoteRulesFile missing or not a regular file: " + p);
}

try {
    serverConfig = new HTTPServerConfig(props);
} catch (RuntimeException e) {
    if (e.getMessage().startsWith("Remote rules configuration file cannot be found")) {
        log.error("remoteRulesFile path invalid: {}", e.getMessage());
    }
    throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Starting the HTTP server with 'remoteRulesFile=/path' where the path is missing, is a directory, or the file was not synced to the machine/container running the server.

Common situations: Config copied between servers without copying the remote rules file; path valid on the admin workstation but not on the server; directory passed instead of file; permission staging scripts failed silently.

Understand the failure class

Background: "File not found" and ENOENT errors: why libraries can't find a file that should exist — this error's family across 50 libraries.

Related errors

• Rules Configuration file cannot be found:
• beolingusFile not found:
• ngramLangIdentData does not exist or is a directory (needs t
• The AfterTheDeadline mode is not supported anymore in Langua
• Invalid value for cacheSize: , use 0 to deactivate cache

AI-assisted analysis of languagetool-org/languagetool@2e990059ce (2026-09-06). Data as JSON: /api/errors/fb1c02974afa4c2a. Report an issue: GitHub.