Can not disable rules globally

[lony]

Summary

I'm facing a strange problem. I have countless examples in my repository which do not contain any provider file or config. To avoid the errors regarding this, I would love to disable the related tflint rules terraform_required_version and terraform_required_providers.
I tried the config below running tflint --config=.tflint.hcl --recursive, but tflint still reports these types of errors:

32 issue(s) found:

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md


....


Warning: Missing version constraint for provider "aws" in `required_providers` (terraform_required_providers)

  on modules/rds/password_secrets_manager/main.tf line 26:
  26: resource "aws_secretsmanager_secret_version" "secret_version" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_providers.md

This looks like a bug for me, as I follow the documentation here. Or did I do something wrong?

I have the following .tflint.hcl config:

config {
  force               = true
  module              = true
  disabled_by_default = false
}

plugin "terraform" {
  enabled = true
  version = "0.5.0"
  source  = "github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform"
}

plugin "aws" {
  enabled = true
  version = "0.28.0"
  source  = "github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-aws"
}

rule "terraform_required_version" {
  enabled = false
}

rule "terraform_required_providers" {
  enabled = false
}

Command

tflint --config=.tflint.hcl --recursive

Terraform Configuration

❯ tree examples/ecr
examples/ecr
├── main.tf
├── output.tf
└── variables.tf

❯ cat examples/ecr/main.tf
module "ecr" {
  source     = "../../modules/ecr"
  name       = var.name
}

❯ cat examples/ecr/variables.tf
variable "name" {
  description = "Name of ECR repository"
  type        = string
}

❯ cat examples/ecr/output.tf
output "url" {
  value       = module.ecr.repository_url
  description = "ECR repository url"
}

TFLint Configuration

config {
  force               = true
  module              = true
  disabled_by_default = false
}

plugin "terraform" {
  enabled = true
  version = "0.5.0"
  source  = "github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform"
}

plugin "aws" {
  enabled = true
  version = "0.28.0"
  source  = "github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-aws"
}

rule "terraform_required_version" {
  enabled = false
}

rule "terraform_required_providers" {
  enabled = false
}

Output

32 issue(s) found:

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: terraform "required_version" attribute is required (terraform_required_version)

  on  line 0:
   (source code not available)

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_version.md

Warning: [Fixable] variable "name" is declared but not used (terraform_unused_declarations)

  on examples/cloudfront/variables.tf line 7:
   7: variable "name" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_unused_declarations.md

Warning: Missing version constraint for provider "aws" in `required_providers` (terraform_required_providers)

  on examples/security_group/main.tf line 5:
   5: resource "aws_security_group" "other_sg" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_providers.md

Warning: `origin_access_control_id` variable has no type (terraform_typed_variables)

  on modules/cloudfront/variables.tf line 1:
   1: variable "origin_access_control_id" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_typed_variables.md

Warning: `aliases` variable has no type (terraform_typed_variables)

  on modules/cloudfront/variables.tf line 16:
  16: variable "aliases" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_typed_variables.md

Warning: `cloudfront_default_certificate` variable has no type (terraform_typed_variables)

  on modules/cloudfront/variables.tf line 39:
  39: variable "cloudfront_default_certificate" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_typed_variables.md

Warning: `price_class` variable has no type (terraform_typed_variables)

  on modules/cloudfront/variables.tf line 44:
  44: variable "price_class" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_typed_variables.md

Warning: `restrictions_type` variable has no type (terraform_typed_variables)

  on modules/cloudfront/variables.tf line 49:
  49: variable "restrictions_type" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_typed_variables.md

Warning: `locations` variable has no type (terraform_typed_variables)

  on modules/cloudfront/variables.tf line 54:
  54: variable "locations" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_typed_variables.md

Warning: Missing version constraint for provider "archive" in `required_providers` (terraform_required_providers)

  on modules/lambda/main.tf line 18:
  18: data "archive_file" "archive" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_providers.md

Warning: Missing version constraint for provider "random" in `required_providers` (terraform_required_providers)

  on modules/rds/main.tf line 19:
  19: resource "random_password" "password" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_providers.md

Warning: Missing version constraint for provider "null" in `required_providers` (terraform_required_providers)

  on modules/rds/password_rotate/main.tf line 2:
   2: resource "null_resource" "password_rds_rotate" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_providers.md

Warning: Missing version constraint for provider "aws" in `required_providers` (terraform_required_providers)

  on modules/rds/password_secrets_manager/main.tf line 26:
  26: resource "aws_secretsmanager_secret_version" "secret_version" {

Reference: https://github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform/blob/v0.5.0/docs/rules/terraform_required_providers.md

TFLint Version

0.49.0

Terraform Version

1.5.7

Operating System

• Linux
• macOS
• Windows

[bendrucker]

From the linked docs, emphasis mine:

The file path is resolved relative to the module directory when --chdir or --recursive is used. To use a config file from the working directory when recursing, pass an absolute path

Arguably explicitly setting --config to a non-existent file should error. Currently, it's handled as the default and so --config .tflint.hcl is both a noop and will not error even when the file does not exist.

I have filed #1926 to describe that and propose eliminating that special behavior so that you would have gotten an explicit error about your missing configuration.