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docs: windows plugin development #2334

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@Netkracker Netkracker commented Jun 17, 2025 •
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Updating docs for plugin development. Docs seem to be wrong for windows systems.

.tflint.hcl

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

plugin "terraform" {
    enabled = true
    version = "0.12.0"
    source  = "github.com/terraform-linters/tflint-ruleset-terraform"
}

plugin "postch" {
  enabled = true
}

Placing local plugin into directory defined in docs
image

tflint debug

12:06:40 runner.go:47: [INFO] Initialize new runner for root
12:06:40 discovery.go:90: [DEBUG] Find plugin path: C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-azurerm\0.28.0\tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe
12:06:40 discovery.go:54: [INFO] Plugin "azurerm" found
12:06:40 [DEBUG] cmdrunner/cmd_runner.go:73: starting plugin: path=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-azurerm\0.28.0\tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe args=["C:\\Users\\SamAccountName\\.tflint.d\\plugins\\github.com\\terraform-linters\\tflint-ruleset-azurerm\\0.28.0\\tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe"]
12:06:40 [DEBUG] cmdrunner/cmd_runner.go:80: plugin started: path=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-azurerm\0.28.0\tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe pid=22628
12:06:40 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:827: waiting for RPC address: plugin=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-azurerm\0.28.0\tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe  
12:06:40 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:1216: tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe: 12:06:40 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.2/server.go:419: plugin address: network=tcp address=127.0.0.1:10000
12:06:40 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:880: using plugin: version=11
12:06:40 discovery.go:90: [DEBUG] Find plugin path: C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-terraform\0.12.0\tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe
12:06:40 discovery.go:54: [INFO] Plugin "terraform" found
12:06:40 [DEBUG] cmdrunner/cmd_runner.go:73: starting plugin: path=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-terraform\0.12.0\tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe args=["C:\\Users\\SamAccountName\\.tflint.d\\plugins\\github.com\\terraform-linters\\tflint-ruleset-terraform\\0.12.0\\tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe"]
12:06:40 [DEBUG] cmdrunner/cmd_runner.go:80: plugin started: path=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-terraform\0.12.0\tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe pid=23204
12:06:40 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:827: waiting for RPC address: plugin=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-terraform\0.12.0\tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe
12:06:40 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:1216: tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe: 12:06:40 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.2/server.go:419: plugin address: network=tcp address=127.0.0.1:10001
12:06:40 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:880: using plugin: version=11
Failed to initialize plugins; Plugin "postch" not found in C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins

Placing local plugin directly into to the plugin folder without further subfolders
image
tflint debug

12:16:34 runner.go:47: [INFO] Initialize new runner for root
12:16:34 discovery.go:90: [DEBUG] Find plugin path: C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-azurerm\0.28.0\tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe
12:16:34 discovery.go:54: [INFO] Plugin "azurerm" found
12:16:34 [DEBUG] cmdrunner/cmd_runner.go:73: starting plugin: path=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-azurerm\0.28.0\tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe args=["C:\\Users\\SamAccountName\\.tflint.d\\plugins\\github.com\\terraform-linters\\tflint-ruleset-azurerm\\0.28.0\\tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe"]
12:16:34 [DEBUG] cmdrunner/cmd_runner.go:80: plugin started: path=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-azurerm\0.28.0\tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe pid=13636       
12:16:34 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:827: waiting for RPC address: plugin=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-azurerm\0.28.0\tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe  
12:16:34 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:1216: tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe: 12:16:34 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.2/server.go:419: plugin address: network=tcp address=127.0.0.1:10002
12:16:34 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:880: using plugin: version=11
12:16:34 discovery.go:90: [DEBUG] Find plugin path: C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-terraform\0.12.0\tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe
12:16:34 discovery.go:54: [INFO] Plugin "terraform" found
12:16:34 [DEBUG] cmdrunner/cmd_runner.go:73: starting plugin: path=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-terraform\0.12.0\tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe args=["C:\\Users\\SamAccountName\\.tflint.d\\plugins\\github.com\\terraform-linters\\tflint-ruleset-terraform\\0.12.0\\tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe"]
12:16:34 [DEBUG] cmdrunner/cmd_runner.go:80: plugin started: path=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-terraform\0.12.0\tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe pid=21220   
12:16:34 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:827: waiting for RPC address: plugin=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-terraform\0.12.0\tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe
12:16:34 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:880: using plugin: version=11
12:16:34 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:1216: tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe: 12:16:34 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.2/server.go:419: plugin address: network=tcp address=127.0.0.1:10003
12:16:34 discovery.go:90: [DEBUG] Find plugin path: C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\tflint-ruleset-postch.exe
12:16:34 discovery.go:54: [INFO] Plugin "postch" found
12:16:34 [DEBUG] cmdrunner/cmd_runner.go:73: starting plugin: path=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\tflint-ruleset-postch.exe args=["C:\\Users\\SamAccountName\\.tflint.d\\plugins\\tflint-ruleset-postch.exe"] 
12:16:35 [DEBUG] cmdrunner/cmd_runner.go:80: plugin started: path=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\tflint-ruleset-postch.exe pid=17556
12:16:35 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:827: waiting for RPC address: plugin=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\tflint-ruleset-postch.exe
12:16:35 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:1216: tflint-ruleset-postch.exe: 12:16:35 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.2/server.go:419: plugin address: network=tcp address=127.0.0.1:10004
12:16:35 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:880: using plugin: version=11
12:16:35 [DEBUG] host2plugin/client.go:124: starting host-side gRPC server
12:16:35 [DEBUG] host2plugin/client.go:124: starting host-side gRPC server
12:16:35 [DEBUG] host2plugin/client.go:124: starting host-side gRPC server
12:16:35 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/grpc_stdio.go:142: stdio: received EOF, stopping recv loop: err="rpc error: code = Unavailable desc = error reading from server: EOF"
12:16:35 [INFO]  go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:780: plugin process exited: plugin=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-azurerm\0.28.0\tflint-ruleset-azurerm.exe id=13636
12:16:35 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:558: plugin exited
12:16:35 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/grpc_stdio.go:142: stdio: received EOF, stopping recv loop: err="rpc error: code = Unavailable desc = error reading from server: EOF"
12:16:35 [INFO]  go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:780: plugin process exited: plugin=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\github.com\terraform-linters\tflint-ruleset-terraform\0.12.0\tflint-ruleset-terraform.exe id=21220
12:16:35 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:558: plugin exited
12:16:35 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/grpc_stdio.go:142: stdio: received EOF, stopping recv loop: err="rpc error: code = Unavailable desc = error reading from server: EOF"
12:16:35 [INFO]  go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:780: plugin process exited: plugin=C:\Users\SamAccountName\.tflint.d\plugins\tflint-ruleset-postch.exe id=17556
12:16:35 [DEBUG] go-plugin@v1.6.3/client.go:558: plugin exited
3 issue(s) found:

using tflint 0.58.0
image

wata727
wata727 reviewed Jun 21, 2025
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docs/user-guide/plugins.md

Thus, with the configuration above where the plugin name is "foo", the executable must be named tflint-ruleset-foo (or tflint-ruleset-foo.exe on Windows). So you should move the binary into the plugin directory in advance.

**Important for Windows Users:** On Windows, make sure to place the executable directly into the plugins folder (e.g. C:\Users\\[username]\\.tflint.d\plugins\) without using any subfolders. This direct placement is required for TFLint to detect and load the plugin correctly.
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Is this sentence necessary? I don't think there is any difference between Windows and Unix, except for the .exe extension in the file name.

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I agree can remove "Important for Windows Users:" the other clarification sentence would have helped me to figure out my problem faster. WDYT ?

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Personally, I think this sentence should be removed altogether.

I understand that your misunderstanding arose because it was unclear in the original sentence whether "(For instance, ~/.tflint.d/plugins/tflint-ruleset-[name])" referred to "the plugin directory" or "binary in the plugin directory".

Since the revised sentence does not contain this ambiguity, I do not think it is necessary to emphasize this issue so much.

wata727
wata727 reviewed Jun 21, 2025
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docs/user-guide/plugins.md
@@ -104,7 +104,11 @@ plugin "foo" {
}
```

When the plugin is enabled, TFLint invokes the `tflint-ruleset-[name]` (`tflint-ruleset-[name].exe` on Windows) binary in the plugin directory (For instance, `~/.tflint.d/plugins/tflint-ruleset-[name]`). So you should move the binary into the directory in advance.
When enabled, TFLint looks for the plugin binary following the pattern tflint-ruleset-\[name] (or tflint-ruleset-\[name].exe on Windows) directly in your plugins folder (e.g., ~/.tflint.d/plugins/ on Unix-like systems or C:\Users\\[username]\\.tflint.d\plugins\ on Windows).
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By the way, to be honest, there is an issue with the location of files in Windows...
It should probably be placed in %APPDATA%/tflint.d/plugins like Terraform.
https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/cli/config/config-file#implied-local-mirror-directories

@bendrucker bendrucker changed the title chore: correct user-guide for plugins and make them more understandable docs: windows plugin development Jun 23, 2025
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@Netkracker @wata727