tflint: Unknown variable Accessed

Variables are set in var files and those files are specified in tflint.config. Yet, when running the lint, I get:

Evaluation error: 1:3: unknown variable accessed: var.environment

Every time I run the lint, a different variable appears, all of which have been defined inside the vars file. All files are on the same directory.

Configuration file

config { terraform_version = “0.11.2”

aws_credentials = { access_key = “key” secret_key = “secret” region = “us-east-1” }

varfile = [“global.tfvars”, “external.tfvars”] }

Globals - global.tfvars

variable “environment” { description = “Environment” default = “stg” }

Command

$ tflint --config tflint.config --deep *.tf -d

Output: DEBUG:/loader.go:191 [INFO] Load HCL file: tflint.config DEBUG:/loader.go:53 [INFO] Load HCL file: tflint.config DEBUG:/loader.go:120 [INFO] Load environment… DEBUG:/loader.go:128 [ERROR] open .terraform/environment: no such file or directory DEBUG:/loader.go:131 [INFO] Load tfstate… DEBUG:/loader.go:135 [ERROR] stat terraform.tfstate: no such file or directory DEBUG:/loader.go:141 [INFO] Remote state detected DEBUG:/loader.go:161 [INFO] Load tfvars… DEBUG:/loader.go:164 [INFO] Load terraform.tfvars DEBUG:/loader.go:166 [ERROR] stat terraform.tfvars: no such file or directory DEBUG:/loader.go:164 [INFO] Load global.tfvars DEBUG:/loader.go:191 [INFO] Load HCL file: global.tfvars DEBUG:/loader.go:164 [INFO] Load external.tfvars DEBUG:/loader.go:191 [INFO] Load HCL file: external.tfvars DEBUG:/loader.go:191 [INFO] Load HCL file: cluster.tf DEBUG:/loader.go:53 [INFO] Load HCL file: cluster.tf Evaluation error: 1:3: unknown variable accessed: var.environment in cluster.tf:41

Terraform plan works perfectly fine, and apply also, the cluster is already built. It’s all the same if I use --deep, or if I don’t.

Also, the same problem presents when giving the var files on the command line: $ tflint --config tflint.config *.tf --var-file=vaglobal.tfvars,external.tfvars -d

Versions

$ tflint --version TFLint version 0.5.4

$ terraform version Terraform v0.11.2

About this issue

Original URL
State: closed
Created 6 years ago
Reactions: 7
Comments: 22 (13 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

I ran into this issue when there are unquoted values in the tfvars file. Ensure all strings, bools and integers are quoted.

I believe this is still a bug though, as things should be allowed to be unquoted in tfvar files

Stretch96 on May 23, 2018

Currently, I’m working on big refactoring to fix this problem #209 Please wait a moment…

wata727 on Sep 13, 2018

It depends on Terraform v0.12 release schedule. All tasks have been completed, but for that reason, I can’t merge #209.

wata727 on Apr 2, 2019

debug run log

DEBUG:/loader.go:120 [INFO] Load environment...
DEBUG:/loader.go:128 [ERROR] open .terraform/environment: no such file or directory
DEBUG:/loader.go:131 [INFO] Load tfstate...
DEBUG:/loader.go:135 [ERROR] stat terraform.tfstate: no such file or directory
DEBUG:/loader.go:141 [INFO] Remote state detected
DEBUG:/loader.go:161 [INFO] Load tfvars...
DEBUG:/loader.go:164 [INFO] Load `terraform.tfvars`
DEBUG:/loader.go:191 [INFO] Load HCL file: `terraform.tfvars`
DEBUG:/loader.go:164 [INFO] Load `terraform.tfvars`
DEBUG:/loader.go:191 [INFO] Load HCL file: `terraform.tfvars`
DEBUG:/loader.go:191 [INFO] Load HCL file: `cloudtrail.tf`
DEBUG:/loader.go:53 [INFO] Load HCL file: `cloudtrail.tf`
Evaluation error: 1:3: unknown variable accessed: var.env in cloudtrail.tf:6

netflash on Feb 3, 2018

This issue can be reproduced by passing an aws_s3_bucket attribute to a module as an input, e.g.

provider "aws" {
  region = "us-west-1"
}

data "aws_caller_identity" "current" {}

resource "aws_s3_bucket" "sample_bucket" {
  bucket = "my-${data.aws_caller_identity.current.account_id}-bucket"
  acl    = "log-delivery-write"
}

module "s3_bucket_ref" {
  source = "./module"
  s3_bucket = "${aws_s3_bucket.sample_bucket.bucket}"
}

and then inside ./module place a file vars.tf with the following:

variable "s3_bucket" {}

In our case we have a hard requirement for the functionality our module provides to use the bucket, so it absolutely must exist already before the module runs. Since modules cannot use depends_on, we are simulating the dependency relationship by passing in an attribute of the bucket in to the module.

erikpaasonen on Aug 22, 2018