25.7.0+ Linting for specific directories has reversed behavior

[marcelmamula]

Summary

Using ansible-lint targeted against directory was changed in 25.7.0 version as it was not happening before.

Do we need to start using ansible-lint differently and update Github Action?
How does it work with GA since using working_directory will now go into failure state, because it will never show errors?

Before: Executed ansible-lint in different scenarios.

# Inside collection root
# Result: Shows all errors across collection.
ansible-lint
Failed: 111 failure(s), 0 warning(s) in 593 files processed of 634 encountered.

# Inside collection root targeting specific role
# Result: Shows NO errors
ansible-lint roles/rolename
Passed: 0 failure(s), 0 warning(s) in 20 files processed of 23 encountered.

# Inside role directory
# Result: Shows role errors
cd roles/rolename; ansible-lint
Failed: 76 failure(s), 0 warning(s) in 22 files processed of 24 encountered.

Now after 25.7.0

# Inside collection root
# Result: Shows all errors across collection.
ansible-lint
Failed: 111 failure(s), 0 warning(s) in 593 files processed of 634 encountered.

# Inside collection root targeting specific role
# Result: Shows role errors
ansible-lint roles/rolename
Failed: 76 failure(s), 0 warning(s) in 22 files processed of 24 encountered.

# Inside role directory
# Result: Shows NO errors
cd roles/rolename; ansible-lint
Passed: 0 failure(s), 0 warning(s) in 20 files processed of 23 encountered.

Issue Type

• Bug Report

OS / ENVIRONMENT

ansible-lint --version
ansible-lint 25.9.0 using ansible-core:2.19.2 ansible-compat:25.8.1 ruamel-yaml:0.18.14 ruamel-yaml-clib:0.2.12

# Tested with ansible-core 2.18 and 2.19, ansible-lint 25.6.1 (OK), 25.7.0, 25.9.0

• ansible installation method: pip3 inside of Python 3.13 VENV, Github Action using latest version
• ansible-lint installation method: pip3 inside of Python 3.13 VENV, Github Action using latest version

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

# Bash commands are in summary.

# Section of github action that is also affected
      - uses: ansible/ansible-lint@v25
        with:
          working_directory: ./roles/sap_install_media_detect
          requirements_file: ../../requirements.yml

Desired Behavior

Possible security bugs should be reported via email to security@ansible.com

Actual Behavior

Please give some details of what is happening. Include a minimum complete
verifiable example with:

• minimized playbook to reproduce the error
• the output of running ansible-lint including the command line used
• if you're getting a stack trace, also the output of
  ansible-playbook --syntax-check playbook

[marcelmamula]

After little bit more testing this is what worked before:

      - uses: ansible/ansible-lint@v25
        with:
          working_directory: ./roles/sap_hana_preconfigure
          requirements_file: ../../requirements.yml

And this is what has to be done now. Please confirm if this is intended, because it will have to be documented properly.

      - uses: ansible/ansible-lint@v25
        with:
          args: roles/sap_hana_preconfigure -c roles/sap_hana_preconfigure/.ansible-lint
          requirements_file: ./requirements.yml

[alisonlhart]

This new behavior is the intended behavior. We'd welcome a PR to update the docs with what you're seeing!