/fluentbit-validator

name: fluentbit-validator
description: Validate, lint, audit, or check Fluent Bit configs (INPUT, FILTER, OUTPUT, tag routing).

Fluent Bit Validator

Use this skill to run deterministic, repeatable validation for Fluent Bit classic-mode configs.

Trigger Phrases

Use this skill when prompts look like:

• "Validate this `fluent-bit.conf` before deploy"
• "Lint my Fluent Bit config and report issues"
• "Check tag routing and output matches in Fluent Bit"
• "Run security checks for Fluent Bit config"
• "Dry-run Fluent Bit config and tell me what failed"

Execution Model

Run steps in order. Do not skip Stage 0.

Stage 0: Precheck (Required)

Run from skill directory:

cd devops-skills-plugin/skills/fluentbit-validator

Check required and optional binaries:

command -v python3 >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo "python3: available" || echo "python3: missing"
command -v fluent-bit >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo "fluent-bit: available" || echo "fluent-bit: missing (dry-run will be skipped)"

Precheck protocol:

• If `python3` is missing: stop script-based validation, report blocker, and switch to manual config review only.
• If `fluent-bit` is missing: continue static checks, skip dry-run, and record a `Recommendation` explaining skip reason and next step.

Stage 1: Static Validation (Required)

Default command:

python3 scripts/validate_config.py --file <config-file> --check all

Use targeted checks only when requested:

python3 scripts/validate_config.py --file <config-file> --check structure
python3 scripts/validate_config.py --file <config-file> --check sections
python3 scripts/validate_config.py --file <config-file> --check tags
python3 scripts/validate_config.py --file <config-file> --check security
python3 scripts/validate_config.py --file <config-file> --check performance
python3 scripts/validate_config.py --file <config-file> --check best-practices
python3 scripts/validate_config.py --file <config-file> --check dry-run

Strict CI gate (optional):

python3 scripts/validate_config.py --file <config-file> --check all --fail-on-warning

Stage 2: Dry-Run Handling (Conditional)

Dry-run command:

fluent-bit -c <config-file> --dry-run

Skip protocol:

• If `fluent-bit` is unavailable, do not fail static validation by default.
• Emit one explicit finding:
• `Recommendation: Dry-run skipped because fluent-bit binary is not available in PATH; run dry-run in CI or a Fluent Bit runtime image.`
• If user explicitly requires dry-run as a release gate, run:

python3 scripts/validate_config.py --file <config-file> --check dry-run --require-dry-run

• In release-gate mode, missing `fluent-bit` must be reported as `Error`.

Stage 3: Reference Lookup (Optional)

Use only when plugin/parameter behavior is unclear after local checks.

Lookup order: 1. Context7 Fluent Bit docs. 2. Official docs at `docs.fluentbit.io`. 3. Broader web search limited to official/plugin sources.

Capture only:

• required fields,
• allowed values and defaults,
• version caveats relevant to the user config.

Stage 4: Report and Remediation (Required)

Use exactly these severity labels:

• `Error`
• `Warning`
• `Recommendation`

Do not introduce alternate labels (`Info`, `Best Practice`, `Critical`, etc.).

Report format:

Validation Report: <config-file>

Error:
- <blocking issue>

Warning:
- <non-blocking risk>

Recommendation:
- <improvement or skipped-step guidance>

Remediation flow: 1. Present findings with file/line context when available. 2. Ask for approval before changing user files. 3. Apply approved changes. 4. Re-run the same validation command(s). 5. Return delta: what changed, what remains, and final status.

No-issue fast path:

• If no findings exist, return a short pass summary and note whether dry-run was executed or skipped.

Fallback Matrix

| Constraint | Behavior | |---|---| | `python3` missing | Stop scripted validator, report blocker as `Error`, provide manual review-only output. | | `fluent-bit` missing | Continue static checks, skip dry-run, emit one `Recommendation` with next step. | | No network/docs access | Continue local validation, report unknown plugin details as `Warning` with explicit "doc lookup deferred". | | User requests report-only | Do not edit files; return findings and rerun command suggestion. |

Canonical Flows

Full validation flow

bash scripts/validate.sh --precheck
python3 scripts/validate_config.py --file tests/valid-basic.conf --check all

Constrained environment flow (`fluent-bit` unavailable)

bash scripts/validate.sh --precheck
python3 scripts/validate_config.py --file tests/invalid-security-issues.conf --check all --json

Expected outcome:

• Static findings still produced.
• Dry-run skipped and reported under `Recommendation`.

Done Criteria

Work is done only when all are true:

• Precheck was executed and binary availability was stated explicitly.
• Validation command(s) and scope are clear and reproducible.
• All findings use only `Error`, `Warning`, `Recommendation`.
• Dry-run path is explicit: executed or skipped with reason.
• Fallback behavior for tool/runtime constraints is documented in output.
• If fixes were applied, validation was re-run and post-fix status was reported.

Local Assets

• `scripts/validate_config.py`: main validator.
• `scripts/validate.sh`: wrapper and environment precheck helper.
• `tests/*.conf`: sample valid/invalid configs.
• `tests/test_validate_config.py`: regression coverage for parser and severity behavior.