DataLinter GitLab CI

June 25, 2026 · View on GitHub

MIT License

A GitLab CI to run DataLinter—a contextual data and code linter for machine-learning and statistical-modelling workflows—inside a reproducible Docker container. Results are automatically posted as a comment on pull requests.

Table of Contents

What is DataLinter?

DataLinter detects potential issues in data files and associated code (R, Python, etc.) used in ML/statistical pipelines.

Features

  • Reproducible execution via a pre-built Docker image (ghcr.io/zgornel/datalinter-compiled:latest).
  • Automatic mounting of data, code, and configuration directories.
  • Full output capture (stdout + stderr) wrapped in a Markdown code block.
  • Automatic PR commenting (edits previous comment if it exists).
  • Composite action—works on any runner that supports Docker and is configured for Docker-in-Docker (dind).
  • Flexible logging levels.

Quick Start

  • Add gitlab-ci.yml to your main branch before creating a PR.
  • Create a GITLAB_TOKEN CI/CD variable (Project or Personal Access Token with api scope).
  • Ensure the CI/CD runner is configured for Docker-in-Docker (dind).

Inputs

datalinter-gitlab-ci has the following inputs:

  • DATA_PATH (required), path to the data relative to the gitlab-ci.yml
  • CODE_PATH (required), path to code, relative to gitlab-ci.yml
  • CONFIG_PATH (required), path to the datalinter .toml file configuration, relative to gitlab-ci.yml
  • LOG_LEVEL (optional, default is 'debug'), logging level; can be 'debug', 'info', 'warning' and 'error'.

Outputs

Complete DataLinter output (stdout + stderr) formatted as a Markdown code block.

How it works

  1. The supplied paths are split into directory and filename components.

  2. It pulls ghcr.io/zgornel/datalinter-compiled:latest

  3. Three Docker volumes are mounted:

    • Code directory → /tmp
    • Data directory → /_data
    • Config directory → /_config

  4. datalinter binary is executed inside the container.

  5. All output is captured and stored in the datalinter_output.txt.

  6. On merge_request_event (that includes push on the MR branch), the output is automatically posted (or edited) as a MR comment.

DataLinter Configuration

Create a datalinter.toml file in your repository. Full documentation and example configurations are available in the DataLinter repository.

Troubleshooting

  • “No such file or directory” → Verify the three paths exist relative to the checkout directory.
  • Output too verbose → Set log-level: 'warning' or 'error'.

Reporting Bugs

Please file an issue to report a bug or request a feature.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.