go build failure misreported as "Go build: Success" for package-pattern / module-resolution errors

[leekkk2]

Summary

When rtk wraps go build and the build fails due to a package-pattern / module-resolution error (not a compile error), rtk prints Go build: Success even though the wrapped go build exited non-zero (1) and wrote an error to stderr. The "Success" text directly contradicts the preserved exit code, and the real error message is swallowed.

Compile errors are handled correctly — only this class of non-compile build failures is misreported.

Environment

• rtk: 0.41.0
• go: go1.26.2
• OS: darwin/arm64

Minimal reproduction (self-contained, no project needed)

mkdir -p /tmp/rtk-nomod && cd /tmp/rtk-nomod   # empty dir, no go.mod

# real output (bypassing rtk's filter via `rtk proxy`):
rtk proxy go build ./...
# => pattern ./...: directory prefix . does not contain main module or its selected dependencies
# => exit 1

# through rtk:
rtk go build ./...
# => Go build: Success      <-- BUG: contradicts the failure
# => exit 1                 (exit code is correctly preserved)

Also reproduces at a Go workspace (go.work) root that has no module of its own:

rtk proxy go build ./...
# pattern ./...: directory prefix . does not contain modules listed in go.work or their selected dependencies   (exit 1)
rtk go build ./...
# Go build: Success                                                                                              (exit 1)

Contrast: real compile errors ARE handled correctly

mkdir -p /tmp/rtk-repro && cd /tmp/rtk-repro
printf 'package main\nfunc main() { thisFunctionDoesNotExist() }\n' > main.go
go mod init rtkrepro

rtk go build .
# Go build: 1 errors
# 1. ./main.go:2:14: undefined: thisFunctionDoesNotExist   (exit 1)  -- correct

So the formatter correctly detects file:line: compile diagnostics, but when go build fails with a pattern / module-resolution error on stderr (which doesn't match the compile-diagnostic shape), it falls through to the default "Success" message and discards both the stderr content and the signal of the non-zero exit.

Expected behavior

• Never print Go build: Success when the wrapped command exits non-zero.
• Gate the "Success" branch on the child process exit code (== 0), not solely on whether compile-diagnostic lines were parsed from stdout.
• On failure, surface the real stderr (e.g. the pattern ./...: message), or at least emit something like Go build: failed (exit 1).

Impact

rtk targets LLM / terminal agent sessions. Running go build ./... from a Go workspace (go.work) root is a very common operation; the build fails with a pattern error, but the agent reads Go build: Success and proceeds on a false premise. The misreport contradicts the exit code and hides the actual cause of the failure.

[pszymkowiak]

wshm · Automated triage by AI

🔍 Automated Triage

🐛 Category	bug
🟠 Priority	high
🎯 Confidence	97%

Summary

rtk prints 'Go build: Success' on non-zero exit when go build fails with a package-pattern/module-resolution error; fix should gate the success branch on exit code == 0.

This looks like a simple fix that could be auto-resolved. Repo maintainers can use /wshm fix to attempt it.

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Triaged automatically by wshm · This is an automated analysis, not a human review.