API Reporter (beta)

Send results as logs and metrics to observability tools, like Grafana.

Usage

Use Grafana default MegaLinter dashboards, and build new ones to monitor everything you need from MegaLinter logs and metrics.

If you create new useful dashboards, please share them with the MegaLinter community by exporting them then create a pull request :)

Logs Configuration

Define the following CI/CD variables:

API_REPORTER_URL : API endpoint
API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME : Basic auth username (if using Basic Auth)
API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD : Basic auth password/token (if using Basic Auth)
API_REPORTER_BEARER_TOKEN : Bearer token (if using bearer auth)

Examples of configuration:

API_REPORTER_URL=https://logs-prod-012.grafana.net/loki/api/v1/push
API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME=3435645645
API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=GHTRGDHDHdhghg23345DFG^sfg!ss

API_REPORTER_URL=https://my.custom.endpoint.net
API_REPORTER_BEARER_TOKEN=DDHGHfgfgjfhQESRDTHFKGKHFswgFHDHGDH

Example of logs sent to Loki:

{ 
  "streams": [
   {
    "stream": {
     "source": "MegaLinter",
     "gitRepoName": "megalinter",
     "gitBranchName": "tmpX",
     "gitIdentifier": "megalinter/tmpX",
     "orgIdentifier": "tmpX",
     "descriptor": "REPOSITORY",
     "linter": "trufflehog",
     "linterKey": "REPOSITORY_TRUFFLEHOG"
    },
    "values": [
     [
      "1724005973602212834",
      "{\"linterDocUrl\": \"https://megalinter.io/beta/descriptors/repository_trufflehog\", \"jobUrl\": \"https://github.com/oxsecurity/megalinter/actions/runs/10442830998\", \"severity\": \"warning\", \"severityIcon\": \"\\u26a0\\ufe0f\", \"output\": [\"\\ud83d\\udc37\\ud83d\\udd11\\ud83d\\udc37  TruffleHog. Unearth your secrets. \\etc...\"], \"cliLintMode\": \"project\", \"numberErrorsFound\": 1, \"elapsedTime\": 13.1}"
     ]
    ]
   },
   {
    "stream": {
     "source": "MegaLinter",
     "gitRepoName": "megalinter",
     "gitBranchName": "tmpX",
     "gitIdentifier": "megalinter/tmpX",
     "orgIdentifier": "tmpX",
     "descriptor": "SPELL",
     "linter": "cspell",
     "linterKey": "SPELL_CSPELL"
    },
    "values": [
     [
      "1724005973602212834",
      "{\"linterDocUrl\": \"https://megalinter.io/beta/descriptors/spell_cspell\", \"jobUrl\": \"https://github.com/oxsecurity/megalinter/actions/runs/10442830998\", \"severity\": \"success\", \"severityIcon\": \"\\u2705\", \"output\": [\"  1/680 .automation/build_schemas_doc.sh 1762.38ms\", \"  etc...\", \"CSpell: Files checked: 680, Issues found: 0 in 0 files.\"], \"cliLintMode\": \"list_of_files\", \"numberFilesFound\": 687, \"numberErrorsFound\": 0, \"elapsedTime\": 11.7}"
     ]
    ]
   },
   {
    "stream": {
     "source": "MegaLinter",
     "gitRepoName": "megalinter",
     "gitBranchName": "tmpX",
     "gitIdentifier": "megalinter/tmpX",
     "orgIdentifier": "tmpX",
     "descriptor": "SPELL",
     "linter": "lychee",
     "linterKey": "SPELL_LYCHEE"
    },
    "values": [
     [
      "1724005973602212834",
      "{\"linterDocUrl\": \"https://megalinter.io/beta/descriptors/spell_lychee\", \"jobUrl\": \"https://github.com/oxsecurity/megalinter/actions/runs/10442830998\", \"severity\": \"warning\", \"severityIcon\": \"\\u26a0\\ufe0f\", \"output\": [\"\\u2717 [404] https://docs.github.com/en/actions/configuring-and-managing-workflows/configuring-a-workflow#adding-a-workflow-status-badge-to-your-repository | Failed: Network error: Not Found\", \"\\u2717 [404] https://rabobank.jobs/en/techblog/coding-architecture/gijs-reijn-writing-documentation-as-a-champ-in-engineering-teams/ | Failed: Network error: Not Found\", \"\\ud83d\\udcdd Summary\", \"---------------------\", \"\\ud83d\\udd0d Total.........2322\", \"\\u2705 Successful....1889\", \"\\u23f3 Timeouts.........0\", \"\\ud83d\\udd00 Redirected.......0\", \"\\ud83d\\udc7b Excluded.......431\", \"\\u2753 Unknown..........0\", \"\\ud83d\\udeab Errors...........2\", \"\", \"Errors in README.md\", \"\\u2717 [404] https://rabobank.jobs/en/techblog/coding-architecture/gijs-reijn-writing-documentation-as-a-champ-in-engineering-teams/ | Failed: Network error: Not Found\", \"\\u2717 [404] https://docs.github.com/en/actions/configuring-and-managing-workflows/configuring-a-workflow#adding-a-workflow-status-badge-to-your-repository | Failed: Network error: Not Found\"], \"cliLintMode\": \"list_of_files\", \"numberFilesFound\": 346, \"numberErrorsFound\": 2, \"elapsedTime\": 6.17}"
     ]
    ]
   },
  ]
}

Metrics Configuration

Additionally, you can send metrics in Prometheus format to a secondary API endpoint.

The configuration is the same than for logs, but with different variable names.

API_REPORTER_METRICS_URL
API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME
API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD
API_REPORTER_METRICS_BEARER_TOKEN

Example of configuration:

API_REPORTER_METRICS_URL=https://influx-prod-72-prod-eu-west-2.grafana.net/api/v1/push/influx/write
API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME=345673
API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=GHTRGDHDHdhghg23345DFG^sfg!ss

Example of metrics sent to Prometheus

linter_run,source=MegaLinter,orgIdentifier=tmpX,gitIdentifier=megalinter/tmpX,gitRepoName=megalinter,gitBranchName=tmpX,descriptor=REPOSITORY,linter=trufflehog,linterKey=REPOSITORY_TRUFFLEHOG numberErrorsFound=1,elapsedTime=13.1
linter_run,source=MegaLinter,orgIdentifier=tmpX,gitIdentifier=megalinter/tmpX,gitRepoName=megalinter,gitBranchName=tmpX,descriptor=SPELL,linter=cspell,linterKey=SPELL_CSPELL numberErrorsFound=0,numberFilesFound=687,elapsedTime=11.7
linter_run,source=MegaLinter,orgIdentifier=tmpX,gitIdentifier=megalinter/tmpX,gitRepoName=megalinter,gitBranchName=tmpX,descriptor=SPELL,linter=lychee,linterKey=SPELL_LYCHEE numberErrorsFound=2,numberFilesFound=346,elapsedTime=6.17

Troubleshooting

If you want to see the content of the API notifications in execution logs, you can define API_REPORTER_DEBUG=true

All Configuration variables

The following variables must be sent to the docker run command

Variable	Description	Default value
API_REPORTER	Activates/deactivates API reporter	`false`
API_REPORTER_URL	Logs endpoint URL
API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME	Logs endpoint auth username
API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD	Logs endpoint auth password
API_REPORTER_BEARER_TOKEN	Logs endpoint auth token
API_REPORTER_METRICS_URL	Metrics endpoint URL
API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME	Metrics endpoint auth username
API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD	Metrics endpoint auth password
API_REPORTER_METRICS_BEARER_TOKEN	Logs endpoint auth token
API_REPORTER_DEBUG	Activate to see notif content in MegaLinter console logs	`false`

Grafana Setup

If you don't have a Grafana server, you can use Grafana Cloud Free Tier (14 days of logs & metrics retention + 3 users, no credit card required, free forever)

Create Grafana Account

Create a Grafana Cloud Free account at this url

Input a Grafana Cloud org name (megalinter in the example)

Next screen, you can skip setup

Gather URLs & auth info

Create a notepad when you copy paste the following text

API_REPORTER_URL=
API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME=
API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=
API_REPORTER_METRICS_URL=
API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME=
API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=

Get Loki configuration

Go to Connections -> Data Sources and click on grafanacloud-YOURORGNAME-logs (Loki)

Build Logs push url

Copy value of Connection URL (something like https://logs-prod-012.grafana.net/)
Add /loki/api/v1/push at the end
Copy value to variables API_REPORTER_URL

Example: API_REPORTER_URL=https://logs-prod-012.grafana.net/loki/api/v1/push

Copy value of Authentication -> User and paste it with variable API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME

Example: API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME=898189

Leave API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD empty for now, you can't get it here

See Grafana documentation for more info

Get Prometheus configuration

Go to Connections -> Data Sources and click on grafanacloud-YOURORGNAME-prom (Prometheus)

Build Metrics push url

Copy value of Connection URL (something like https://prometheus-prod-24-prod-eu-west-2.grafana.net/api/prom)
Replace prometheus by influx
Replace api/prom by api/v1/push/influx/write
Then copy value to variables API_REPORTER_METRICS_URL

Example: API_REPORTER_METRICS_URL=https://influx-prod-24-prod-eu-west-2.grafana.net/api/v1/push/influx/write

Copy value of Authentication -> User and paste it with variable API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME

Example: API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME=1596503

Leave API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD empty for now, you can't get it here

See Grafana documentation for more info

Create Service Account

Go to Administration -> Users and Access -> Cloud Access Policies, then click on Create Access Policy

Create the access policy

Define MegaLinter as name and display name
Select write for items metrics, logs, traces, profiles, alerts (only metrics and logs are used today, but who knows hat new features we'll release in the future !)
Click on Create

On the new Access Policy MegaLinter, click on Add Token at the bottom right

Name it megalinter-token, let No expiration then click Create

On the next screen, click on Copy to clipboard then paste in your notepad in front of variables API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD and API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD

Example:

API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=glc_eyJvIjoiMTEzMjI4OCIsIm4iOiJzZmR4arZW4iLCJrIjoiN0x6Mz1IM041IiwibSI6eyJyXN0LTIifX0=
API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=glc_eyJvIjoiMTEzMjI4OCIsIm4iOiJzZmR4arZW4iLCJrIjoiN0x6Mz1IM041IiwibSI6eyJyXN0LTIifX0=

Configure CI variables on repository

Now configure all of the 6 variables on the repository running MegaLinter.

There value must be accessible from MegaLinter Docker image, so you might need to redeclare them in YML workflows depending on your git provider.

Example with GitHub Workflow:

          API_REPORTER: true
          API_REPORTER_URL: ${{ secrets.API_REPORTER_URL }}
          API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME }}
          API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.API_REPORTER_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD }}
          API_REPORTER_METRICS_URL: ${{ secrets.API_REPORTER_METRICS_URL }}
          API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_USERNAME }}
          API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.API_REPORTER_METRICS_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD }}
          API_REPORTER_DEBUG: false

Download MegaLinter dashboards

Download all MegaLinter Dashboard JSON files from this MegaLinter repo folder

Create Dashboard folder

Go in menu Dashboards then click on New then New folder

Create folder MegaLinter Dashboards

Import default MegaLinter Grafana Dashboards

For each downloaded Dashboard JSON file, process the following actions.

Click New then Import

Click on Upload Dashboard JSON File and select one of the Dashboards JSON files you downloaded on your computer.

Let Name, Folder and UID default values
Select your Loki or Prometheus source. They can be:
- grafanacloud-YOURORGNAME-logs (Loki)
- grafanacloud-YOURORGNAME-prom (Prometheus)
Click import

__

Repeat the operation for all Dashboard JSON files, and you're all set !