[PATCH] run-clang-tools: Resolve the compilation database before changing directory

From: Marcus

Date: Mon Nov 09 2026 - 16:16:40 EST


The script reads the compilation database relative to its working
directory, but passes the same path to clang-tidy after switching to each
entry's directory. When the database is outside the build directory, a
relative path can therefore point to a nonexistent location. clang-tidy
then runs without the recorded compilation flags or finds an unrelated
database in a parent directory.

For example, invoking the script with database/compile_commands.json from
the parent of database/ and build/ fails to load the database when its
entries use build/ as their directory.

After reading the JSON file, resolve its containing directory to an
absolute path for clang-tidy's -p option. This preserves the caller's path
resolution when the subprocess changes directory.

The issue, fix, and reproducer were developed with OpenAI Codex assistance.
Verified with Python 3.13 and clang-tidy 23.1.4 using a C file requiring a
definition from the database, with relative and absolute database paths
outside the build directory and a database in the working directory.

Fixes: 6ad7cbc01527 ("Makefile: Add clang-tidy and static analyzer support to makefile")
Signed-off-by: Marcus <baronmarcus2005@xxxxxxxxx>
---
scripts/clang-tools/run-clang-tools.py | 2 ++
1 file changed, 2 insertions(+)

diff --git a/scripts/clang-tools/run-clang-tools.py b/scripts/clang-tools/run-clang-tools.py
index 79d58b34..cc19f8bb 100755
--- a/scripts/clang-tools/run-clang-tools.py
+++ b/scripts/clang-tools/run-clang-tools.py
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ def main():
with open(args.path) as f:
datastore = json.load(f)

+ args.path = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(args.path))
+
lock = multiprocessing.Lock()
try:
with multiprocessing.Pool(initializer=init, initargs=(lock, args)) as pool:

base-commit: 7475ea8b58616b33c04afb976cf0fbaad9dd63fb
--
2.51.2.windows.1