Wrong sphinx.configuration path causes not correct error message

[NickVeld]

Details

• Read the Docs project URL:
  https://readthedocs.org/projects/battery-handyman/

• Build URL (if applicable):

  • Failed: https://readthedocs.org/projects/battery-handyman/builds/14266261/
  • Passed: https://readthedocs.org/projects/battery-handyman/builds/14266265/

• Read the Docs username (if applicable):

Expected Result

A description of what you wanted to happen

After .readthedocs.yml creation the build is passed too.

Actual Result

A description of what actually happened

After .readthedocs.yml creation the build is failed because sphinx starts opening docs/index.rst instead of docs/source/index.rst.

From the logs of the failed build:

sphinx.errors.SphinxError: master file /home/docs/checkouts/readthedocs.org/user_builds/battery-handyman/checkouts/latest/docs/index.rst not found

After .readthedocs.yml deletion everything works fine. See the passed build.

[astrojuanlu]

Hi @NickVeld ! The problem was here:

sphinx:
   configuration: docs/conf.py

NickVeld/battery_handyman@8add825#diff-cde814ef2f549dc093f5b8fc533b7e8f47e7b32a8081e0760e57d5c25a1139d9L8-L9

Your configuration is in docs/source/conf.py instead. Can you confirm that restoring the .readthedocs.yaml with the correct path for conf.py fixes the issue?

[NickVeld]

Hello, @astrojuanlu

Yeah, thanks for the hint! After the path fix the docs was built successfully.
Then I am renaming the issue to the suggestion to provide more readable error for this case.

But the strangest thing is that the build is passed with the following setting in the Admin Web UI:

[stsewd]

But the strangest thing is that the build is passed with the following setting in the Admin Web UI:

When not using a config file, a lot of magic happens.... Like we try to find another config file if the one you provided doesn't exist, that's for backwards compatibility.

[NickVeld]

I see, thanks

Maybe the following is better:

In case blank field or incorrect value we find it for you.

instead of

Leave blank if you want us to find it for you.

[stale]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[humitos]

@stsewd I think it's fine to close this issue. If not, what's the actionable we have to do from our side to be able to close it?

[stsewd]

@humitos we should raise an exception or warning if the configuration file that the user set didn't exist