Add golangci-lint Go plugin version of KAL

Author: JoelSpeed

.golangci.yaml

@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ linters:
           - all
         path: testdata
       - path: (.+)\.go$
-        text: Analyzer is a global variable
+        text: Analyzer(.*) is a global variable
     paths:
       - third_party$
       - builtin$

README.md

@@ -10,19 +10,19 @@ Kube API Linter is aimed at being an assistant to API review, by catching the me
 
 ## Installation
 
-Kube API Linter ships as a golangci-lint plugin.
+Kube API Linter ships as a golangci-lint plugin, and a golangci-lint module.
 
-### Golangci-lint Plugin
+### Golangci-lint Module
 
-To install the `golangci-lint` plugin, first you must have `golangci-lint` installed.
+To install the `golangci-lint` module, first you must have `golangci-lint` installed.
 If you do not have `golangci-lint` installed, review the `golangci-lint` [install guide][golangci-lint-install].
 
 [golangci-lint-install]: https://golangci-lint.run/welcome/install/
 
 You will need to create a `.custom-gcl.yml` file to describe the custom linters you want to run. The following is an example of a `.custom-gcl.yml` file:
 
 ```yaml
-version:  v1.62.0
+version:  v1.64.8
 name: golangci-kube-api-linter
 destination: ./bin
 plugins:
@@ -76,6 +76,33 @@ Where fixes are available within a rule, these can be applied automatically with
 golangci-kube-api-linter run path/to/api/types --fix
 ```
 
+### Golangci-lint Plugin
+
+The Kube API Linter can also be used as a plugin for `golangci-lint`.
+To do this, you will need to install the `golangci-lint` binary and then install the Kube API Linter plugin.
+
+```shell
+go build -buildmode=plugin -o bin/kube-api-linter.so sigs.k8s.io/kube-api-linter/pkg/plugin
+```
+
+This will create a `kube-api-linter.so` file in the `bin` directory.
+
+The `golangci-lint` configuration is similar to the module configuration, however, you will need to specify the plugin path instead.
+
+```yaml
+linters-settings:
+  custom:
+    kubeapilinter:
+      path: "bin/kube-api-linter.so"
+      description: Kube API LInter lints Kube like APIs based on API conventions and best practices.
+      original-url: sigs.k8s.io/kube-api-linter
+      settings:
+        linters: {}
+        lintersConfig: {}
+```
+
+The rest of the configuration is the same as the module configuration, except the standard `golangci-lint` binary is invoked, rather than a custom binary.
+
 #### VSCode integration
 
 Since VSCode already integrates with `golangci-lint` via the [Go][vscode-go] extension, you can use the `golangci-kal` binary as a linter in VSCode.

pkg/plugin/plugin.go

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2025 The Kubernetes Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+	http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+// Package main is meant to be compiled as a plugin for golangci-lint, see
+// https://golangci-lint.run/plugins/go-plugins/.
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"golang.org/x/tools/go/analysis"
+	kubeapilinter "sigs.k8s.io/kube-api-linter"
+)
+
+type analyzerPlugin struct{}
+
+// GetAnalyzers returns all analyzers to be used by golangci-lint.
+func (*analyzerPlugin) GetAnalyzers() []*analysis.Analyzer {
+	analyzers, _ := New(nil)
+
+	return analyzers
+}
+
+// AnalyzerPlugin is the entry point for golangci-lint.
+var AnalyzerPlugin analyzerPlugin
+
+// New API, see https://github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/pull/3887.
+func New(pluginSettings interface{}) ([]*analysis.Analyzer, error) {
+	plugin, err := kubeapilinter.New(pluginSettings)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating plugin: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	analyzers, err := plugin.BuildAnalyzers()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error building analyzers: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return analyzers, nil
+}

plugin.go

@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
+
+// Package kubeapilinter is a golangci-lint plugin for the Kube API Linter (KAL).
+// It is built as a module to be used with golangci-lint.
+// See https://golangci-lint.run/plugins/module-plugins/ for more information.
 package kubeapilinter
 
 import (