ALE runs, linter runs, linter emits warning, ALE displays nothing

[klausman]

I have a LaTeX file with a definite linting warning from chktex:

$ chktex -v0 -p stdin -q -I < chapter_p4c01.tex 
12 stdin:102:4:12:Interword spacing (`\ ') should perhaps be used.
$

vim-ale is running (ALEInfo works):

 Current Filetype: plaintex                                                                                                                                                                             
Available Linters: ['alex', 'chktex', 'lacheck', 'proselint', 'redpen', 'texlab', 'textlint', 'vale', 'writegood']
   Linter Aliases:
'writegood' -> ['write-good']
  Enabled Linters: ['chktex']
  Ignored Linters: []
 Suggested Fixers:
  'remove_trailing_lines' - Remove all blank lines at the end of a file.
  'trim_whitespace' - Remove all trailing whitespace characters at the end of every line.
 Linter Variables:
 Global Variables:
let g:ale_cache_executable_check_failures = v:null
let g:ale_change_sign_column_color = 0
let g:ale_command_wrapper = ''
let g:ale_completion_delay = v:null
let g:ale_completion_enabled = 0
let g:ale_completion_max_suggestions = v:null
let g:ale_disable_lsp = 0
let g:ale_echo_cursor = 1
let g:ale_echo_msg_error_str = 'Error'
let g:ale_echo_msg_format = '%code: %%s'
let g:ale_echo_msg_info_str = 'Info'
let g:ale_echo_msg_warning_str = 'Warning'
let g:ale_enabled = 1
let g:ale_fix_on_save = 0
let g:ale_fixers = {}
let g:ale_history_enabled = 1
let g:ale_history_log_output = 1
let g:ale_keep_list_window_open = 0
let g:ale_lint_delay = 200
let g:ale_lint_on_enter = 1
let g:ale_lint_on_filetype_changed = 1
let g:ale_lint_on_insert_leave = 1
let g:ale_lint_on_save = 1
let g:ale_lint_on_text_changed = 'normal'
let g:ale_linter_aliases = {}
let g:ale_linters = {}
let b:ale_linters = {'plaintex': ['chktex']}
let g:ale_linters_explicit = 0
let g:ale_linters_ignore = {}
let g:ale_list_vertical = 0
let g:ale_list_window_size = 10
let g:ale_loclist_msg_format = '%code: %%s'
let g:ale_max_buffer_history_size = 20
let g:ale_max_signs = -1
let g:ale_maximum_file_size = v:null
let g:ale_open_list = 0
let g:ale_pattern_options = v:null
let g:ale_pattern_options_enabled = v:null
let g:ale_root = {}
let g:ale_set_balloons = 0
let g:ale_set_highlights = 1
let g:ale_set_loclist = 1
let g:ale_set_quickfix = 0
let g:ale_set_signs = 1
let g:ale_sign_column_always = 0
let g:ale_sign_error = '>>'
let g:ale_sign_info = '--'
let g:ale_sign_offset = 1000000
let g:ale_sign_style_error = '>>'
let g:ale_sign_style_warning = '--'
let g:ale_sign_warning = '--'
let g:ale_sign_highlight_linenrs = 0
let g:ale_statusline_format = v:null
let g:ale_type_map = {}
let g:ale_use_global_executables = v:null
let g:ale_virtualtext_cursor = 0
let g:ale_warn_about_trailing_blank_lines = 1
let g:ale_warn_about_trailing_whitespace = 1
  Command History:
(executable check - success) chktex
(finished - exit code 2) ['/bin/bash', '-c', 'chktex -v0 -p stdin -q -I < ''/tmp/vImSmak/1/chapter_p4c01.tex''']
<<<OUTPUT STARTS>>>
12 stdin:102:4:12:Interword spacing (`\ ') should perhaps be used.
<<<OUTPUT ENDS>>>

Note how ALE even sees the linter output.

But yet, there is 0 indication of this error in my editor window on line 102.

I tried let g:ale_sign_column_always = 1, but while that shows the gutter, there is no error/earning indicator in it.

I would have asked on IRC about this, but the current README mentions Freenode, and I can't connect there without an account (and given the recent turmoil there, I don't really want to do so).

[klausman]

And of course a minute after posting this, I found the problem.

I was using a chktexrc file (because I want to disable a few warnings, and add a few of my own commands that are ok to be followed by space).

Unfortunately, said file (which is probably 10+ years old) contained overrides for the -vN output formats. Since ALE expects something specific there, it broke. If you look at the command output in my initial report, it has a prefix of 12 ( the warning #), which I probably added at some point for easier fix lookup. Dropping the format overrides made ALE work as expected.