Give error messages if an explicitly provided rcfile can't be read.

2 files changed, 25 insertions, 15 deletions

diff --git a/coverage/config.py b/coverage/config.py
index 9598f74d..65f4222a 100644
--- a/coverage/config.py
+++ b/coverage/config.py
@@ -197,14 +197,24 @@ class CoverageConfig(object):
         self.attempted_config_files.append(filename)
 
         cp = HandyConfigParser(section_prefix)
-        files_read = cp.read(filename)
+        try:
+            files_read = cp.read(filename)
+        except configparser.Error as err:
+            raise CoverageException(
+                "Couldn't read config file %s: %s" % (filename, err)
+                )
         if not files_read:
             return False
 
         self.config_files.extend(files_read)
 
-        for option_spec in self.CONFIG_FILE_OPTIONS:
-            self._set_attr_from_config_option(cp, *option_spec)
+        try:
+            for option_spec in self.CONFIG_FILE_OPTIONS:
+                self._set_attr_from_config_option(cp, *option_spec)
+        except ValueError as err:
+            raise CoverageException(
+                "Couldn't read config file %s: %s" % (filename, err)
+                )
 
         # [paths] is special
         if cp.has_section('paths'):
diff --git a/coverage/control.py b/coverage/control.py
index 815c16b9..6aa06da8 100644
--- a/coverage/control.py
+++ b/coverage/control.py
@@ -94,20 +94,20 @@ class Coverage(object):
         # 1: defaults:
         self.config = CoverageConfig()
 
-        # 2: from the .coveragerc or setup.cfg file:
+        # 2: from the rcfile, .coveragerc or setup.cfg file:
         if config_file:
-            did_read_rc = should_read_setupcfg = False
-            if config_file is True:
+            did_read_rc = False
+            specified_file = (config_file is not True)
+            if not specified_file:
                 config_file = ".coveragerc"
-                should_read_setupcfg = True
-            try:
-                did_read_rc = self.config.from_file(config_file)
-            except ValueError as err:
-                raise CoverageException(
-                    "Couldn't read config file %s: %s" % (config_file, err)
-                    )
-
-            if not did_read_rc and should_read_setupcfg:
+
+            did_read_rc = self.config.from_file(config_file)
+
+            if not did_read_rc:
+                if specified_file:
+                    raise CoverageException(
+                        "Couldn't read %r as a config file" % config_file
+                        )
                 self.config.from_file("setup.cfg", section_prefix="coverage:")
 
         # 3: from environment variables: