Build error The `cwd` option must be a path to a directory when a file called `build` exists

[loopingz]

Have you read the Contributing Guidelines on issues?

• I have read the Contributing Guidelines on issues.

Prerequisites

• I'm using the latest version of Docusaurus.
• I have tried the npm run clear or yarn clear command.
• I have tried rm -rf node_modules yarn.lock package-lock.json and re-installing packages.
• I have tried creating a repro with https://new.docusaurus.io.
• I have read the console error message carefully (if applicable).

Description

When building docusaurus, it clean the build folder first build

While setting up a Bazel build i had a file called BUILD but as I am on a case-insensitive filesystem, it prevents the folder or got catch in the glob. Creating this error message:

[ERROR] Unable to build website for locale en.
[ERROR] Error: The `cwd` option must be a path to a directory
    at checkCwdOption (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/globby@11.1.0/node_modules/globby/index.js:33:9)
    at generateGlobTasks (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/globby@11.1.0/node_modules/globby/index.js:42:2)
    at module.exports.sync (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/globby@11.1.0/node_modules/globby/index.js:139:20)
    at module.exports.sync (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/del@6.1.1/node_modules/del/index.js:119:23)
    at CleanWebpackPlugin.removeFiles (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/@docusaurus+core@2.4.1_jgxnvbe4faw3ohf4h6p42qq6oy/node_modules/@docusaurus/core/lib/webpack/plugins/CleanWebpackPlugin.js:136:44)
    at CleanWebpackPlugin.handleInitial (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/@docusaurus+core@2.4.1_jgxnvbe4faw3ohf4h6p42qq6oy/node_modules/@docusaurus/core/lib/webpack/plugins/CleanWebpackPlugin.js:93:14)
    at /Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/@docusaurus+core@2.4.1_jgxnvbe4faw3ohf4h6p42qq6oy/node_modules/@docusaurus/core/lib/webpack/plugins/CleanWebpackPlugin.js:73:22
    at Hook.eval [as call] (eval at create (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/tapable@2.2.1/node_modules/tapable/lib/HookCodeFactory.js:19:10), <anonymous>:16:1)
    at Hook.CALL_DELEGATE [as _call] (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/tapable@2.2.1/node_modules/tapable/lib/Hook.js:14:14)
    at /Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/webpack@5.88.1/node_modules/webpack/lib/Compiler.js:1168:23

I think the error message should be clearer to avoid confusion.

Reproducible demo

No response

Steps to reproduce

1. Create a new project
2. Create a file called build in the repository
3. Launch the build

Expected behavior

Fail with a more human understandable error

Actual behavior

The message displayed is:

[ERROR] Unable to build website for locale en.
[ERROR] Error: The `cwd` option must be a path to a directory
    at checkCwdOption (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/globby@11.1.0/node_modules/globby/index.js:33:9)
    at generateGlobTasks (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/globby@11.1.0/node_modules/globby/index.js:42:2)
    at module.exports.sync (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/globby@11.1.0/node_modules/globby/index.js:139:20)
    at module.exports.sync (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/del@6.1.1/node_modules/del/index.js:119:23)
    at CleanWebpackPlugin.removeFiles (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/@docusaurus+core@2.4.1_jgxnvbe4faw3ohf4h6p42qq6oy/node_modules/@docusaurus/core/lib/webpack/plugins/CleanWebpackPlugin.js:136:44)
    at CleanWebpackPlugin.handleInitial (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/@docusaurus+core@2.4.1_jgxnvbe4faw3ohf4h6p42qq6oy/node_modules/@docusaurus/core/lib/webpack/plugins/CleanWebpackPlugin.js:93:14)
    at /Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/@docusaurus+core@2.4.1_jgxnvbe4faw3ohf4h6p42qq6oy/node_modules/@docusaurus/core/lib/webpack/plugins/CleanWebpackPlugin.js:73:22
    at Hook.eval [as call] (eval at create (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/tapable@2.2.1/node_modules/tapable/lib/HookCodeFactory.js:19:10), <anonymous>:16:1)
    at Hook.CALL_DELEGATE [as _call] (/Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/tapable@2.2.1/node_modules/tapable/lib/Hook.js:14:14)
    at /Users/loopingz/Git/docusaurus/private/node_modules/.pnpm/webpack@5.88.1/node_modules/webpack/lib/Compiler.js:1168:23

Your environment

Mac Filesystem with case insensitive filesystem

Self-service

• I'd be willing to fix this bug myself.

[slorber]

Hey

Thanks for reporting

when casing doesn't match

Does it actually matter? I'm not sure to understand anymore.

The problematic code:

import { sync as delSync } from "del";

const deleted = delSync(patterns, {
  force: false,
  // Change context to build directory
  cwd: this.outputPath,
  dryRun: false,
  dot: true,
  ignore: this.protectWebpackAssets ? this.currentAssets : []
});

---

Fail with a more human understandable error

How do you see us handle this exactly? What should be the error message?

We can check if this.outputPath is a file (and not a folder) and throw that message, but how do we explain things to the users?

We can also delete the build or BUILD file, but not sure it would be a good idea anyway 🤷‍♂️

[Josh-Cena]

Mmmm, I may have misread the issue. So it's about a file called build already existing (and nothing to do with the casing, strictly speaking). I think we should throw an error instead of deleting the file.

[slorber]

Ah, didn't see you renamed the issue :)

I think we should throw an error instead of deleting the file.

Yes

We could also ignore the deletion error, but not sure it would be a good idea anyway because it could lead to downstream errors due to unability to create the build folder.

➜  Desktop touch build
➜  Desktop mkdir build
mkdir: build: File exists

---

Marking this as a good first-time contribution, so feel free to send a PR (no need to claim the issue)

Modifications should be done in /packages/docusaurus/src/webpack/plugins/CleanWebpackPlugin.ts

If the this.outputPath file exists (case insensitive, default value is build) we should throw an error and tell the user that Docusaurus needs this folder, or they can choose a different Docusaurus build output dir (CLI docusaurus build --out-dir xyz). We currently don't have any unit tests on this CleanWebpackPlugin so I won't ask for you to take the initiative to start writing them.

[thedevwonder]

I actually found a better method using fs.existsSync() and it works well for a variety of use cases. But it seems the function is restricted to use.

[thedevwonder]

@slorber Sending a PR using fs module #9112. Please let me know if it looks good!