angular/angular-cli · error · CommandModuleError

Confguration file cannot be found.

Error message

Confguration file cannot be found.

What it means

After resolving the raw workspace config via getWorkspaceRaw (local angular.json or the global .angular-config), set() throws if either the config or its path is missing. This means no configuration file exists in which the requested JSON-path change can be written.

Source

Thrown at packages/angular/cli/src/commands/config/cli.ts:104

    } else if (typeof value === 'string') {
      logger.info(value);
    } else {
      logger.info(JSON.stringify(value, null, 2));
    }

    return 0;
  }

  private async set(options: Options<ConfigCommandArgs>): Promise<number | void> {
    if (!options.jsonPath?.trim()) {
      throw new CommandModuleError('Invalid Path.');
    }

    const [config, configPath] = await getWorkspaceRaw(options.global ? 'global' : 'local');
    const { logger } = this.context;

    if (!config || !configPath) {
      throw new CommandModuleError('Confguration file cannot be found.');
    }

    const normalizeUUIDValue = (v: string | undefined) => (v === '' ? randomUUID() : `${v}`);

    const value =
      options.jsonPath === 'cli.analyticsSharing.uuid'
        ? normalizeUUIDValue(options.value)
        : options.value;

    const modified = config.modify(parseJsonPath(options.jsonPath), normalizeValue(value));

    if (!modified) {
      logger.error('Value cannot be found.');

      return 1;
    }

    await validateWorkspace(parseJson(config.content), options.global ?? false);

View on GitHub (pinned to bb72145f9a)

Solutions

1. Run the command inside the Angular project directory containing angular.json
2. If you intend the global config, verify it exists (~/.angular-config or the value of NG_CLI_ANALYTICS/global config location) before using --global
3. Regenerate the workspace file (e.g. restore from VCS or `ng new`/`ng generate config` if applicable)
4. Set the global configuration explicitly via NG_CONFIG or create the file with an empty {} JSON object before editing

Example fix

// before (outside project)
ng config cli.defaultCollection my-lib
// after
cd my-angular-project && ng config cli.defaultCollection my-lib

import { existsSync } from 'fs';
const globalMode = options.global;
const configFile = globalMode ? (process.env.NG_CONFIG ?? `${homedir()}/.angular-config`) : 'angular.json';
if (!existsSync(configFile)) {
  throw new Error(`Configuration file not found: ${configFile}. Run from an Angular project or create the global config.`);
}

function hasRawWorkspace(w: { config: unknown; path: string } | undefined | null)
  : w is { config: unknown; path: string } {
  return !!w && typeof w.path === 'string' && w.config != null;
}

try {
  await configCommand.run(options);
} catch (e) {
  if (e instanceof CommandModuleError && e.message.includes('Confguration file cannot be found')) {
    logger.error('No angular.json (or global config) found — run inside an Angular project.');
  } else { throw e; }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running `ng config <path> <value>` in a directory with no angular.json (and --global not passed), or passing --global when no global .angular-config file exists / cannot be located.

Common situations: Executing the command outside an Angular project root; angular.json deleted or renamed; expecting `--global` to create a fresh global config file that isn't present; running in a CI workspace that never had angular.json generated.

Related errors

• Could not find ${level} workspace.
• Cannot retrieve cache configuration as workspace is not defi
• Workspace config file cannot be loaded: ${configPath}
• Invalid config found at ${workspace.filePath}. CLI should be
• Could not find a ${level} workspace. Are you in a project?

AI-assisted analysis of angular/angular-cli@bb72145f9a (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8bf76ce22361402c. Report an issue: GitHub.