angular/angular-cli · error · Error

--from requires that only a single package be passed.

Error message

--from requires that only a single package be passed.

What it means

Thrown when `ng update --migrate-only --from <version>` is invoked with more than one package. The --from option specifies a single starting version for migration, which is only meaningful for exactly one package, so the CLI validates the package count and fails fast.

Source

Thrown at packages/angular/cli/src/commands/update/update-resolver.ts:907

      try {
        return isPkgFromRegistry(name, specifier);
      } catch {
        logger.warn(`Package ${name} was not found on the registry. Skipping.`);

        return false;
      }
    }) as [string, VersionRange][],
  );

  const packagesOption = options.packages ?? [];
  const normalizedPackages = packagesOption.reduce((acc, curr) => {
    return acc.concat(curr.split(','));
  }, [] as string[]);
  options.packages = normalizedPackages;

  if (options.migrateOnly && options.from) {
    if (options.packages.length !== 1) {
      throw new Error('--from requires that only a single package be passed.');
    }
  }

  options.from = _formatVersion(options.from);
  options.to = _formatVersion(options.to);
  const usingYarn = options.packageManager === 'yarn';

  const minReleaseAge = await packageManager.getMinimumReleaseAge();

  const getRegistryName = (name: string): string => {
    const specifier = npmDeps.get(name);
    if (specifier) {
      return getRegistryNameAndRange(name, specifier).name;
    }

    return name;
  };

View on GitHub (pinned to bb72145f9a)

Solutions

1. Run one ng update command per package, each with its own --from value.
2. Omit --from and let the CLI determine versions automatically.
3. Drop --migrate-only if you intend a full multi-package update rather than a single-package migration.

Example fix

// before
ng update @angular/material @angular/core --migrate-only --from 17
// after
ng update @angular/material --migrate-only --from 17
ng update @angular/core --migrate-only --from 17

if (options.from && packages.length !== 1) {
  throw new Error('--from can only be used with a single package');
}

try {
  await ngUpdate(packages, { migrateOnly: true, from });
} catch (e) {
  if (e.message.includes('--from requires that only a single package')) {
    // loop over packages, invoking one ng update per package with its own --from
  }
}

When it happens

Trigger: `ng update pkg-a pkg-b --migrate-only --from 1.2.3`; comma-separated names like `ng update pkg-a,pkg-b --migrate-only --from x` (commas are normalized into separate packages before the check).

Common situations: Scripting bulk migrations and passing multiple packages with a shared --from; copy-pasting a multi-package update command and adding --migrate-only --from; misunderstanding that --from applies per package.

Related errors

• Invalid config found at ${workspace.filePath}. CLI should be
• Invalid Path.
• A collection and schematic is required during execution.
• Invalid option key: '${key}'. Option keys must be alphanumer
• Package ${JSON.stringify(pkgName)} is not in package.json.

AI-assisted analysis of angular/angular-cli@bb72145f9a (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ebc4d099202dd738. Report an issue: GitHub.