chocolatey/choco · error · FileNotFoundException

No {0} files (or more than 1) were found to build in '{1}'.

Error message

No {0} files (or more than 1) were found to build in '{1}'. Please specify the {0} file or try in a different directory.

What it means

Thrown as a FileNotFoundException from GetPackageFileOrThrow when the current directory contains zero files matching the specified extension, or more than one matching file. The Ensure.That lambda checks files.Count() == 1 and throws if the count is anything else. This is used by Pack and other commands to auto-discover a single .nuspec or .nupkg file.

Source

Thrown at src/chocolatey/infrastructure.app/services/NugetService.cs:430

            }
        }

        public void PackDryRun(ChocolateyConfiguration config)
        {
            this.Log().Info("{0} would have searched for a nuspec file in \"{1}\" and attempted to compile it.".FormatWith(
                ApplicationParameters.Name,
                config.OutputDirectory ?? _fileSystem.GetCurrentDirectory()
                                ));
        }

        public virtual string GetPackageFileOrThrow(ChocolateyConfiguration config, string extension)
        {
            Func<IFileSystem, string> getLocalFiles = (fileSystem) =>
                {
                    var filesFound = fileSystem.GetFiles(fileSystem.GetCurrentDirectory(), "*" + extension).ToList().OrEmpty();
                    Ensure.That(() => filesFound)
                          .Meets((files) => files.Count() == 1,
                                 (name, value) => { throw new FileNotFoundException("No {0} files (or more than 1) were found to build in '{1}'. Please specify the {0} file or try in a different directory.".FormatWith(extension, _fileSystem.GetCurrentDirectory())); });

                    return filesFound.FirstOrDefault();
                };

            var filePath = !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(config.Input) ? config.Input : getLocalFiles.Invoke(_fileSystem);
            Ensure.That(() => filePath).Meets((file) => _fileSystem.GetFileExtension(file).IsEqualTo(extension) && _fileSystem.FileExists(file),
                                              (name, value) => { throw new ArgumentException("File specified is either not found or not a {0} file. '{1}'".FormatWith(extension, value)); });

            return filePath;
        }

        public virtual void Pack(ChocolateyConfiguration config)
        {
            var nuspecFilePath = GetPackageFileOrThrow(config, PackagingConstants.ManifestExtension);
            ValidateNuspec(nuspecFilePath, config);

            var nuspecDirectory = _fileSystem.GetFullPath(_fileSystem.GetDirectoryName(nuspecFilePath));
            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(nuspecDirectory))

View on GitHub (pinned to 0d5abdd10c)

Solutions

1. If multiple files exist, specify the file explicitly: 'choco pack specific-package.nuspec'.
2. If no files exist, navigate to the directory containing your .nuspec file or create one.
3. Ensure only one .nuspec file exists in the working directory if you rely on auto-discovery.
4. Pass the file path via the config.Input parameter or command-line positional argument.

Example fix

// before: multiple .nuspec files in directory, auto-discovery fails
> dir
  packageA.nuspec
  packageB.nuspec
choco pack  // throws

// after: specify the file explicitly
choco pack packageA.nuspec

// Before calling GetPackageFileOrThrow, verify file count in directory
if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(config.Input))
{
    var matchingFiles = _fileSystem
        .GetFiles(_fileSystem.GetCurrentDirectory(), "*" + extension)
        .ToList();
    if (matchingFiles.Count != 1)
    {
        throw new InvalidOperationException(
            matchingFiles.Count == 0
                ? $"No *{extension} files found in '{_fileSystem.GetCurrentDirectory()}'. Specify the file explicitly."
                : $"Multiple *{extension} files found. Specify which file to use via the input parameter.");
    }
}

try
{
    var packageFile = _nugetService.GetPackageFileOrThrow(config, extension);
}
catch (FileNotFoundException ex) when (ex.Message.Contains("No ") || ex.Message.Contains("more than 1"))
{
    logger.Error($"Expected exactly one {extension} file. " + ex.Message);
    // Suggest specifying the file explicitly
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling GetPackageFileOrThrow (typically via Pack) when config.Input is empty and the current directory either has no files matching '*{extension}' (e.g., no .nuspec files) or has multiple matching files. The extension parameter is typically PackagingConstants.ManifestExtension (.nuspec) for pack operations.

Common situations: Running 'choco pack' in a directory with zero .nuspec files (wrong directory), or in a directory with multiple .nuspec files (ambiguous). The user must either navigate to the correct directory or specify the file explicitly via config.Input.

Related errors

• Package name cannot point directly to a package manifest fil
• File specified is either not found or not a {0} file. '{1}'
• One or more issues found with {0}, please fix all validation
• When specifying the subcommand '{0}', you must also specify
• No rule with the name {0} could be found.

AI-assisted analysis of chocolatey/choco@0d5abdd10c (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/e8f944b24d0ff4cd. Report an issue: GitHub.