chocolatey/choco · error · ApplicationException

Package name cannot be a path to a file

Error message

Package name cannot be a path to a file

What it means

Thrown as an ApplicationException from ThrowInvalidPathError when a package name ending in '.nupkg' resolves to a valid local file or UNC path. Unlike error 68 (where the file does not exist), this fires when the file IS found — the user is pointing to a specific .nupkg file instead of using --source. The message includes a contextual usage example built by BuildInstallExample showing the correct choco command syntax.

Source

Thrown at src/chocolatey/infrastructure.app/services/ChocolateyPackageService.cs:1373

                sb.AppendLine("on a UNC location.")
                  .AppendLine()
                  .Append("To ")
                  .Append(commandName.ToLowerSafe())
                  .AppendLine(" a file in a UNC location, you may use:");
            }
            else
            {
                sb.AppendLine("on a remote, or local file system.")
                  .AppendLine()
                  .Append("To ")
                  .Append(commandName.ToLowerSafe())
                  .AppendLine(" a local, or remote file, you may use:");

            }

            BuildInstallExample(packageName, sb, commandName.ToLowerSafe());

            throw new ApplicationException(sb.AppendLine().ToString());
        }

        private void BuildInstallExample(string packageName, StringBuilder sb, string commandName)
        {
            var fileName = _fileSystem.GetFilenameWithoutExtension(packageName);
            var version = string.Empty;
            // We need to get the directory name in this way in case it is a UNC path.
            // Using normal way to get the directory name may trim out parts of the necessary path.
            var length = packageName.Length - _fileSystem.GetFileName(packageName).Length - 1;
            var directory = length > 0 ? packageName.Substring(0, length) : string.Empty;

            if (fileName.Contains('.'))
            {
                var originalFileName = fileName;
                fileName = string.Empty;

                while (fileName.Length < originalFileName.Length)
                {

View on GitHub (pinned to 0d5abdd10c)

Solutions

1. Follow the generated example in the error message — it shows the exact correct command for your scenario.
2. Use --source to point to the directory containing the .nupkg and pass the package name without path or extension.
3. For UNC paths: 'choco install firefox --source=\\server\share\packages'.
4. For local paths: 'choco install firefox --source=C:\downloads'.

Example fix

// before: pointing package name at a specific .nupkg file
choco install C:\downloads\firefox.1.0.0.nupkg

// after: use --source for the directory, package name only
choco install firefox --source=C:\downloads
// the error message itself generates this example dynamically

// Detect file-path package names and redirect before the API throws
foreach (var name in config.PackageNames.Split(';'))
{
    if (name.EndsWith(".nupkg", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
    {
        if (Uri.TryCreate(name, UriKind.Absolute, out var uri) && (uri.IsFile || uri.IsUnc))
        {
            var dir = Path.GetDirectoryName(uri.LocalPath);
            var pkgId = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(uri.LocalPath);
            throw new InvalidOperationException($"Use: choco install {pkgId} --source={dir}");
        }
        if (_fileSystem.FileExists(name))
        {
            var dir = Path.GetDirectoryName(_fileSystem.GetFullPath(name));
            var pkgId = _fileSystem.GetFilenameWithoutExtension(name);
            throw new InvalidOperationException($"Use: choco install {pkgId} --source={dir}");
        }
    }
}

try
{
    _packageService.Install(config);
}
catch (ApplicationException ex) when (ex.Message.Contains("Package name cannot be a path to a file"))
{
    // The error message already contains a generated usage example
    logger.Error(ex.Message); // shows the correct 'choco install ... --source=...' command
}

When it happens

Trigger: ValidatePackageNames detects a .nupkg package name that Uri.TryCreate resolves to a file:// or UNC URI, or that _fileSystem.FileExists confirms exists. ThrowInvalidPathError is called with the resolved path and UNC flag, building a detailed message with a correct usage example before throwing.

Common situations: A user runs 'choco install C:\downloads\firefox.nupkg' or 'choco install \\server\share\firefox.nupkg'. Chocolatey identifies the file path but rejects it, instead showing the correct command: 'choco install firefox --source=C:\downloads'.

Related errors

• Package name cannot point directly to a local, or remote fil
• Package name cannot point directly to a package manifest fil
• A single package name is required to run the choco info comm
• Only a single package name can be passed to the choco info c
• Package name is required. Please pass at least one package n

AI-assisted analysis of chocolatey/choco@0d5abdd10c (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5be6e7513017f312. Report an issue: GitHub.