TS6053: File not found - in CI

By Kaveh Alemi·Latchkey

tsc was told to compile a specific file that does not exist at the given path.

What this error means

tsc fails with TS6053 naming a path from the files array, an extends, or a reference that is missing.

tsc

error TS6053: File '/app/src/main.ts' not found.

Diagnose it: which tsconfig and which compiler?

A TypeScript error that appears only in CI usually means the runner is compiling with a different config or a different compiler version than your editor. Your editor uses the workspace TypeScript and the nearest tsconfig.json; CI uses whatever the lockfile resolved and whatever config the build script names.

Terminal

# what CI will actually use
npx tsc --version
npx tsc --showConfig | head -40

# which files are in the program (a missing include is a common cause)
npx tsc --listFiles | wc -l

# type-check only, no emit, same as most CI gates
npx tsc --noEmit

Common causes

How to fix it

Fix the path in tsconfig

Update the files entry to the real path with exact casing

tsconfig.json

{
  "files": ["src/main.ts"]
}

Ensure the file is present in CI

Confirm the checkout includes the path; avoid sparse checkouts that drop it

shell

ls -la src/main.ts

Pin the compiler so unrelated updates cannot break the gate

TypeScript adds errors in minor releases. An unpinned compiler turns a routine dependency update into a red build on code nobody touched, which is the most common false alarm in a TypeScript CI pipeline.

package.json

// package.json
{
  "devDependencies": {
    "typescript": "5.6.3"   // exact, not ^5.6.3
  }
}

How to prevent it

Keep tsconfig files entries current and verify CI checks out all referenced source paths.

Frequently asked questions

How do I fix TS6053: file not found?

There are 2 fixes depending on which cause you have: fix the path in tsconfig and ensure the file is present in ci. Work through them in order, since the first is the most common.

What does TS6053: file not found actually mean?