yarn "An unexpected error occurred: … ENOENT" - Fix in CI

ENOENT means "no such file or directory". When yarn wraps it in "An unexpected error occurred", a path yarn relied on - a cache dir, a temp file, a package tarball - was missing or removed mid-run.

What this error means

yarn install aborts with "An unexpected error occurred" followed by an ENOENT for some path. It often involves the yarn cache, a temp directory, or a file a lifecycle script expected to exist.

error An unexpected error occurred:
"ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/usr/local/share/.cache/yarn/v6/...'".

Common causes

A missing or partially restored cache directory

A CI cache that restored incompletely, or a cache path that was cleaned mid-run, leaves yarn looking for files that are not there.

A lifecycle script references a non-existent path

A postinstall or prepare step that cds into or reads a file that does not exist in CI surfaces as an ENOENT inside yarn’s run.

Concurrent processes touching the same cache

Two yarn runs sharing one cache dir can delete/move files out from under each other, producing transient ENOENT.

How to fix it

Reset the cache and reinstall cleanly

Clear the yarn cache and remove node_modules before retrying.

yarn cache clean
rm -rf node_modules
yarn install --immutable

Isolate and validate paths

1. Give parallel jobs separate yarn cache directories.
2. Make lifecycle scripts tolerant of missing optional paths.
3. Verify the CI cache key restores a complete cache (or skip restoring a broken one).

How to prevent it

• Use isolated cache dirs for parallel installs.
• Validate paths in lifecycle scripts before using them.
• Bust incomplete CI caches rather than restoring them.

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