Error: ENOTEMPTY: directory not empty

[dougludlow]

Pretty regularly, I see the following error when starting webpack. My dist folder is typically a few folders deep. I usually just run webpack again and it works fine, but I thought I'd log an issue in case anyone else is seeing this as well:

C:\path\to\project\node_modules\webpack-dev-server\bin\webpack-dev-server.js:345
                throw e;
                ^

Error: ENOTEMPTY: directory not empty, rmdir 'C:\path\to\project\dist\Views'
    at Object.fs.rmdirSync (fs.js:856:18)
    at rmkidsSync (C:\path\to\project\node_modules\clean-webpack-plugin\node_modules\rimraf\rimraf.js:342:11)
    at rmdirSync (C:\path\to\project\node_modules\clean-webpack-plugin\node_modules\rimraf\rimraf.js:332:7)
    at rimrafSync (C:\path\to\project\node_modules\clean-webpack-plugin\node_modules\rimraf\rimraf.js:303:9)
    at C:\path\to\project\node_modules\clean-webpack-plugin\node_modules\rimraf\rimraf.js:340:5
    at Array.forEach (native)
    at rmkidsSync (C:\path\to\project\node_modules\clean-webpack-plugin\node_modules\rimraf\rimraf.js:339:26)
    at rmdirSync (C:\path\to\project\node_modules\clean-webpack-plugin\node_modules\rimraf\rimraf.js:332:7)
    at Function.rimrafSync [as sync] (C:\path\to\project\node_modules\clean-webpack-plugin\node_modules\rimraf\rimraf.js:303:9)
    at C:\path\to\project\node_modules\clean-webpack-plugin\index.js:164:16
    at Array.forEach (native)
    at CleanWebpackPlugin.clean (C:\path\to\project\node_modules\clean-webpack-plugin\index.js:90:15)
    at CleanWebpackPlugin.apply (C:\path\to\project\node_modules\clean-webpack-plugin\index.js:191:20)
    at Compiler.apply (C:\path\to\project\node_modules\tapable\lib\Tapable.js:306:16)
    at webpack (C:\path\to\project\node_modules\webpack\lib\webpack.js:32:19)
    at startDevServer (C:\path\to\project\node_modules\webpack-dev-server\bin\webpack-dev-server.js:339:14)
    at C:\path\to\project\node_modules\webpack-dev-server\bin\webpack-dev-server.js:330:3
    at C:\path\to\project\node_modules\portfinder\lib\portfinder.js:160:14
    at C:\path\to\project\node_modules\portfinder\node_modules\async\lib\async.js:52:16
    at C:\path\to\project\node_modules\portfinder\node_modules\async\lib\async.js:269:32
    at C:\path\to\project\node_modules\portfinder\node_modules\async\lib\async.js:44:16
    at C:\path\to\project\node_modules\portfinder\lib\portfinder.js:122:16
error Command failed with exit code 1.

OS: Windows 10
clean-webpack-plugin version: 0.1.16
rimraf version: 2.5.4

[rebolyte]

I'm hitting this issue as well, but only intermittently. It seems to empty the specified folder(s) and then throws the error. Then on running the build again it removes the now-empty directory successfully.

[brianespinosa]

I encounter this issue intermittently as well. Running the build again does not fix the issue. Usually have to manually delete the folder and run again.

[webpepper]

I've been noticing this as well lately after a bunch of things were upgraded (typescript, webpack, npm, etc.)

Current config:

node: v7.10.0
npm: 5.3.0
webpack: 3.4.1

[sergeysolovev]

The same for me, seems to be an issue with CleanWebpackPlugin

node v8.2.1
npm v5.3.0
webpack 3.5.1

[johnagan]

A quick search for the error seems to indicate that "it was due to the fact I had an explorer window opened in the directory I was trying to delete". Could this be the case here as well?

[webpepper]

Updating the version of rimraf in dependencies may help resolve the issue.

~2.5.1 will only bump it up to 2.5.4, and in version 2.6.0 this ENOTEMPTY error was addressed:
isaacs/rimraf@d53235d

After updating rimraf's version 2-3 days ago I haven't seen this error. Before that things were exploding left and right.

[wcxaaa]

Hi! I find this error occurs when nodemon is on.

OS: Windows10 15063's WSL (Ubuntu 16.04)

[chrisblossom]

@wcxaaa have you updated this plugin to version 0.1.17 ?

[wcxaaa]

@chrisblossom Yes I have.

chatroom-node@0.1.0 /mnt/m/workbench/_WSL/chatroom-node
└── clean-webpack-plugin@0.1.17

When I start building server code while nodemon is on, it throws an error.

Error: ENOTEMPTY: directory not empty, rmdir '/mnt/m/workbench/_WSL/chatroom-node/dist/server/config' ...

Here is the full error log.

However, the error goes away when I shut nodemon down and build again.

[chrisblossom]

@wcxaaa is it possible for you to test if the issue is with https://github.com/isaacs/rimraf? Or at least make a minimal repository that displays the issue?

[wcxaaa]

I've created a minimal repo as you said to expose the error:
wcxaaa/_test-At-clean-webpack-plugin
.. in which both clean-webpack-plugin and rimraf complain about it when nodemon is started.

To make them complain, after npm install, you can just run npm run build , npm run serve and once again (in a second terminal) npm run build.

Clean-webpack-plugin now throws an error as displayed in this issue. Additionally, running npm run clear right now to initiate rimraf cleaning throws a similar error as well:

Error: ENOTEMPTY: directory not empty, rmdir 'dist'

[stereokai]

@chrisblossom @johnagan

Hi, what's going with this? Started experiencing this myself with the latest version of the plugin (0.1.17)

This issue might be related:
isaacs/rimraf#119

[chrisblossom]

Sorry, I have not had time to setup a local Windows VM. Although, I do think this particular issue is with isaacs/rimraf and not this plugin.

[stereokai]

I couldn't find yet what is causing it. I did comment on the issue I linked to from the rimraf repo, let's see.

Thanks for such a quick reply.

[dlo]

In case it's helpful for anyone else, it turns out I'd run webpack under sudo, so files created in dist had root permissions and my usual user didn't have the rights to delete them. This is why running webpack would throw this error (at least for me).

[chrisblossom]

@dlo I would highly suggest NOT running webpack with sudo. If you are experiencing permission issues without sudo you have other issues that should be solved. Again, running webpack as sudo is dangerous and should be avoided.

[dlo]

No argument here. It wasn't purposeful--I ran foreman under sudo and webpack was one of the commands in the Procfile. It wasn't intentional.

[Legends]

One reason could be, if you have live server extension installed ???

When I disable it, the error goes away...

[wzhudev]

NTFS is shit. I guess this is inevitable for Windows users and nothing to do with this plugin or its dependencies.

[ChiKaLiO]

i'm just a noob but after running ng build for the third time it worked ._. ..

[shobhit-v]

npm install

fixed my issue

[stereokai]

@shobhit-v what're your package.json contents?

[shobhit-v]

@stereokai

{
"name": "quotation-manager",
"version": "0.0.0",
"scripts": {
"ng": "ng",
"start": "node server.js",
"build": "ng build",
"test": "ng test",
"lint": "ng lint",
"e2e": "ng e2e",
"heroku-postbuild": "ng build --prod"
},
"private": true,
"dependencies": {
"@angular/animations": "~7.2.0",
"@angular/common": "~7.2.0",
"@angular/compiler": "~7.2.0",
"@angular/core": "~7.2.0",
"@angular/forms": "~7.2.0",
"@angular/platform-browser": "~7.2.0",
"@angular/platform-browser-dynamic": "~7.2.0",
"@angular/router": "~7.2.0",
"@fortawesome/angular-fontawesome": "^0.3.0",
"@fortawesome/fontawesome-free-webfonts": "^1.0.9",
"@fortawesome/fontawesome-svg-core": "^1.2.8",
"@fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons": "^5.5.0",
"core-js": "^2.5.4",
"express": "^4.16.4",
"font-awesome": "^4.7.0",
"path": "^0.12.7",
"rxjs": "~6.3.3",
"tslib": "^1.9.0",
"zone.js": "~0.8.26"
},
"devDependencies": {
"@angular-devkit/build-angular": "~0.13.0",
"@angular/cli": "~7.3.0",
"@angular/compiler-cli": "~7.2.0",
"@angular/language-service": "~7.2.0",
"@fortawesome/fontawesome-free": "^5.7.2",
"@types/jasmine": "~2.8.8",
"@types/jasminewd2": "~2.0.3",
"@types/node": "~8.9.4",
"codelyzer": "~4.5.0",
"jasmine-core": "~2.99.1",
"jasmine-spec-reporter": "~4.2.1",
"karma": "~3.1.1",
"karma-chrome-launcher": "~2.2.0",
"karma-coverage-istanbul-reporter": "~2.0.1",
"karma-jasmine": "~1.1.2",
"karma-jasmine-html-reporter": "^0.2.2",
"protractor": "~5.4.0",
"ts-node": "~7.0.0",
"tslint": "~5.11.0",
"typescript": "~3.2.2"
},
"engines": {
"node": "10.15.1",
"npm": "6.4.1"
},
}

[stereokai]

@shobhit-v Thanks, though doesn't help me much, they're all top level deps.

[chrisblossom]

Closed in v2.0.0 via #99. See johnagan/clean-webpack-plugin#usage. Please open a new issue if you continue to have problems.

[mkalantar]

One reason could be, if you have live server extension installed ???

When I disable it, the error goes away...

you saved my day.

[ya332]

One reason could be, if you have live server extension installed ???

When I disable it, the error goes away...

This fixed the issue for me.

[vestemeansorin91]

One reason could be, if you have live server extension installed ???

When I disable it, the error goes away...

You are a GOD or something?

[xeroxstar]

I am getting same error using webpack on windows with the webstome, the version of the clean-webpack-plugin is 3.0.0, it was working fine for few hours and after webpack started to throw an error Error: ENOTEMPTY: directory not empty.

[theprantadutta]

One reason could be, if you have live server extension installed ???

When I disable it, the error goes away...

How on earth did you find that error?
Thanks a lot for that. This fixed the issue for me.

[claranceliberi]

Hi! I find this error occurs when nodemon is on.

OS: Windows10 15063's WSL (Ubuntu 16.04)

saved my day

[MrBrN197]

One reason could be, if you have live server extension installed ???

When I disable it, the error goes away...

Thanks a bunch!!!!!!

[anupjungkarki]

By Uninstalling the live server extension I solve It.