[Bug] `yarn --cwd path install` fails with Ambiguous Syntax Error

[Knagis]

• I'd be willing to implement a fix

Describe the bug

yarn --cwd path install fails with

Ambiguous Syntax Error: Cannot find who to pick amongst the following alternatives:

  0. yarn install [--json] [--immutable] [--immutable-cache] [--check-cache] [--inline-builds] [--skip-builds]
  1. yarn install [--json] [--immutable] [--immutable-cache] [--check-cache] [--inline-builds] [--skip-builds]

To Reproduce

yarn init
yarn set version berry
yarn --cwd . install

Environment if relevant

• OS: Windows 10 v2004
• Node version: v12.13.1
• Yarn version: 2.4.0

[yarnbot]

Hi! 👋

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[h4sohail]

We have a structure like such:

├── client
│   ├── packge.json          # a react codebase
└── server
│   ├── packge.json          # a nodejs codebase
├── .yarn # yarn v2 folder
└── .yarnrc.yml # yarn v2 file
└── package.json # script "setup": "yarn --cwd services/client/ install && yarn --cwd services/client/ install"

Running yarn setup from the root directory causes:

$ yarn setup
Ambiguous Syntax Error: Cannot find who to pick amongst the following alternatives:

  0. yarn install [--json] [--immutable] [--immutable-cache] [--check-cache] [--inline-builds] [--skip-builds]
  1. yarn install [--json] [--immutable] [--immutable-cache] [--check-cache] [--inline-builds] [--skip-builds]

While running --cwd services/client/ install

[merceyz]

@h4sohail As a workaround you can use yarn services/client/ install but if you're using workspaces you only need to run an install at the root

[SudoNova]

@h4sohail As a workaround you can use yarn services/client/ install but if you're using workspaces you only need to run an install at the root

This worked and interests me, that what is the use of --cwd where a recursive build script happens in root directory? I mean something like a postinstall script like this one: "postinstall": "find . -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 -type d -not -path './.*' | xargs -Idest yarn --cwd dest install". Does anyone build their project bottom up?

[Sphinxkkk]

I have encountered such a problem and can't solve it. I would be very grateful if you could help me solve it!

Usage Error: The --cwd option is ambiguous when used anywhere else than the very first parameter provided in the command line, before even the command path