[CT-3391] [Regression] dbt clean fails with "directories outside the project" error

[katieclaiborne]

Is this a regression in a recent version of dbt-core?

• I believe this is a regression in dbt-core functionality
• I have searched the existing issues, and I could not find an existing issue for this regression

Current Behavior

After upgrading to dbt-core v1.7.1, dbt clean fails with a runtime error. (See log output below.)

Expected/Previous Behavior

In dbt-core v1.6.8, dbt clean executed smoothly, and I expected v1.7.1 to behave the same way.

19:02:25  Running with dbt=1.6.8
19:02:25  Checking target/*
19:02:25  Cleaned target/*
19:02:25  Checking dbt_packages/*
19:02:25  Cleaned dbt_packages/*
19:02:25  Finished cleaning all paths.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Install dbt-core v1.7.1.
2. Initialize a dbt project in the dbt directory of a GitHub repository.
3. Set the DBT_PROJECT_DIR environment variable to "dbt"
4. Add packages to a packages.yml file (see example below).
5. From the root of the GitHub repo, execute dbt deps to install them.
6. From the root of the GitHub repo, execute dbt clean to generate the runtime error.

packages:
  - package: dbt-labs/dbt_project_evaluator
    version: [">=0.8.0", "<0.9.0"]

Relevant log output

19:02:51  Running with dbt=1.7.1
19:02:51  Encountered an error:
Runtime Error
  dbt will not clean the following directories outside the project: ['/Users/katie.claiborne/github-repos/cbh-member-appts/dbt/target', '/Users/katie.claiborne/github-repos/cbh-member-appts/dbt/dbt_packages']

Environment

- OS: macOS-13.6.1-arm64-arm-64bit
- Python: 3.9.10
- dbt (working version): 1.6.8
- dbt (regression version): 1.7.1

Which database adapter are you using with dbt?

bigquery

Additional Context

Our project uses the default clean-targets config.

clean-targets:
  - "target"
  - "dbt_packages"

[MichelleArk]

Thank you for opening this issue! I think this may have been intentionally introduced by #8469.

A workaround may be to run dbt clean --no-clean-project-files-only. Could you please give that a try @katieclaiborne?

❯ dbt clean --help
Usage: dbt clean [OPTIONS]

  Delete all folders in the clean-targets list (usually the dbt_packages and
  target directories.)

Options:
  ...
  --clean-project-files-only / --no-clean-project-files-only
                                  If disabled, dbt clean will delete all paths
                                  specified in clean-paths, even if they're
                                  outside the dbt project.
  ...

[katieclaiborne]

Oh yes, that works!

(venv) CBM-FVFGRAA9Q05N:cbh-member-appts katie.claiborne$ dbt clean --no-clean-project-files-only
21:38:44  Running with dbt=1.7.1
21:38:44  Checking /Users/katie.claiborne/github-repos/cbh-member-appts/dbt/target/*
21:38:44  Cleaned /Users/katie.claiborne/github-repos/cbh-member-appts/dbt/target/*
21:38:44  Checking /Users/katie.claiborne/github-repos/cbh-member-appts/dbt/dbt_packages/*
21:38:44  Cleaned /Users/katie.claiborne/github-repos/cbh-member-appts/dbt/dbt_packages/*
21:38:44  Finished cleaning all paths.

[MichelleArk]

Nice! We should probably add this to the 1.7 upgrade guide

[dbeatty10]

Nice! We should probably add this to the 1.7 upgrade guide

Per @MichelleArk's comment, closing this in favor of adding this to the upgrade guide: dbt-labs/docs.getdbt.com#4482

Thanks again @katieclaiborne 🏆