Does the user running the command have read access to the source and write access to the destination?
The quickest and most effective fix is to so that the shell ignores it and passes it directly to the unzip utility. Option 1: Single or Double Quotes (Recommended)
If the directory or file you are referencing doesn't exist in the current working directory exactly as typed, the shell fails to find a match and passes the literal string (including the asterisk) to unzip . unzip then looks for a file literally named * and fails. The Solution: Wrap it in Quotes Does the user running the command have read
If you are downloading a zipped artifact from S3 and trying to unzip it into a specific folder structure within a CI/CD pipeline (like GitHub Actions or GitLab CI), the environment might not have the local folder tree mapped out yet. Always quote your paths in your .yml configurations. 2. Extracting Specific Subdirectories
unzip "stage/components/*" # OR unzip 'stage/components/*.zip' Use code with caution. Option 2: Backslash Escaping unzip then looks for a file literally named * and fails
You can also "escape" the wildcard character specifically using a backslash. unzip stage/components/\* Use code with caution. Common Scenarios Where This Occurs 1. AWS CLI and S3
If you are working with automated build pipelines, AWS CLI, or simple shell scripts, seeing the error unzip: cannot find any matches for wildcard specification "stage/components/*" can be frustrating. By putting the path in quotes
By putting the path in quotes, you tell the shell: "Don't touch this; let the unzip program handle the wildcard."