tsc fails when node_modules is symlinked to a target folder not named node_modules

[samuela]

TypeScript Version: typescript@3.3.0-dev.20190119

Search Terms: symlink node_modules symbolic link

Code
Consider a project with the following file.

import { Command, flags } from "@oclif/command";
...

In addition the node_modules folder is symlinked to an external folder named ../<path>/node_modules_cli/.

Expected behavior:
The compile to work correctly.

Actual behavior:

$ yarn tsc
yarn run v1.12.3
$ /nu/skainswo/nuvemfs/nuvemfs-cli/node_modules/.bin/tsc
../../../.links/skainswo/node_modules_cli/@oclif/command/lib/command.d.ts:1:25 - error TS2307: Cannot find module '@oclif/config'.

1 import * as Config from '@oclif/config';
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

../../../.links/skainswo/node_modules_cli/@oclif/command/lib/command.d.ts:2:25 - error TS2307: Cannot find module '@oclif/parser'.

2 import * as Parser from '@oclif/parser';
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

../../../.links/skainswo/node_modules_cli/@oclif/command/lib/flags.d.ts:1:25 - error TS2307: Cannot find module '@oclif/config'.

1 import { IConfig } from '@oclif/config';
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

../../../.links/skainswo/node_modules_cli/@oclif/command/lib/flags.d.ts:2:25 - error TS2307: Cannot find module '@oclif/parser'.

2 import * as Parser from '@oclif/parser';
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

../../../.links/skainswo/node_modules_cli/@oclif/command/lib/flags.d.ts:47:34 - error TS2307: Cannot find module '@oclif/parser/lib/flags'.

47 export { boolean, integer } from '@oclif/parser/lib/flags';
                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

../../../.links/skainswo/node_modules_cli/@oclif/command/lib/main.d.ts:1:25 - error TS2307: Cannot find module '@oclif/config'.

1 import * as Config from '@oclif/config';
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

../../../.links/skainswo/node_modules_cli/@types/request/index.d.ts:19:27 - error TS2307: Cannot find module 'caseless'.

19 import caseless = require('caseless');
                             ~~~~~~~~~~

../../../.links/skainswo/node_modules_cli/@types/request/index.d.ts:24:27 - error TS2307: Cannot find module 'form-data'.

24 import FormData = require('form-data');
                             ~~~~~~~~~~~

../../../.links/skainswo/node_modules_cli/@types/request/index.d.ts:26:24 - error TS2307: Cannot find module 'tough-cookie'.

26 import tough = require('tough-cookie');
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Found 9 errors.

error Command failed with exit code 2.
info Visit https://yarnpkg.com/en/docs/cli/run for documentation about this command.

Which makes no sense since the node_modules directory does in fact contain all of the necessary modules.

Moving the destination folder from ../<path>/node_modules_cli/ to ../<path>/node_modules/ fixes everything, and the compile goes through just fine:

$ yarn tsc
yarn run v1.12.3
$ /nu/skainswo/nuvemfs/nuvemfs-cli/node_modules/.bin/tsc
✨  Done in 5.54s.

I've tested and confirmed this behavior with both relative and absolute symbolic links.

Playground Link: n/a

Related Issues:

[cathrinevaage]

In my monorepo project, I'm encountering this exact error myself.
However, I find that it only happens when target in compilerOptions is set.
Upon removing the option, the error vanishes.