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nextjs - ✅(Solved) Fix Can't PNPM Install using pnpm version 10 < x < 10.5.0 [1 pull requests, 2 comments, 2 participants]

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vercel/next.js#91954•Fetched 2026-04-08 01:35:32
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alfonsusacalfonsusac
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alfonsusacalfonsusaceps1loneps1lon
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Error Message

Current: pnpm i produces this error: ERROR  packages field missing or empty

Root Cause

This project is configured to use pnpm because /Users/alfonsusac/package.json has a "packageManager" field
This project is configured to use pnpm because /Users/alfonsusac/package.json has a "packageManager" field

Fix Action

Fixed

PR fix notes

PR #91956: fix(create-next-app): add pnpm 10.0–10.4 workspace.yaml compatibility

Description (problem / solution / changelog)

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Fixes #91954

Problem occurs when trying to create pnpm add on a freshly installed next.js app using pnpm create next-app@latest . using a semi-outdated pnpm, specifically version between 10.0 and 10.4.5.

The package field was required in the generated pnpm-workspace.yaml up until version 10.4.5 where they had removed the requirement afterwards.

A check on pnpm minor version <10.5 was added to include package: [] on generated pnpm-workspace.yaml.

Changed files

  • packages/create-next-app/helpers/get-pkg-manager.ts (modified, +12/-5)
  • packages/create-next-app/templates/index.ts (modified, +10/-4)

Code Example

ERROR  packages field missing or empty

---

This project is configured to use pnpm because /Users/alfonsusac/package.json has a "packageManager" field
This project is configured to use pnpm because /Users/alfonsusac/package.json has a "packageManager" field

Operating System:
  Platform: darwin
  Arch: arm64
  Version: Darwin Kernel Version 24.6.0: Mon Jul 14 11:30:55 PDT 2025; root:xnu-11417.140.69~1/RELEASE_ARM64_T6031
  Available memory (MB): 36864
  Available CPU cores: 14
Binaries:
  Node: 20.19.5
  npm: 10.8.2
  Yarn: N/A
  pnpm: 10.33.0
Relevant Packages:
  next: 16.2.1 // Latest available version is detected (16.2.1).
  eslint-config-next: N/A
  react: 19.2.4
  react-dom: 19.2.4
  typescript: 5.9.3
Next.js Config:
  output: N/A
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Link to the code that reproduces this issue

https://codesandbox.io/p/sandbox/github/vercel/next.js/tree/canary/examples/reproduction-template

To Reproduce

  1. Install pnpm version 10.4.1 using pnpm self-update 10.4
  2. Create project pnpm create next-app@latest .
  3. Try to install manually pnpm i

Current vs. Expected behavior

Expected: pnpm i works nicely Current: pnpm i produces this error:

 ERROR  packages field missing or empty
<img width="444" height="299" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9b6b1809-fb01-499a-938b-215531dde986" />

Provide environment information

This project is configured to use pnpm because /Users/alfonsusac/package.json has a "packageManager" field
This project is configured to use pnpm because /Users/alfonsusac/package.json has a "packageManager" field

Operating System:
  Platform: darwin
  Arch: arm64
  Version: Darwin Kernel Version 24.6.0: Mon Jul 14 11:30:55 PDT 2025; root:xnu-11417.140.69~1/RELEASE_ARM64_T6031
  Available memory (MB): 36864
  Available CPU cores: 14
Binaries:
  Node: 20.19.5
  npm: 10.8.2
  Yarn: N/A
  pnpm: 10.33.0
Relevant Packages:
  next: 16.2.1 // Latest available version is detected (16.2.1).
  eslint-config-next: N/A
  react: 19.2.4
  react-dom: 19.2.4
  typescript: 5.9.3
Next.js Config:
  output: N/A

Which area(s) are affected? (Select all that apply)

create-next-app

Which stage(s) are affected? (Select all that apply)

next dev (local)

Additional context

I expected the packages prop in pnpm-workspace.yaml to be omitted only when pnpm version is after 10.4.1 but after checking source code, it is being ommiteed for all version after 10.

Relevant Part of code

Relevant issue/pr

extent analysis

Fix Plan

To fix the issue, you need to update the pnpm-workspace.yaml file to include the packages field.

Here are the steps:

  • Open the pnpm-workspace.yaml file in your project directory.
  • Add the following lines to the file:
packages:
  - 'packages/*'
  • Save the changes.
  • Run pnpm i again to install the dependencies.

Alternatively, you can also update the index.ts file in the create-next-app package to handle the packages field correctly for pnpm versions after 10.4.1.

Here's an example of how you can do this:

// packages/create-next-app/templates/index.ts
// ...

const pnpmVersion = require('pnpm').version;
const isPnpmVersionAfter10_4_1 = pnpmVersion >= '10.4.1';

// ...

if (isPnpmVersionAfter10_4_1) {
  // Add the packages field to the pnpm-workspace.yaml file
  workspaceFile.contents = `
    packages:
      - 'packages/*'
  `;
} else {
  // Omit the packages field for pnpm versions before 10.4.1
  workspaceFile.contents = '';
}

Verification

To verify that the fix worked, run pnpm i again and check that the dependencies are installed correctly. You should no longer see the packages field missing or empty error.

Extra Tips

Make sure to update the pnpm version to the latest version to avoid any compatibility issues. You can do this by running pnpm self-update. Also, ensure that the packageManager field in your package.json file is set to pnpm to use the correct package manager.

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