h3y6e pnpm is a fast, disk space efficient package manager. It uses a content-addressable store to deduplicate packages across all projects on a machine, and enforces strict dependency resolution by default, preventing phantom dependencies.
Configuration model (important): pnpm settings now live in pnpm-workspace.yaml (and the global config.yaml) using camelCase keys. .npmrc is used only for authentication/registry credentials, and the pnpm field of package.json is no longer read. When working in a pnpm project, check pnpm-workspace.yaml for settings/workspace structure and .npmrc only for auth. Always use --frozen-lockfile (or pnpm ci) in CI.
The skill is based on pnpm 10.x, generated at 2026-06-22. It also covers v11 behavior changes (config split, isolated global packages,
allowBuilds,pmOnFail, global virtual store) where current docs describe them.
Core
| Topic | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| CLI Commands | install/add/remove/update, run, dlx/pnx, workspace, runtime, publishing (version, view, sbom, stage) | core-cli |
| Configuration | pnpm-workspace.yaml settings (camelCase), global config.yaml, packageConfigs, .npmrc auth | core-config |
| Workspaces | Monorepo support: filtering, workspace protocol, shared lockfile, packageConfigs | core-workspaces |
| Store | Content-addressable store, virtual store, node linker modes, frozen/read-only store | core-store |
Features
| Topic | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogs | Centralized dependency versions; catalogMode, catalog: in overrides | features-catalogs |
| Overrides | Force versions (incl. transitive & peer deps); packageExtensions | features-overrides |
| Patches | Modify third-party packages; patchedDependencies in pnpm-workspace.yaml | features-patches |
| Aliases | Install under custom names (npm:) and registry aliases (namedRegistries) | features-aliases |
| Hooks | .pnpmfile.mjs hooks (readPackage, updateConfig, beforePacking), finders, resolvers/fetchers | features-hooks |
| Peer Dependencies | Auto-install, strict mode, rules, dedupePeers, peers check | features-peer-deps |
| Config Dependencies | Share hooks/settings/catalogs/patches across repos via configDependencies | features-config-dependencies |
| Global Virtual Store | Shared node_modules, git-worktree multi-agent setups, isolated global packages | features-global-virtual-store |
| Supply-Chain Security | Build approval (allowBuilds), minimumReleaseAge, trustPolicy, lockfile integrity | features-supply-chain-security |
Best Practices
| Topic | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| CI/CD Setup | GitHub Actions, GitLab, Docker, pnpm ci, store caching, frozen lockfiles | best-practices-ci |
| Migration | npm/Yarn → pnpm, phantom deps, and pnpm v10 → v11 config migration | best-practices-migration |
| Performance | Install optimizations, allowBuilds, global virtual store, workspace parallelization | best-practices-performance |