pnpm does not sync new files in local path dependencies

[xiaohk]

pnpm version: 7.9.3

Code to reproduce the issue:

For example, we have the following file structure:

./
├── app
│   ├── node_modules
│   │   └── awesome -> .pnpm/file+..+pkg/node_modules/pkg
│   ├── package.json
│   └── pnpm-lock.yaml
└── pkg
    ├── bin
    └── text.txt

We have a local dependency in ./app/package.json, and ./app is initialized by pnpm run install.

"dependencies": {
  "awesome": "file:../pkg"
}

Next, we create a new file in ./pkg

echo "hiya" > ./pkg/text2.txt

Then, text2.txt is in ./pkg but not in ./app/node_modules/awesome 😥

.
├── app
│   ├── node_modules
│   │   └── awesome -> .pnpm/file+..+pkg/node_modules/pkg
│   ├── package.json
│   └── pnpm-lock.yaml
└── pkg
    ├── bin
    ├── text.txt
    └── text2.txt

Expected behavior:

I expect to see text2.txt appear in ./app/node_modules/awesome or in app/node_modules/.pnpm/file+..+pkg/node_modules/pkg

Actual behavior:

There is no text2.txt in ./app/node_modules/awesome or in app/node_modules/.pnpm/file+..+pkg/node_modules/pkg

Additional information:

Interestingly, changes to existing files are synced between ./pkg and ./app/node_modules/awesome. For example:

# Before editing
$ md5 ./pkg/text.txt
MD5 (./pkg/text.txt) = 919d117956d3135c4c683ff021352f5c
$ md5 ./app/node_modules/awesome/text.txt
MD5 (./app/node_modules/awesome/text.txt) = 919d117956d3135c4c683ff021352f5c

$ echo "oh boy" >> ./pkg/text.txt

# After editing
$ md5 ./pkg/text.txt
MD5 (./pkg/text.txt) = 6636c55e0cda2b473c75da3ff00edd52
$ md5 ./app/node_modules/awesome/text.txt
MD5 (./app/node_modules/awesome/text.txt) = 6636c55e0cda2b473c75da3ff00edd52

• node -v prints: v16.17.0
• Windows, macOS, or Linux?: macOS

[ajmeese7]

Struggling with this same problem right now, I tried the injected solution from #3102 but it hasn't made a difference. This is a huge pain when I am trying to update a local library and test it in a different project.

[await-ovo]

It seems that if we install a local dependency using the file: protocol, it will create a hard link between the local file and the node_modules/.pnpm store, since hard links are not allowed for directories. So it can't get auto updated in node_modules when a new file added in local dependency.

But Pnpm also supports the link: protocol, which should work well when adding new files or updating existing ones.

Also, I found that even if we run pnpm update pkg to update the file: protocol for local dependency, it doesn't update to the latest files too. I'm not sure if this is a bug and may need to ask @zkochan to help look at this issue ~

[joelmoss]

I had issues with the link: protocol, so have been using file: instead, but I've now come across this. I cannot seem to find a way to update a file: dependency. update does not touch it at all.

In fact, changes to a dependency using the file: protocol are not synced at all, even when running pnpm update mypackage.

[await-ovo]

I had issues with the link: protocol, so have been using file: instead, but I've now come across this. I cannot seem to find a way to update a file: dependency. update does not touch it at all.

In fact, changes to a dependency using the file: protocol are not synced at all, even when running pnpm update mypackage.

Could you share the problem of using link: protocol? or open a new issue if it is a bug, thanks.

[Mingholy]

It seems that if we install a local dependency using the file: protocol, it will create a hard link between the local file and the node_modules/.pnpm store, since hard links are not allowed for directories. So it can't get auto updated in node_modules when a new file added in local dependency.

But Pnpm also supports the link: protocol, which should work well when adding new files or updating existing ones.

Also, I found that even if we run pnpm update pkg to update the file: protocol for local dependency, it doesn't update to the latest files too. I'm not sure if this is a bug and may need to ask @zkochan to help look at this issue ~

Seems like using pnpm update pkg --force or deleting the file+pkg... directory in node_modules/.pnpm will make pnpm be able to pick the modified pkg (maybe from the store).

It makes me quite confused when the post-install log notices me everytime:

dependencies:
+ some-local-pkg 1.0.0+[the latest version hash]

However when I use pnpm why --json some-local-pkg to get the real installation path and inspect the package.json in it, I find the version remains using a previous version hash, no matter how many updates has been made to the package.

[joelmoss]

I have to remove it from the package.json, run pnpm i, then add it back to the package.json and run pnpm i again 😖