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# Package Management
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Core package management operations for installing, adding, removing, and updating Node.js packages with pnpm's fast, space-efficient approach.
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## Capabilities
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### Install Dependencies
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Install all dependencies from package.json using the lockfile for reproducible builds.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Install all dependencies from package.json
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 * Uses pnpm-lock.yaml for deterministic installations
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 */
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pnpm install [options]
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pnpm i [options]
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```
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**Options:**
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- `--frozen-lockfile` - Don't generate lockfile and fail if update is needed
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- `--offline` - Don't make network requests, use cached packages only
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- `--prefer-offline` - Use cached packages when available
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- `--production` - Only install production dependencies
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- `--dev` - Only install development dependencies
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- `--ignore-scripts` - Don't run lifecycle scripts
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Standard install
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pnpm install
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# Production-only install
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pnpm install --production
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# Install without updating lockfile
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pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
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# Offline install from cache
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pnpm install --offline
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```
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### Add Packages
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Add new packages to dependencies with automatic package.json and lockfile updates.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Add packages to dependencies
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 * Updates package.json and pnpm-lock.yaml
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 */
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pnpm add <pkg>[@version] [options]
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```
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**Options:**
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- `--save-dev`, `-D` - Add to devDependencies
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- `--save-prod`, `-P` - Add to dependencies (default)
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- `--save-optional`, `-O` - Add to optionalDependencies
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- `--save-exact`, `-E` - Save exact version instead of range
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- `--global`, `-g` - Install globally
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- `--workspace` - Add as workspace dependency
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Add production dependency
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pnpm add lodash
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# Add development dependency
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pnpm add -D typescript
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# Add specific version
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pnpm add react@18.2.0
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# Add with exact version
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pnpm add -E prettier
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# Add multiple packages
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pnpm add lodash axios express
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# Add global package
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pnpm add -g pm2
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```
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### Remove Packages
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Remove packages from dependencies and clean up package.json and lockfile.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Remove packages from dependencies
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 * Updates package.json and pnpm-lock.yaml
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 */
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pnpm remove <pkg> [options]
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pnpm rm <pkg> [options]
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pnpm uninstall <pkg> [options]
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pnpm un <pkg> [options]
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pnpm uni <pkg> [options]
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```
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**Options:**
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- `--global`, `-g` - Remove from global packages
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- `--save-dev`, `-D` - Remove from devDependencies only
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- `--save-prod`, `-P` - Remove from dependencies only
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Remove package
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pnpm remove lodash
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# Remove multiple packages
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pnpm remove lodash axios
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# Remove development dependency
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pnpm remove -D typescript
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# Remove global package
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pnpm remove -g pm2
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```
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### Update Packages
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Update packages to their latest versions based on version ranges in package.json.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Update packages to latest compatible versions
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 * Respects version ranges in package.json
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 */
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pnpm update [pkg] [options]
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pnpm up [pkg] [options]
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pnpm upgrade [pkg] [options]
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```
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**Options:**
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- `--latest`, `-L` - Update to latest versions ignoring ranges
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- `--global`, `-g` - Update global packages
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- `--recursive`, `-r` - Update in all workspace packages
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- `--interactive`, `-i` - Interactive update mode
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- `--prod` - Update only production dependencies
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- `--dev` - Update only development dependencies
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Update all packages
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pnpm update
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# Update specific package
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pnpm update react
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# Update to latest versions
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pnpm update --latest
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# Interactive update
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pnpm update --interactive
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# Update in all workspaces
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pnpm update --recursive
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```
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### Link Packages
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Link local packages for development and testing across projects.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Link local packages for development
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 * Creates symlinks for local development workflow
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 */
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pnpm link [path] [options]
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pnpm ln [path] [options]
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```
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**Options:**
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- `--global`, `-g` - Link to global packages
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- `--dir <path>` - Specify target directory
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Link current package globally
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pnpm link
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# Link to specific package
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pnpm link ../my-other-package
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# Link global package to current project
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pnpm link --global some-package
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```
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### Unlink Packages
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Remove previously created package links.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Remove package links
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 * Removes symlinks created by pnpm link
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 */
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pnpm unlink [pkg] [options]
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pnpm dislink [pkg] [options]
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Unlink current package
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pnpm unlink
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# Unlink specific package
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pnpm unlink some-package
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```
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### Clean Install (CI)
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Perform clean installation optimized for continuous integration environments.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Clean install from lockfile for CI environments
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 * Removes node_modules and installs from lockfile only
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 */
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pnpm ci [options]
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pnpm clean-install [options]
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pnpm ic [options]
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pnpm install-clean [options]
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Clean install for CI
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pnpm ci
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# Clean install with production only
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pnpm ci --production
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```
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### Import Lockfiles
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Generate pnpm-lock.yaml from other package manager lockfiles.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Import lockfile from other package managers
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 * Converts package-lock.json or yarn.lock to pnpm-lock.yaml
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 */
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pnpm import [options]
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Import from package-lock.json
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pnpm import
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# Import in workspace
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pnpm import --recursive
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```
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### Prune Dependencies
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Remove extraneous packages not listed in package.json.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Remove extraneous packages
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 * Cleans up packages not in package.json
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pnpm prune [options]
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```
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**Options:**
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- `--production` - Remove devDependencies
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- `--no-optional` - Remove optionalDependencies
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Remove all extraneous packages
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pnpm prune
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# Remove devDependencies (production mode)
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pnpm prune --production
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```
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### Deduplicate Dependencies
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Remove duplicate dependencies by updating the lockfile.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Remove duplicate dependencies
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 * Optimizes dependency tree in lockfile
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 */
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pnpm dedupe [options]
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Deduplicate all dependencies
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pnpm dedupe
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```
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### Fetch Packages
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Download packages to the store without installing to node_modules.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Download packages to store without installing
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 * Pre-populates store for faster subsequent installs
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pnpm fetch [options]
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```
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**Options:**
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- `--dev` - Fetch devDependencies
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- `--prod` - Fetch production dependencies only
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Fetch all dependencies
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pnpm fetch
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# Fetch production dependencies only
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pnpm fetch --prod
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```
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### Rebuild Packages
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Rebuild native modules and run install scripts.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Rebuild native modules
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 * Recompiles packages with native dependencies
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pnpm rebuild [pkg] [options]
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pnpm rb [pkg] [options]
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Rebuild all packages
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pnpm rebuild
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# Rebuild specific package
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pnpm rebuild node-sass
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# Rebuild in workspace
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pnpm rebuild --recursive
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```
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### Patch Management
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Create and manage package patches for local modifications.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Create package patches for local modifications
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 * Allows temporary fixes to packages
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 */
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pnpm patch <pkg> [options]
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Create patch for package
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pnpm patch react@18.2.0
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# Patch with specific edit directory
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pnpm patch lodash --edit-dir /tmp/lodash-patch
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```
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### Commit Package Patches
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Commit changes made to a patched package.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Commit changes to package patch
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 * Finalizes modifications made during patch editing
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 */
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pnpm patch-commit <path> [options]
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Commit patch changes
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pnpm patch-commit /tmp/pnpm-patch-123
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# Commit with specific patch directory
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pnpm patch-commit ./patches/react-patch
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```
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### Remove Package Patches
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Remove package patches and revert to original versions.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Remove package patch
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 * Reverts package to unpatched state
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 */
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pnpm patch-remove <pkg> [options]
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Remove patch for package
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pnpm patch-remove react@18.2.0
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# Remove all patches
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pnpm patch-remove --all
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```
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### Pack Packages
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Create package tarballs for distribution and publishing.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Create package tarballs for distribution
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 * Creates .tgz files ready for publishing or sharing
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 */
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pnpm pack [options]
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```
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**Options:**
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- `--pack-destination <dir>` - Specify output directory for tarball
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- `--pack-gzip-level <level>` - Set compression level (0-9)
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Pack current package
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pnpm pack
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# Pack with custom destination
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pnpm pack --pack-destination ./dist
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# Pack with custom compression
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pnpm pack --pack-gzip-level 9
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```
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### Publish Packages
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Publish packages to the npm registry or private registries.
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```bash { .api }
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/**
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 * Publish packages to registry
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 * Uploads package to npm registry or private registry
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 */
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pnpm publish [tarball|folder] [options]
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```
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**Options:**
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- `--tag <tag>` - Publish with specific tag (default: latest)
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- `--access <public|restricted>` - Set package access level
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- `--registry <url>` - Specify registry URL
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- `--otp <token>` - One-time password for 2FA
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- `--dry-run` - Show what would be published without publishing
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- `--no-git-checks` - Skip git status checks
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- `--recursive`, `-r` - Publish in all workspace packages
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**Usage Examples:**
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```bash
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# Publish current package
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pnpm publish
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# Publish with tag
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pnpm publish --tag beta
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# Publish as public package
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pnpm publish --access public
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# Dry run to check what would be published
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pnpm publish --dry-run
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# Publish all workspace packages
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pnpm publish --recursive
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# Publish specific tarball
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pnpm publish my-package-1.0.0.tgz
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```