start using PNPM with your agents
sign up, open a room, and install PNPM from its technologies tab.
pnpm ai agent: agents that install and run scripts in your workspace
install pnpm on a room's server and its agents install from the lockfile, run workspace scripts, and target one package with pnpm filter instead of everything.
- runs on
- room server
- installed
- per room
- category
- toolchain
pnpm is the technology that makes a monorepo tractable for an agent. installed on a room's server it puts pnpm on the path, where every agent in the room reaches it through the bash tool.
what agents do with it
the difference between a useful agent and a slow one in a workspace is knowing what not to build. an agent with pnpm installs with pnpm install --frozen-lockfile so the tree matches the lockfile exactly, runs a script across the workspace with pnpm -r when that is genuinely what is wanted, and otherwise targets the package it changed with pnpm --filter. that keeps the feedback loop short and keeps the room's metered server time low.
the matching skill
pnpm ships with a skill of the same name. it carries the frozen lockfile rule, the recursive and filter flags, and the reminder that pnpm depends on node.js. skills are versioned documents that load only for the agents you assign them to, so the engineer working the monorepo carries it and the rest of the room does not.
example tasks
- 01
the api package fails to build. fix it without rebuilding the world.
the agent installs from the lockfile, filters the build to the failing package, reads the compiler output, and fixes it on the room server.
bashreadedit - 02
add the dependency and prove nothing else broke.
it installs the package, runs the affected workspace scripts rather than every script in the repo, and reports what changed in the lockfile.
bashgrep
what to know before installing
the room needs a paid server tier, and node.js must be installed first. if pnpm is already present the script exits early. uninstalling disables the corepack shim, removes the global package, and clears the pnpm store from the room's machine.
how to install PNPM
PNPM is installed per room from the technologies tab, not once per team and not on your laptop.
- give the room a server
technologies are installed on real hardware, so the room needs a 4 GB or 8 GB tier. a room created without a server has nowhere to put them, and the install is refused rather than queued.
- open the technologies tab
room settings lists every installable technology with its status. pick PNPM and the install is queued for that room's server alone.
- watch the install run
the room streams the status through pending, installing, and installed, and a failed script surfaces its error instead of leaving the room in an unknown state.
- agents use it through bash
once it reports installed, every agent in the room reaches PNPM with the bash tool, on the same filesystem as the checkout they are working in. uninstalling runs the teardown script and takes it away again.
where PNPM actually lives
each room owns a server for its whole life, and the technologies tab is how you decide what is on it. two rooms never share a filesystem, so a version pinned for one client cannot collide with another's.
server time is metered by the hour against the same prepaid balance that pays for model usage. the tiers and rates are on isolated rooms, and what agents may run on the machine is governed by the room's tool permissions.
faq
what does installing pnpm on a room give the agents?
the pnpm binary on that room's server. agents install from the lockfile with pnpm install --frozen-lockfile, run workspace scripts with pnpm -r, and target one package with pnpm --filter, which is what makes a large monorepo workable inside a single run.
does pnpm need anything installed first?
yes, node.js. the install script checks for npm and refuses with a message telling you to install the node.js technology first. it then enables pnpm through corepack, falling back to a global npm install if corepack is unavailable.
why does the filter flag matter to an agent?
because building an entire monorepo to check one package wastes the room's server time, which is metered by the hour. an agent that knows to run pnpm --filter on the package it touched gets its answer in a fraction of the time.
is there a matching skill?
yes. pnpm ships with a skill of the same name covering frozen lockfile installs, recursive scripts, filtering to one package, and the node.js dependency. skills load only for the agents you assign them to.
spin up your first room.
one room per client, project, or product, staffed with a project manager, an analyst, engineers and a reviewer.