Turborepo for monorepos

Severity: Recommended

Check automatically:

1. Scan for multiple package.json files (detect hidden apps):

   # Find all package.json files in first 2 levels (excluding node_modules)
   find . -maxdepth 3 -name "package.json" -not -path "*/node_modules/*" 2>/dev/null
   

2. Check for app-like directories without workspace setup:

   # Common app directory patterns that might be hidden apps
   ls -d */package.json */*/package.json 2>/dev/null | grep -v node_modules
   
   # Check for directories with their own node_modules (red flag)
   find . -maxdepth 3 -type d -name "node_modules" -not -path "./node_modules" -not -path "./node_modules/*" 2>/dev/null
   

3. Detect if this is a monorepo:

   # Check for workspace configuration
   cat package.json | jq '.workspaces' 2>/dev/null
   cat pnpm-workspace.yaml 2>/dev/null
   
   # Check for typical monorepo directories
   ls -d apps/ packages/ libs/ services/ 2>/dev/null
   

4. Cross-reference: all package.json files should be in workspaces:

   # Get workspace globs
   cat pnpm-workspace.yaml 2>/dev/null
   cat package.json | jq '.workspaces' 2>/dev/null
   
   # Compare against found package.json locations
   

5. If monorepo, check for Turborepo:

   ls -la turbo.json 2>/dev/null
   

6. Check Turborepo configuration:

   # Verify pipeline is configured
   cat turbo.json | jq '.pipeline // .tasks' 2>/dev/null
   
   # Check for proper task dependencies
   cat turbo.json | jq '(.pipeline // .tasks) | keys' 2>/dev/null
   

7. Check root package.json uses turbo:

   cat package.json | jq '.scripts' | grep -E "turbo"
   

8. Check for alternative monorepo tools (flag if present instead of Turborepo):

   # Nx
   ls -la nx.json 2>/dev/null
   
   # Lerna
   ls -la lerna.json 2>/dev/null
   
   # Rush
   ls -la rush.json 2>/dev/null
   

9. Check CI uses turbo for builds:

   grep -rE "(turbo run|turbo build|turbo test|npx turbo)" .github/workflows/ 2>/dev/null
   

10. Check caching is enabled:

    # Check .turbo is gitignored (local cache)
    grep -E "\.turbo" .gitignore 2>/dev/null
    

Note: Only applies to monorepos or repos with multiple apps. Skip if truly single-package.

Pass criteria:

• Single-package repo (only root package.json) - N/A, skip this check
• All package.json files are covered by workspace config
• No rogue node_modules directories outside root
• Monorepo with Turborepo configured (turbo.json exists)
• Pipeline/tasks properly defined for build, test, lint
• Root scripts use turbo run commands
• CI workflows use turbo for builds
• .turbo cache directory is gitignored

Fail criteria:

• Multiple package.json files but no workspace configuration (hidden monorepo)
• package.json files not covered by workspaces glob
• Nested node_modules directories (apps installing deps independently)
• Monorepo without any build orchestration tool
• Using Lerna, Nx, or Rush instead of Turborepo (flag for discussion)
• Turborepo configured but not used in scripts or CI
• Missing pipeline configuration for key tasks (build, test, lint)
• .turbo not in .gitignore

If hidden apps detected, ask user: "Found package.json files not in workspaces config: [list paths]. Are these separate apps that should be workspace packages? Nested node_modules at [paths] suggests they're being managed independently."

If alternative tool found, ask user: "Monorepo uses [Nx/Lerna/Rush] instead of Turborepo. Is there a specific reason? Turborepo is preferred for its simplicity and caching."

If monorepo without orchestration, ask user: "This appears to be a monorepo (multiple package.json files) but no build orchestration tool found. How are cross-package builds and dependencies managed?"

Evidence to capture:

• All package.json locations found
• Which are covered by workspaces config
• Any rogue node_modules directories
• Is properly configured monorepo (yes/no)
• Orchestration tool (Turborepo/Nx/Lerna/Rush/none)
• turbo.json tasks defined
• Whether scripts and CI use turbo
• Cache configuration status

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