turbo prune --docker misses tsconfig.base.json used by generated packages

[moreorover]

When generating a new project using:

pnpm create better-t-stack@latest tanstack-check \ --frontend tanstack-router \ --backend hono \ --runtime node \ --api trpc \ --auth better-auth \ --payments none \ --database postgres \ --orm drizzle \ --db-setup docker \ --package-manager pnpm \ --git \ --web-deploy none \ --server-deploy none \ --no-install \ --addons biome turborepo \ --examples todo

The generated packages/db/tsconfig.json file includes:

{
  "extends": "../../tsconfig.base.json",
}

After running:

turbo prune server --docker

the pruned output in out/full correctly includes packages/db/tsconfig.json,
but does not include the referenced tsconfig.base.json, causing TypeScript build errors inside Docker.

Cause

This isn’t a bug in Turborepo — turbo prune only copies relevant packages and the root package.json, not other root-level files like tsconfig.base.json.

Fix

Move base tsconfig into its own workspace package

// packages/typescript-config/package.json
{ "name": "@repo/typescript-config" }

// packages/db/tsconfig.json
{ "extends": "@repo/typescript-config/base.json" }

I would be happy to assist helping on this, would just need some guidance.

[AmanVarshney01]

I see, thanks for the issue with a solution. 🙏

[moreorover]

Fixing this would take a step closer towards implementing Docker, right?

[AmanVarshney01]

How easy it is with turbo prune -docker to deploy to docker?. do you have a DOCKERFILE i can look 👀 ?

I'll add typescript package today!

[moreorover]

The setup is fairly straightforward — here’s how the Docker build process looks for both server and web apps.

Server Dockerfile steps:

1. Copy all source code
2. Run pnpm install
3. Run turbo prune server --docker
4. Inside out/full, run pnpm install
5. Inside out/full, run pnpm build
6. Copy the built dist contents to the runner image
7. Run the app

Web Dockerfile steps:

1. Copy all source code
2. Run pnpm install
3. Run turbo prune web --docker
4. Inside out/full, run pnpm install
5. Inside out/full, run pnpm build
6. Copy the built dist contents to the runner image
7. Run the app

I do not have an example on hand but I can spare some time on this.

[moreorover]

Docker setup for the server app

Enable injected workspace packages (pnpm v10+)
Create .npmrc at the repo root:

inject-workspace-packages=true

Add Dockerfile.server at the repo root

# --- Build (install -> prune -> install pruned -> build -> deploy) ---
FROM node:22-alpine AS build
RUN corepack enable
WORKDIR /repo

# 1) Bring full repo (small context thanks to .dockerignore)
COPY . .

# 2) Install to build the workspace graph for prune
RUN pnpm install

# 3) Prune to only what's needed for the 'server' target
RUN pnpm turbo prune server --docker

# 4) Work inside the pruned mini-repo
WORKDIR /repo/out/full

# 5) Copy the lockfile from the build context into the pruned workspace
COPY pnpm-lock.yaml ./pnpm-lock.yaml

# 6) Install deps for pruned workspace and build
RUN pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
RUN pnpm build
# => dist at /repo/out/full/apps/server/dist/**

# 7) Produce a self-contained deploy dir with ONLY server's prod deps (pnpm v10)
#    Use --legacy unless you set `inject-workspace-packages=true` in pnpm config
RUN pnpm deploy --filter ./apps/server --prod /deploy

# --- Runner (tiny, self-contained) ---
FROM node:22-alpine AS runner
ENV NODE_ENV=production
WORKDIR /app

# 1) Bring the server’s package.json and node_modules produced by `pnpm deploy`
COPY --from=build /deploy/ ./

# 2) Bring compiled artifacts (ensure you build to dist/)
COPY --from=build /repo/out/full/apps/server/dist ./dist

EXPOSE 3000
CMD ["node", "dist/index.js"]

[moreorover]

Hey, I actually got everything done for you as an example.

moreorover/tanstack-check#1

In the example you will find that locally both services are behind Caddy proxy that creates SSL certificate. Not sure if that is needed but I guess there could be couple different docker-compose files such as:

docker-compose.local.yml there are no proxy and all services can be reached directly
docker-compose.yml there is a proxy server that creates SSL certificate which could be Caddy, nginx, traefik (users could choose from the dashboard)

Also, worth to have a look at how to bring .env files into the root folder as both projects are started using pnpm dev from root?

[AmanVarshney01]

I cant access the link

[moreorover]

Apologies, pushed repo as private. Changed it to public.