@nx/plugin:plugin Error: Cannot find package.json

[flavour]

Current Behavior

I have created a new workspace to contain a mixture of projects, including simple Docker Compose and Python.
I initialised the workspace using npx nx init
I want to create my own Generators, so installed the plugin generator: ./nx add @nx/plugin
Trying to create my local plugin failed though: ./nx g @nx/plugin:plugin tools/my-plugin --verbose:

Error: Cannot find package.json
    at readJson (/my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/nx/src/generators/utils/json.js:16:15)
    at getInstalledTypescriptVersion (/my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/@nx/js/src/generators/init/init.js:17:51)
    at initGeneratorInternal (/my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/@nx/js/src/generators/init/init.js:112:42)
    at initGenerator (/my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/@nx/js/src/generators/init/init.js:46:12)
    at libraryGeneratorInternal (/my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/@nx/js/src/generators/library/library.js:38:41)
    at libraryGenerator (/my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/@nx/js/src/generators/library/library.js:29:18)
    at pluginGeneratorInternal (/my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/@nx/plugin/src/generators/plugin/plugin.js:52:48)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5)
    at async /my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/nx/src/command-line/generate/generate.js:240:26
    at async handleErrors (/my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/nx/src/utils/handle-errors.js:8:24)

Expected Behavior

There should be a tools/my-plugin created into which I can create my generators.

Since there is no package.json in the root of the workspace, I assume that it should be using the one in /my_workspace/.nx/installation/

GitHub Repo

https://github.com/flavour/nx_demo

Steps to Reproduce

./nx init
# Skip for now
./nx g @nx/plugin:plugin tools/my-plugin --verbose
# none, none

Nx Report

Node           : 22.19.0
OS             : linux-x64
Native Target  : x86_64-linux
npm            : 10.9.3

nx             : 21.5.3
@nx/js         : 21.5.3
@nx/jest       : 21.5.3
@nx/eslint     : 21.5.3
@nx/workspace  : 21.5.3
@nx/devkit     : 21.5.3
@nx/plugin     : 21.5.3
typescript     : 5.9.2
---------------------------------------
Cache Usage: 0.00 B / 42.36 GB

Failure Logs

Package Manager Version

No response

Operating System

• macOS
• Linux
• Windows
• Other (Please specify)

Additional Information

No response

[flavour]

I have worked around the issue currently by editing to prefix package.json with .nx/installation/:

• .nx/installation/node_modules/@nx/devkit/src/utils/package-json.js
• .nx/installation/node_modules/@nx/js/src/generators/init/init.js

Another workaround is to create a package.json in the root with {} in.
This does also work, but then I get a 2nd node_modules folder & the root folder looks more cluttered.

I'm sure the real solution is to be cleverer with setting of tree

[flavour]

As-expected, encounter problems trying to use my generator

If trying to run directly (@swc-node/register and @swc/core are installed in .nx/installation):

./nx generate my-plugin:my-generator my-app --verbose

 NX  Generating my-plugin:my-generator

 NX   Cannot find module '@nx/devkit'

Require stack:
- /my_workspace/tools/my-plugin/src/generators/my-generator/my-generator.ts
- /my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/nx/src/config/schema-utils.js
- /my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/nx/src/command-line/run/executor-utils.js
- /my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/nx/src/project-graph/utils/project-configuration-utils.js
- /my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/nx/src/utils/package-json.js
- /my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/nx/bin/nx.js
- /my_workspace/.nx/nxw.js
    at Function.<anonymous> (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1383:15)
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (/my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/tsconfig-paths/src/register.ts:115:36)
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (/my_workspace/.nx/installation/node_modules/tsconfig-paths/src/register.ts:115:36)
    at defaultResolveImpl (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1025:19)
    at resolveForCJSWithHooks (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1030:22)
    at Function._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1192:37)
    at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:322:14)
    at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:237:24)
    at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1463:12)
    at require (node:internal/modules/helpers:147:16)

Alternatively, trying to build (tslib is installed in .nx/installation):

./nx build my-plugin                            

> nx run my-plugin:build

Your library compilation option specifies that the compiler external helper (tslib) is needed but it is not installed.
Compiling TypeScript files for project "my-plugin"...
error TS2688: Cannot find type definition file for 'node'.
  The file is in the program because:
    Entry point of type library 'node' specified in compilerOptions
tools/my-plugin/src/generators/my-generator/my-generator.spec.ts:1:46 - error TS2307: Cannot find module '@nx/devkit/testing' or its corresponding type declarations.

1 import { createTreeWithEmptyWorkspace } from '@nx/devkit/testing';
...

[flavour]

I think I'll just give up on the .nx/installation approach since it doesn't work.
Doing an npm install nx in the empty repo before the nx init means that that folder isn't used & all seems to work as-expected, which is fine.
I guess the issue is that .nx/installation shouldn't be created if it's not supported.

[AgentEnder]

Generating new plugins inside of .nx installations is currently unsupported, I've converted this to a feature request to evaluate in the future