Unable to build remix while using absolute paths outside of the `app` directory with custom routes in `vite.config.ts`

[drewdecarme]

Reproduction

• Stackblitz: https://stackblitz.com/~/github.com/drewdecarme/remix-imports (I use yarn berry so you might have to clone the repo)
• Github Repo: https://github.com/drewdecarme/remix-imports

System Info

System:
    OS: macOS 14.6.1
    CPU: (10) arm64 Apple M1 Pro
    Memory: 166.48 MB / 32.00 GB
    Shell: 3.2.57 - /bin/bash
  Binaries:
    Node: 22.1.0 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v22.1.0/bin/node
    Yarn: 4.5.0 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v22.1.0/bin/yarn
    npm: 10.7.0 - ~/.nvm/versions/node/v22.1.0/bin/npm
    Watchman: 2022.08.22.00 - /usr/local/bin/watchman
  Browsers:
    Brave Browser: 126.1.67.134
    Chrome: 129.0.6668.58
    Safari: 17.6

Used Package Manager

yarn

Expected Behavior

I'm trying to build a Remix app by defining custom routes outside of the app directory. When I run it in DEV mode, things seem to be working fine, but when I try to build it I get some issues when the server manifest is trying to be built. I would expect if I define a route such as the below, that the absolute path would resolve correctly and the server bundle manifest would compile correctly.

Let's say I define an index route like the below:

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    remix({
        future: {
          v3_fetcherPersist: true,
          v3_relativeSplatPath: true,
          v3_throwAbortReason: true
        },
        routes(defineRoutes) {
          return defineRoutes((route) => {
            route(
              "/",
              "/Users/user_name/absolute/path/to/route/file.tsx",
              {
                index: true
              }
            );
          });
        }
      })
  ]
})

Actual Behavior

Client building works fine, but when the ssr is true and vite attempts to build the server bundles, the asbolute of the routes are being prepended with the absolute app directory. I've done some tracing and found what I believe to be issue to be here:

https://github.com/remix-run/remix/blob/9d68bb37a26ebec92be819ba23e21332707a8bcc/packages/remix-dev/vite/plugin.ts#L873C11-L873C24

in the generateRemixManifestsForBuild of the vite plugin, the absolute file path is being joined to the app directory which results in a the route.file being incorrect.

 for (let [key, route] of Object.entries(ctx.remixConfig.routes)) {
      let routeFilePath = path.join(ctx.remixConfig.appDirectory, route.file);
      let sourceExports = routeManifestExports[key];
      let isRootRoute = route.parentId === undefined;

      let routeManifestEntry = {
        id: route.id,
        parentId: route.parentId,
        path: route.path,
        index: route.index,
        caseSensitive: route.caseSensitive,
        hasAction: sourceExports.includes("action"),
        hasLoader: sourceExports.includes("loader"),
        hasClientAction: sourceExports.includes("clientAction"),
        hasClientLoader: sourceExports.includes("clientLoader"),
        hasErrorBoundary: sourceExports.includes("ErrorBoundary"),
        ...getRemixManifestBuildAssets(
          ctx,
          viteManifest,
          routeFilePath,
          // If this is the root route, we also need to include assets from the
          // client entry file as this is a common way for consumers to import
          // global reset styles, etc.
          isRootRoute ? [ctx.entryClientFilePath] : []
        ),
      };

The route.file from the defineRoutes function is /Users/user_name/absolute/path/to/route/file, but when it's joined with the ctx.remixConfig.appDirectory, it then becomes /Users/user_name/absolute/path/to/route/file/app/Users/user_name/absolute/path/to/route/file.tsx.

This in turn then fails the lookup for the manifest since the manifest key is relative

{
"../../../../.rel/stuff/_index.tsx?__remix-build-client-route": {
    "file": "assets/_index-DDBvjPKe.js",
    "name": "_index",
    "src": "../../../../.relative/stuff/_index.tsx?__remix-build-client-route",
    "isEntry": true,
    "imports": [
      "_jsx-runtime-SuB_ucaY.js",
      "_classes-CfpolwFq.js"
    ],
    "css": [
      "assets/_index-2pbE-c8t.css"
    ]
  }
}

This then throws the No manifest entry found error since the absolute filepath doesn't match the relative key the manifest was created with.

My question is... does remix have a way around this or is this really a bug?

[kiliman]

Have you tried using relative paths for your route files?

But I'm pretty sure that Remix/Vite doesn't really like route modules outside of the app folder. I had experimented before using workspaces to pull in shared routes, but kept running into issues.

[AdditionAddict]

i get this too trying to build remix when using mdx pages with plugins (but not outside app directory)

edit: yep, just confirmed making things relative path to app/ works (at least in my case, inside the app directory)

doing manual route(path, file) logic inside remix vite plugin on following arrays

before - does not work

[
  {
    path: 'markdown-and-mdx',
    file: '/Users/andrew/dev/repos/andrew-allen-css-site/app/posts/markdown-and-mdx.mdx'
  },
  {
    path: 'maths-and-mdx',
    file: '/Users/andrew/dev/repos/andrew-allen-css-site/app/posts/maths-and-mdx.mdx'
  }
]

after - works

[
  { path: 'markdown-and-mdx', file: 'posts/markdown-and-mdx.mdx' },
  { path: 'maths-and-mdx', file: 'posts/maths-and-mdx.mdx' }
]

both work in dev, just when you go to build