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setup

★ 80 Open GitHub ↗

Install pnpm and a JavaScript runtime (Node.js, Bun, or Deno) in one GitHub actions step

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# Setup pnpm with runtime

Install pnpm **and** a JavaScript runtime (Node.js, Bun, or Deno) in a single GitHub Actions step.

pnpm ships a self-contained release binary — the action downloads it for the runner's platform directly from pnpm's GitHub releases (no Node.js or npm needed) and then uses `pnpm runtime set` to install the requested runtime. The runtime binary is placed on `PATH` for subsequent steps, replacing the need for `actions/setup-node`, `oven-sh/setup-bun`, or `denoland/setup-deno`. `pnpm install` runs automatically when a `package.json` is present.

> [!NOTE]
> `pnpm/setup@v2` installs pnpm v11 and newer only — it relies on pnpm's self-contained release binaries and the `pnpm runtime` command, both available from v11. `v1` installed pnpm through npm and could set up pnpm 10; if you need pnpm 10 or older, use [`pnpm/action-setup`](https://github.com/pnpm/action-setup) instead.
>
> One caveat: pnpm v11 publishes no binary for Intel macOS (`darwin-x64`); use v12 or newer on Intel macOS runners.

If your `package.json` declares `devEngines.runtime`, the action picks up the runtime and version from there automatically — no inputs required.

## Inputs

| Name | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `version` | Version of pnpm to install: an exact version, a semver range (`^12.0.0`), or a dist-tag (`next-12`). Must resolve to v11 or newer. Optional when `packageManager` or `devEngines.packageManager` is set in `package.json`. |
| `dest` | Where to store pnpm files. Defaults to `~/setup-pnpm`. |
| `runtime` | Runtime spec, in `<name>` or `<name>@<version>` form (e.g. `node@22`, `node@lts`, `bun@latest`, `deno@2`). Supported names: `node`, `bun`, `deno`. When the version is omitted, falls back to `devEngines.runtime` in `package.json`, then to `lts` (for `node`) / `latest`. If the input itself is omitted, the action reads `devEngines.runtime` from `package.json`. |
| `cache` | Cache the pnpm store directory. Default: `false`. |
| `cache-dependency-path` | Path(s) to the pnpm lockfile, used to compute the cache key. Default: `pnpm-lock.yaml`. |
| `package-json-file` | Path to `package.json` (relative to `GITHUB_WORKSPACE`). Default: `package.json`. |
| `install` | Run `pnpm install` after setup. Default: `true`. Set to `false` for jobs that only need pnpm itself (e.g. `pnpm audit`, lockfile-only regeneration). |
| `token` | GitHub token used to look up the pnpm release and its asset checksum via the GitHub API. Defaults to `${{ github.token }}`, which lifts the low anonymous rate limit. Rarely needs to be set. |

## Outputs

| Name | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `dest` | Expanded path of `dest`. |
| `bin-dest` | Directory containing the `pnpm` / `pnpx` binaries. |
| `runtime-name` | Name of the installed runtime, or empty string if none was installed. |
| `runtime-version` | Resolved version of the installed runtime, or empty string if none was installed. |

## Usage

### Install pnpm + Node.js via `devEngines.runtime`

```json
// package.json
{
  "packageManager": "pnpm@12.0.0-beta.4",
  "devEngines": {
    "runtime": { "name": "node", "version": "^22.0.0", "onFail": "download" }
  }
}
```

```yaml
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
      - uses: pnpm/setup@v2
      - run: node --version
      - run: pnpm test
```

`pnpm install` runs automatically because the workspace has a `package.json`.

### Matrix: test on multiple Node versions

```yaml
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    strategy:
      matrix:
        node: [22, 24, 26]
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
      - uses: pnpm/setup@v2
        with:
          runtime: node@${{ matrix.node }}
      - run: pnpm test
```

### Install Bun or Deno

```yaml
- uses: pnpm/setup@v2
  with:
    runtime: bun@latest

- uses: pnpm/setup@v2
  with:
    runtime: deno@2
```

### Cache the pnpm store

```yaml
- uses: pnpm/setup@v2
  with:
    cache: true
```

### Skip `pnpm install`

For jobs that only need pnpm itself — e.g. `pnpm audit`, lockfile-only regeneration — set `install: false`:

```yaml
- uses: pnpm/setup@v2
  with:
    install: false
- run: pnpm audit
```

## How it works

1. The action resolves the requested version (exact, range, or dist-tag) against the npm registry, then downloads the matching self-contained release archive for the runner's platform (`pnpm-<os>-<arch>.tar.gz`, or `pnpm-win32-<arch>.zip` on Windows) from pnpm's GitHub releases. It verifies the archive against the SHA-256 digest GitHub publishes for the asset, extracts the `pnpm` executable (and, for pnpm builds that need it, its bundled `dist/`), and links the `pnpx`, `pn`, and `pnx` aliases into `dest`. No Node.js or npm is involved.
2. `PNPM_HOME` is exported and `dest` plus `$PNPM_HOME/bin` are added to `PATH`.
3. The action runs `pnpm runtime set <name> <version> -g`, which downloads the requested runtime into `$PNPM_HOME/bin` — making `node`, `bun`, or `deno` available to later workflow steps.
4. If a `package.json` exists in the workspace, the action runs `pnpm install` (unless `install: false` is set). When the `runtime` input is set, `--no-runtime` is appended so the just-installed runtime isn't shadowed by a different version declared in `devEngines.runtime`.

## License

[MIT](./LICENSE)

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