fix(cms): add missing vite dependency for admin dev

[lumberman]

Background

apps/cms/src/admin/vite.config.ts imports vite, but apps/cms/package.json does not declare it. Local Strapi startup fails during admin build with Cannot find module "vite".

Expected outcome

pnpm dev in apps/cms boots Strapi locally and serves the admin UI without missing-module errors.

Acceptance criteria

• apps/cms declares the dependency required by src/admin/vite.config.ts
• pnpm dev starts successfully for local CMS development
• http://localhost:1337/admin is reachable locally

Possible solution(s)

1. Add vite as a dev dependency in apps/cms.
2. Remove or replace the custom Vite config if it is no longer needed.

References

• apps/cms/src/admin/vite.config.ts
• apps/cms/package.json

[lumberman]

Execution plan:

1. Add the missing vite dev dependency referenced by apps/cms/src/admin/vite.config.ts.
2. Install/rebuild dependencies under Node 24 in apps/cms.
3. Start pnpm dev for the CMS and verify http://localhost:1337/admin responds.

[lumberman]

Execution plan prepared for #513. Active branch renamed to fix/513-cms-vite-missing to match repo workflow.

Align CMS Admin Vite Dependency With Strapi

Overview

apps/cms has a tracked admin Vite config at apps/cms/src/admin/vite.config.ts, but the package did not originally declare vite directly. That makes local CMS startup depend on transitive resolution details instead of an explicit contract. A quick local fix added vite:^8.0.2, but that introduced a second Vite major into the lockfile and unnecessary dependency churn.

This plan turns that local unblock into an intentional repo fix: declare vite explicitly in apps/cms, align it with the Strapi admin stack already present in the repo, regenerate the lockfile cleanly, and verify CMS development and build flows.

Problem Statement / Motivation

The underlying issue is real:

• apps/cms/src/admin/vite.config.ts imports mergeConfig from vite
• apps/cms/package.json therefore should declare vite directly
• without that direct dependency, strapi develop can fail depending on how pnpm resolves hoisted transitive packages

The current local package change is not ready to merge:

• it adds vite:^8.0.2 in apps/cms/package.json
• the repo already contains Strapi’s transitive Vite 5 toolchain
• the result is a noisy lockfile with both vite@5.4.21 and vite@8.0.2

This should be treated as a small compatibility fix, not as a Vite major-version upgrade for Strapi admin.

Proposed Solution

Make the dependency explicit, but align it with the version Strapi is already using in this repo.

Decision:

• add a direct vite devDependency to apps/cms
• pin it to the currently resolved Strapi-compatible version already present in the lockfile: 5.4.21
• regenerate pnpm-lock.yaml so it reflects the intentional direct dependency rather than a second major
• verify both local dev and production build paths for apps/cms

This keeps the fix bounded:

• no Strapi upgrade
• no admin customization rewrite
• no schema or GraphQL contract changes

Technical Approach

Current evidence

• apps/cms/src/admin/vite.config.ts imports from vite
• pnpm-lock.yaml already shows Strapi wired to @vitejs/plugin-react-swc with vite@5.4.21
• the local quick fix introduced vite@8.0.2, which is outside that existing Strapi-major alignment

Implementation steps

Phase 1: Normalize dependency declaration

• Replace the local vite:^8.0.2 entry in apps/cms/package.json with an explicit Strapi-aligned direct dependency
• Pin vite to 5.4.21 rather than a newer major
• Keep it in devDependencies

Phase 2: Regenerate lockfile cleanly

• Re-run install so pnpm-lock.yaml reflects the direct dependency intentionally
• Confirm the lockfile no longer introduces an unnecessary second major solely because of the direct declaration
• Review lockfile churn to keep the diff limited to the CMS dependency alignment

Phase 3: Verify CMS flows

• Verify pnpm --filter @forge/cms dev starts without the missing-vite module failure
• Verify pnpm --filter @forge/cms build succeeds
• Verify the admin alias config in apps/cms/src/admin/vite.config.ts still resolves correctly under the pinned version

Validation commands

# apps/cms/package.json / pnpm-lock.yaml
pnpm install --no-frozen-lockfile
pnpm --filter @forge/cms dev
pnpm --filter @forge/cms build
pnpm why vite --filter @forge/cms

Alternative approaches considered

1. Keep vite:^8.0.2

Rejected.

It fixes the immediate local boot problem, but it effectively upgrades the direct toolchain independently of Strapi’s current transitive stack and creates avoidable lockfile churn.

2. Rely on Strapi’s transitive vite only

Rejected.

apps/cms/src/admin/vite.config.ts imports vite directly, so leaving it undeclared makes the app depend on incidental package-manager resolution.

3. Remove apps/cms/src/admin/vite.config.ts

Rejected.

The alias config may still be desired by the app, and the bug is the undeclared dependency, not the existence of the config file.

Acceptance Criteria

• apps/cms/package.json declares vite directly
• The declared version is aligned with the current Strapi-compatible Vite version already used in the repo
• pnpm-lock.yaml is regenerated without introducing an unnecessary Vite major mismatch
• pnpm --filter @forge/cms dev succeeds
• pnpm --filter @forge/cms build succeeds
• The change remains limited to dependency alignment; no unrelated CMS schema or contract work is included

Success Metrics

• A fresh local CMS setup no longer fails because vite is undeclared
• The repo has a clear, explicit dependency contract for apps/cms/src/admin/vite.config.ts
• Lockfile churn is minimal and explainable
• Future CMS contributors can run the admin build without relying on transitive hoisting luck

Dependencies & Risks

Dependencies

• Existing Strapi 5.36.0 toolchain in apps/cms
• Existing transitive Vite 5.4.21 resolution already present in pnpm-lock.yaml
• Node 24 runtime for CMS

Risks

• Version drift risk: if Strapi upgrades its internal Vite version later, the direct CMS dependency must be updated in the same PR to stay aligned
• Lockfile noise risk: careless install/update flow may preserve unrelated dependency churn
• False confidence risk: dev may pass while build fails if the version is only partially compatible, so both commands must be validated

References & Research

Internal References

• apps/cms/src/admin/vite.config.ts
• apps/cms/package.json
• apps/cms/CLAUDE.md
• pnpm-lock.yaml

Related Work

• Issue: fix(cms): add missing vite dependency for admin dev #513 fix(cms): add missing vite dependency for admin dev

Key Repo Findings

• apps/cms/src/admin/vite.config.ts imports vite directly, so a direct dependency is justified
• pnpm-lock.yaml already shows Strapi wired through @vitejs/plugin-react-swc to vite@5.4.21
• the current local vite:^8.0.2 change adds a second major instead of aligning with the existing stack