fix(config): respect explicit enableGlobalVirtualStore in CI environments (#10836)

Previously, `ci: true` (auto-detected or configured) unconditionally
set `enableGlobalVirtualStore` to `false`, even when the user had
explicitly enabled it in `pnpm-workspace.yaml` or via CLI. This forced
users to add `ci: false` as a workaround in their workspace config
whenever they wanted GVS in CI-like environments (Nix builds, CI systems
with persistent caches, Docker multistage builds).

Now, the CI override only applies when `enableGlobalVirtualStore` was
not explicitly set (i.e., is `null` or `undefined`). This preserves the
default behavior for ephemeral CI while respecting explicit user
configuration.

Also removes the `ci: false` workarounds from existing tests that
were documenting this limitation.

Co-authored-by: Zoltan Kochan <z@kochan.io>

.changeset/ci-respect-explicit-gvs.md

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@pnpm/config": patch
+"pnpm": patch
+---
+
+CI no longer force-disables `enableGlobalVirtualStore` when it was explicitly set by the user. Previously, `ci: true` (auto-detected or configured) would unconditionally set `enableGlobalVirtualStore` to `false`, even when the user had explicitly enabled it in `pnpm-workspace.yaml` or via CLI. Now, only the default value is overridden in CI — explicit user configuration is respected.

config/config/src/index.ts

@@ -609,9 +609,11 @@ export async function getConfig (opts: {
     pnpmConfig.dev = true
   }
 
-  if (pnpmConfig.ci) {
+  if (pnpmConfig.ci && pnpmConfig.enableGlobalVirtualStore == null) {
     // Using a global virtual store in CI makes little sense,
-    // as there is never a warm cache in that environment.
+    // as there is usually no warm cache in that environment.
+    // However, if the user explicitly enabled GVS (e.g., for Nix builds
+    // or CI systems with persistent caches), respect that setting.
     pnpmConfig.enableGlobalVirtualStore = false
   }
 

config/config/test/index.ts

@@ -1504,6 +1504,47 @@ test('pnpm_config_lockfile env var overrides lockfile from pnpm-workspace.yaml i
   expect(config.useLockfile).toBe(false)
 })
 
+test('ci disables enableGlobalVirtualStore by default', async () => {
+  prepareEmpty()
+
+  writeYamlFile('pnpm-workspace.yaml', {
+    ci: true,
+  })
+
+  const { config } = await getConfig({
+    cliOptions: {},
+    env,
+    packageManager: {
+      name: 'pnpm',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+    },
+    workspaceDir: process.cwd(),
+  })
+
+  expect(config.enableGlobalVirtualStore).toBe(false)
+})
+
+test('ci respects explicit enableGlobalVirtualStore from config', async () => {
+  prepareEmpty()
+
+  writeYamlFile('pnpm-workspace.yaml', {
+    ci: true,
+    enableGlobalVirtualStore: true,
+  })
+
+  const { config } = await getConfig({
+    cliOptions: {},
+    env,
+    packageManager: {
+      name: 'pnpm',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+    },
+    workspaceDir: process.cwd(),
+  })
+
+  expect(config.enableGlobalVirtualStore).toBe(true)
+})
+
 test('pnpm_config_git_branch_lockfile env var overrides git-branch-lockfile from pnpm-workspace.yaml in useGitBranchLockfile', async () => {
   prepareEmpty()
 

pnpm/test/install/globalVirtualStore.ts

@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ test('using a global virtual store', async () => {
   const storeDir = path.resolve('store')
   const globalVirtualStoreDir = path.join(storeDir, 'v11/links')
   writeYamlFile(path.resolve('pnpm-workspace.yaml'), {
-    ci: false, // We force CI=false because enableGlobalVirtualStore is always disabled in CI
     enableGlobalVirtualStore: true,
     storeDir,
     privateHoistPattern: '*',

pnpm/test/list.ts

@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ test('pnpm list returns correct paths with global virtual store', async () => {
     },
   })
   writeYamlFile('pnpm-workspace.yaml', {
-    ci: false, // enableGlobalVirtualStore is always disabled in CI
     enableGlobalVirtualStore: true,
     storeDir: path.resolve('store'),
     privateHoistPattern: '*',