RFC: Bit version control for pnpm workspaces

[zkochan]

Draft proposal for a pnpm workspace to use Bit as its only VCS, with no Git repository or Git executable.

The design builds directly on Bit's existing model:

• each pnpm workspace project is a component;
• unclaimed files belong to a root component;
• one snap batch is the workspace commit;
• lanes are branches and scopes are remotes;
• portable component dependencies use pnpm catalogs and Bit's snapped dependency graph;
• a workspace selects one concrete toolchain profile while components declare compatible requirements.

The public workflow is Bit-native. bit pnpm sync adopts a raw pnpm workspace and normal Bit commands handle status, snaps, lanes, import, export, checkout, and merge. pnpm remains responsible for installation, lockfiles, and generic catalog semantics; it does not wrap or invoke Bit.

pnpm-workspace.yaml#vcs is the authoritative version-free path-to-component map. The root component stores a normalized projection so Bit can fetch it first; .bitmap is generated from imported heads. Root-first and lane-aware clone were validated during prototyping, and the discarded Rust wrapper is now explicitly documented as evidence for a future Bit-native clone command rather than proposed product architecture.

Current implementation drafts:

• teambit/bit#10675
• pnpm/pnpm#14332, limited to generic catalog and workspace-manifest support

Related CI source-provider draft: pnpm/rfcs#25.

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