What pnpm check runs

pnpm check runs seven steps and stops at the first failure. pnpm test runs after it, in the git hook and in CI.

pnpm check ─> pins ─> migrations ─> env:check ─> biome ─> lint ─> typecheck ─> deps
pnpm test  ─> node --test tests/ ─> turbo run test (each workspace package)

Step	Tool	Catches	Rules
pins	house-rules-pins bin	a dependency that is not an exact version	Exact pins
migrations	house-rules-migrations bin	SQL that reaches another module’s tables, a use-case that opens a transaction	house-rules-migrations
env:check	varlock	an environment variable that fails .env.schema	none in the plugin
biome	Biome	formatting, export *, ! assertions, file names	Biome rules
lint	ESLint	narrative comments, broken Markdown links, use-cases that are not capabilities, surfaces built by hand	ESLint rules
typecheck	TypeScript 7 with Effect diagnostics	type errors, floating Effects, global errors in the error channel	TypeScript rules
deps	Dependency Cruiser	import cycles, layer breaks, deep imports, utils folders	Dependency Cruiser rules

Turborepo runs typecheck and test in each workspace package, in dependency order, with caching off. A gate always runs.

What no tool checks

A green pnpm check says nothing about these. A reviewer reads for them. The full list is in the README’s prose rules.

1. A comment gives a real reason. It does not restate the code.
2. Errors are designed, not just typed. Delivery maps them in one place.
3. A cast states its intent.
4. Nobody loosens a compiler option or a preset rule in a thin config.
5. A cartridge passes the pull-out test: delete its package and its one Layer.provide line, and the rest still builds.
6. One module write method is one transaction. A use-case never opens one.

When a check fails

The error names the rule. Open its page under all rules, fix the code, and run the check again. Never make a check pass by switching the rule off. AGENTS.md lists the config changes that need the owner’s yes.