vinext init

Migrate an existing Next.js project to run under vinext

Migrates an existing Next.js project to vinext with a one-command setup. Installs dependencies, configures ESM, generates vite.config.ts, and adds npm scripts.

Usage

vinext init [options]

Options

--port · number · default: "3001"

Dev server port for the vinext script. Can also use the short form -p.

vinext init --port 4000

Creates a dev:vinext script that runs on this port (Next.js dev continues to use port 3000).

--skip-check · flag

Skip the compatibility check step.

vinext init --skip-check

By default, vinext runs a compatibility scan before migration. Use this to skip it.

--force · flag

Overwrite existing vite.config.ts if it exists.

vinext init --force

By default, vinext skips config generation if vite.config.ts already exists.

--help · flag

Show help for this command. Can also use -h.

vinext init --help

What It Does

The init command automates project migration:

// From init.ts:157-257
export async function init(options: InitOptions): Promise<InitResult> {
  // 1. Run compatibility check (shows what will/won't work)
  if (!options.skipCheck) {
    const checkResult = runCheck(root);
    console.log(formatReport(checkResult));
  }
  
  // 2. Install dependencies
  const neededDeps = getInitDeps(isApp);
  const missingDeps = neededDeps.filter(dep => !isDepInstalled(root, dep));
  if (missingDeps.length > 0) {
    installDeps(root, missingDeps);
  }
  
  // 3. Add "type": "module" to package.json
  const renamedConfigs = renameCJSConfigs(root);
  const addedTypeModule = ensureESModule(root);
  
  // 4. Add scripts to package.json
  const addedScripts = addScripts(root, port);
  
  // 5. Generate vite.config.ts
  if (!viteConfigExists || options.force) {
    const configContent = generateViteConfig(isApp);
    fs.writeFileSync("vite.config.ts", configContent);
  }
  
  // 6. Print summary
  console.log("vinext init complete!");
}

1. Compatibility Check

Scans your project and shows a compatibility report:

vinext init

  Running compatibility check...

  vinext compatibility report
  ========================================

  Imports: 8/10 fully supported
    ✓  next/link
    ✓  next/navigation
    ~  next/image — uses @unpic/react (no local optimization yet)
    ✗  next/amp — AMP is not supported

  Config: 5/6 options supported
    ✓  redirects
    ✓  rewrites
    ✗  webpack — Vite replaces webpack

  Libraries: 3/3 compatible
    ✓  next-themes
    ✓  tailwindcss
    ✓  zod

  Project structure:
    ✓  App Router (app/)
    ✓  15 page(s)
    ✓  3 layout(s)
    ✗  Missing "type": "module" in package.json — required for Vite

  ────────────────────────────────────────
  Overall: 85% compatible (20 supported, 2 partial, 2 issues)

See the check command for details on what’s checked.

2. Dependency Installation

Installs required packages:

App Router

# Installs: vinext, vite, @vitejs/plugin-rsc
npm install -D vinext vite @vitejs/plugin-rsc

// From init.ts:115-121
export function getInitDeps(isAppRouter: boolean): string[] {
  const deps = ["vinext", "vite"];
  if (isAppRouter) {
    deps.push("@vitejs/plugin-rsc");
  }
  return deps;
}

3. ESM Configuration

Vite requires ESM. vinext automatically:

1. Renames CJS config files to .cjs extension:

   • next.config.js → next.config.cjs
   • postcss.config.js → postcss.config.cjs
   • tailwind.config.js → tailwind.config.cjs

2. Adds "type": "module" to package.json:

{
  "name": "my-app",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "type": "module",  // Added by vinext init
  "scripts": { /* ... */ }
}

After adding "type": "module", .js files are treated as ESM. If you have CommonJS files, rename them to .cjs or convert to ESM.

4. Script Addition

Adds vinext scripts to package.json without overwriting existing ones:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "next dev",              // Unchanged (Next.js still works)
    "dev:vinext": "vite dev --port 3001",  // Added
    "build": "next build",          // Unchanged
    "build:vinext": "vite build",   // Added
    "start": "next start"
  }
}

You can now run:

npm run dev         # Next.js dev server (port 3000)
npm run dev:vinext  # vinext dev server (port 3001)

5. Config Generation

Generates a minimal vite.config.ts:

// From init.ts:63-70
export function generateViteConfig(_isAppRouter: boolean): string {
  return `import vinext from "vinext";
import { defineConfig } from "vite";

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [vinext()],
});
`;
}

The vinext() plugin auto-detects App Router and registers @vitejs/plugin-rsc if needed.

If vite.config.ts already exists, vinext skips generation unless you use --force.

Examples

Basic Migration

Migrate with all defaults:

vinext init

Output:

  Running compatibility check...

  [compatibility report]

  Installing vinext, vite, @vitejs/plugin-rsc...

  vinext init complete!

    ✓ Added vinext, vite, @vitejs/plugin-rsc to devDependencies
    ✓ Added "type": "module" to package.json
    ✓ Renamed next.config.js → next.config.cjs
    ✓ Added dev:vinext script
    ✓ Added build:vinext script
    ✓ Generated vite.config.ts

  Next steps:
    npm run dev:vinext    Start the vinext dev server
    npm run dev           Start Next.js (still works as before)

Custom Port

Use a different dev server port:

vinext init --port 4000

Creates:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev:vinext": "vite dev --port 4000"
  }
}

Skip Compatibility Check

Skip the check if you’ve already run vinext check:

vinext check        # Run check separately
vinext init --skip-check

Force Overwrite Config

Overwrite existing vite.config.ts:

vinext init --force

This will replace your existing vite.config.ts. Back it up first if you have custom configuration.

Non-Destructive Migration

vinext init is non-destructive:

• Does NOT modify: next.config.*, tsconfig.json, source files
• Does NOT remove: Next.js dependencies or scripts
• Safe to run: Your Next.js setup continues to work

You can run both Next.js and vinext side-by-side:

# Terminal 1: Next.js
npm run dev

# Terminal 2: vinext
npm run dev:vinext

After Migration

Start Development Server

npm run dev:vinext

Or directly:

vinext dev

Build for Production

npm run build:vinext

Or:

vinext build

Deploy to Cloudflare Workers

vinext deploy

Manual Migration Steps

If you prefer manual setup:

1. Install Dependencies

App Router

npm install -D vinext vite @vitejs/plugin-rsc

2. Add “type”: “module”

Edit package.json:

{
  "type": "module"
}

3. Rename CJS Configs

mv next.config.js next.config.cjs
mv postcss.config.js postcss.config.cjs

4. Create vite.config.ts

import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import vinext from 'vinext'

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [vinext()],
})

5. Add Scripts

Edit package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev:vinext": "vite dev --port 3001",
    "build:vinext": "vite build"
  }
}

6. Start Dev Server

npm run dev:vinext

Troubleshooting

”Cannot use import statement outside a module”

You have CommonJS files with require() statements. Either:

1. Rename them to .cjs:

   mv some-file.js some-file.cjs
   

2. Or convert to ESM:

   // Before (CommonJS)
   const foo = require('./foo')
   module.exports = { bar }
   
   // After (ESM)
   import foo from './foo'
   export { bar }
   

“Module not found: @vitejs/plugin-rsc”

For App Router projects, ensure the RSC plugin is installed:

npm install -D @vitejs/plugin-rsc

vinext dev Fails on Port 3001

Port is already in use. Use a different port:

vinext init --port 4000

Or change the script manually:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev:vinext": "vite dev --port 4000"
  }
}

Type Errors After Migration

Run TypeScript typecheck:

npx tsc --noEmit

Common issues:

• Missing types: npm install -D @types/node
• Vite types: Add to tsconfig.json:
  {
    "compilerOptions": {
      "types": ["vite/client"]
    }
  }
  

Rollback

To remove vinext and go back to Next.js only:

1. Remove vinext scripts from package.json
2. Remove "type": "module" from package.json
3. Rename configs back:
   mv next.config.cjs next.config.js
   
4. Remove dependencies:
   npm uninstall vinext vite @vitejs/plugin-rsc
   
5. Delete vite.config.ts

Next Steps

dev Command

Start the development server

check Command

Understand the compatibility report