# How to Run Tests in OpenWork: A Complete Guide to pnpm Test Suites > Learn how to run tests in OpenWork with this guide. Discover how to execute pnpm test suites for e2e and health checks, ensuring your project runs smoothly. - Repository: [Different AI/openwork](https://github.com/different-ai/openwork) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-08-01 --- **OpenWork uses pnpm as its package manager and defines over a dozen specialized test suites in the root [`package.json`](https://github.com/different-ai/openwork/blob/main/package.json), which you can execute using commands like `pnpm test:e2e` for end-to-end testing or `pnpm test:health` for sanity checks after installing dependencies.** OpenWork is a monorepo that relies on **pnpm** for dependency management and script orchestration. To run tests in OpenWork, you execute predefined npm scripts that cover everything from desktop and web UI validation to session management, filesystem operations, and administrative scalability. All test commands are centrally defined in the repository's [`package.json`](https://github.com/different-ai/openwork/blob/main/package.json) file according to the source code. ## Available Test Suites in OpenWork The project defines granular test scripts to isolate different functional areas. You can run these individually or in combination depending on what you need to validate. ### End-to-End and Health Check Suites The primary test suites cover core application functionality: - **`pnpm test:e2e`** – Runs the full end-to-end test suite covering desktop and web UI interactions - **`pnpm test:health`** – Executes basic sanity checks to verify the main app launches correctly - **`pnpm test:refactor`** – Validates that recent refactors haven't broken existing code paths ### Session and Permission Testing OpenWork includes extensive session management validation: - **`pnpm test:sessions`** – Tests session creation, persistence, and cleanup mechanisms - **`pnpm test:session-error-recovery`** – Verifies recovery from crashed or malformed sessions - **`pnpm test:session-scope`** – Ensures data isolation between different sessions - **`pnpm test:session-switch`** – Validates seamless switching between active sessions - **`pnpm test:permissions`** – Checks role-based access control implementations ### Infrastructure and Evaluation Tests Lower-level system components have dedicated test commands: - **`pnpm test:fs-engine`** – Validates the virtual filesystem abstraction layer - **`pnpm test:events`** – Verifies the internal event bus and listener implementations - **`pnpm test:todos`** – Tests TODO-tracking utilities - **`pnpm test:eval-runner`** – Executes the core evaluation harness located in the `evals` folder via `evals/runner/run.mjs` - **`pnpm test:admin-scale`** – Tests scalability of admin APIs in the Den backend ## How to Execute Test Commands Running tests in OpenWork requires pnpm and follows a consistent command pattern. ### Initial Setup and Installation Before executing any tests, install the monorepo dependencies: ```bash pnpm install ``` This command installs all necessary packages across the workspace, including the **Vitest** testing framework used throughout the project. ### Running Individual Test Suites Execute specific test categories using the `pnpm test:` prefix: ```bash # Run end-to-end UI tests pnpm test:e2e # Run only health checks pnpm test:health # Run session management tests pnpm test:sessions ``` ### Running the Full Test Suite To execute all test scripts sequentially, use the general test command: ```bash pnpm run test ``` If the root [`package.json`](https://github.com/different-ai/openwork/blob/main/package.json) does not define a master `test` script that chains all suites, you must run the individual commands manually in sequence. ## Environment and Dependency Requirements Some test suites require external services to be running before execution. ### Docker Containers for Database Tests Tests related to the Den backend (particularly `pnpm test:admin-scale`) expect local MySQL instances. The repository provides Docker configuration to simplify this setup: - **[`packaging/docker/docker-compose.web-local.yml`](https://github.com/different-ai/openwork/blob/main/packaging/docker/docker-compose.web-local.yml)** – Defines the MySQL service configuration for local testing - **`dev:den:mysql`** – Script that automatically spins up the required MySQL container The `scripts/dev-local.mjs` file handles the orchestration of these local Den services used by many test suites. ### Environment Variables Configuration Database-dependent tests require specific environment variables: - `DATABASE_URL` – Connection string for the MySQL instance - `DEN_DB_ENCRYPTION_KEY` – Encryption key for database operations The default values defined in [`package.json`](https://github.com/different-ai/openwork/blob/main/package.json) are safe for local development, but you must ensure these are set when running tests manually outside the provided scripts. ## Test Architecture and Key Files Understanding where tests and configuration reside helps with debugging and extending coverage. ### Script Definitions and Configuration The **[`package.json`](https://github.com/different-ai/openwork/blob/main/package.json)** file in the repository root contains the `"scripts"` section that defines all available test commands. This is the authoritative source for available test targets and their environment variable defaults. The **`evals/runner/run.mjs`** file serves as the core test runner for the evaluation framework, invoked by `pnpm test:eval-runner`. ### Test Implementation Locations Actual test files are distributed across the monorepo: - **`packages/*/test/*.test.ts`** – Contains package-specific test implementations using Vitest - **`.opencode/*`** – Includes example test files demonstrating Zod validation testing patterns - **`evals/`** – Houses the evaluation framework and its associated test scenarios ## Summary - OpenWork uses **pnpm** exclusively for test execution, with all commands defined in the root [`package.json`](https://github.com/different-ai/openwork/blob/main/package.json) - **Individual test suites** are run using `pnpm test:[suite-name]` syntax, covering areas like e2e, sessions, permissions, and filesystem operations - **Docker and MySQL** are required for Den-backend tests, with `dev:den:mysql` automating container setup - **Environment variables** like `DATABASE_URL` must be configured for database-dependent test suites - Test implementations reside in `packages/*/test/*.test.ts` and use the **Vitest** framework ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What testing framework does OpenWork use? OpenWork uses **Vitest** as its primary testing framework. You can see this in action within the `.opencode/*` example files and throughout the `packages/*/test/*.test.ts` files, which utilize Vitest's syntax for assertions and test organization. ### Do I need Docker to run tests in OpenWork? You need Docker only for specific test suites that interact with the Den backend, such as `pnpm test:admin-scale`. These tests require a running MySQL instance. The [`packaging/docker/docker-compose.web-local.yml`](https://github.com/different-ai/openwork/blob/main/packaging/docker/docker-compose.web-local.yml) file and the `dev:den:mysql` script handle container orchestration automatically, but pure unit tests do not require Docker. ### How do I run only specific test categories? Use the targeted pnpm scripts defined in [`package.json`](https://github.com/different-ai/openwork/blob/main/package.json). For example, run `pnpm test:health` for basic sanity checks, `pnpm test:sessions` for session management, or `pnpm test:fs-engine` for filesystem validation. Each command isolates a specific functional area of the application. ### Where are the actual test files located? Test implementations are located in `packages/*/test/*.test.ts` throughout the monorepo, with the evaluation runner housed in `evals/runner/run.mjs`. Configuration and example tests can also be found in the `.opencode/` directory, which demonstrates testing patterns for Zod schemas and other utilities.