code · pull · May 14, 2026 · May 14, 2026 · May 14, 2026 · May 14, 2026
diff --git a/.changeset/fix-generated-client-types-import.md b/.changeset/fix-generated-client-types-import.md
diff --git a/.changeset/fix-native-sqlite-esm-database-build.md b/.changeset/fix-native-sqlite-esm-database-build.md
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+---
+"@tinacms/cli": minor
+"@tinacms/schema-tools": minor
+---
+
+Fix native SQLite (and other native CJS adapters) crashing the ESM database build, plus surrounding cleanup work.
+
+**The bug.** Since Tina v3's December 2025 ESM migration, bundling `tina/database.ts` with esbuild — and writing the output to `os.tmpdir()` — left users wedged between two failure modes: bundling native modules like `better-sqlite3` crashed with `__filename is not defined`, and externalizing them couldn't resolve `node_modules` from `/tmp/`. See #6675.
+
+**What changed:**
+
+- `loadDatabaseFile` and `loadConfigFile` now write esbuild output to `<project>/tina/__generated__/.cache/<timestamp>/` instead of `os.tmpdir()`, so Node's resolver can walk up to the project's `node_modules` at runtime.
+- `better-sqlite3` is externalized so Node loads it as CJS where `__filename` exists.
+- The build cache is swept on startup (clears residue from crashed prior runs), and each per-build subdir + its now-empty timestamp parent are removed after the dynamic-import resolves.
+- Read-only project mounts (Docker `:ro` volumes, AWS Lambda's `/var/task`, sandboxed CI runners) now fail with an actionable error explaining the cause and resolution, instead of a cryptic mid-build `EACCES`.
+- New `defineConfig` field: `build.externalDependencies?: string[]`. Users with custom native adapters outside the baseline can extend the externalize list from their config:
+
+  ```ts
+  // tina/config.ts
+  export default defineConfig({
+    build: {
+      publicFolder: 'public',
+      outputFolder: 'admin',
+      externalDependencies: ['my-custom-native-adapter'],
+    },
+    // ...
+  });
+  ```
+
+  Externalized packages must be installed in the project's `node_modules` so Node can resolve them at runtime.
+- `tina init` now adds `tina/__generated__` to `.gitignore` for new projects (and existing projects without it).
diff --git a/.changeset/fresh-tomatoes-look.md b/.changeset/fresh-tomatoes-look.md
diff --git a/.changeset/search-sqlite-level-esm.md b/.changeset/search-sqlite-level-esm.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@tinacms/search": patch
+---
+
+Bump `sqlite-level` to `^2.0.0` and switch back to a named `import { SqliteLevel } from 'sqlite-level'`. The previous namespace-import workaround was needed because `sqlite-level` shipped as CJS and esbuild's default-import rewrite broke ESM named-export resolution; with the upstream CJS-to-ESM migration ([tinacms/sqlite-level#24](https://github.com/tinacms/sqlite-level/pull/24)) released as `sqlite-level@2.0.0`, that workaround is no longer required.
diff --git a/packages/@tinacms/app/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/@tinacms/app/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # @tinacms/app
 
+## 2.4.8
+
+### Patch Changes
+
+- Updated dependencies []:
+  - tinacms@3.8.1
+
 ## 2.4.7
 
 ### Patch Changes

diff --git a/packages/@tinacms/app/package.json b/packages/@tinacms/app/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@tinacms/app",
-	"version": "2.4.7",
+	"version": "2.4.8",
 	"main": "src/main.tsx",
 	"license": "Apache-2.0",
 	"devDependencies": {

diff --git a/packages/@tinacms/cli/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/@tinacms/cli/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,17 @@
 # tinacms-cli
 
+## 2.3.1
+
+### Patch Changes
+
+- [#6850](https://github.com/tinacms/tinacms/pull/6850) [`629af08`](https://github.com/tinacms/tinacms/commit/629af08dc4b6dbe7ed652cbc5dfd55699b0fffa9) Thanks [@18-th](https://github.com/18-th)! - Fix the generated `client.ts` / `databaseClient.ts` `./types` import so it satisfies both TypeScript strict mode and Node native ESM. The generated import is now `import { queries } from "./types.js"` unconditionally, and the CLI emits a co-resident `types.js` alongside `types.ts` for TypeScript projects. Modern TS module resolution (`bundler` / `node16` / `nodenext`) rewrites the `.js` import back to `types.ts` at compile time, so type checking still sees the `.ts` source and `allowImportingTsExtensions` is not required, while Node ESM consumers resolve the on-disk `.js` file at runtime.
+
+- Updated dependencies [[`890108d`](https://github.com/tinacms/tinacms/commit/890108dd6c1a88a1c5531cf397514c34712d13bd)]:
+  - @tinacms/graphql@2.4.1
+  - @tinacms/search@1.2.15
+  - tinacms@3.8.1
+  - @tinacms/app@2.4.8
+
 ## 2.3.0
 
 ### Minor Changes

diff --git a/packages/@tinacms/cli/package.json b/packages/@tinacms/cli/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
     "name": "@tinacms/cli",
     "type": "module",
-    "version": "2.3.0",
+    "version": "2.3.1",
     "main": "dist/index.js",
     "typings": "dist/index.d.ts",
     "files": [

diff --git a/packages/@tinacms/cli/src/cmds/init/apply.ts b/packages/@tinacms/cli/src/cmds/init/apply.ts
@@ -96,6 +96,12 @@ async function apply({
     if (!env.gitIgnoreEnvExists) {
       itemsToAdd.push('.env');
     }
+    if (!env.gitIgnoreTinaGeneratedExists) {
+      // Tina writes generated artifacts (including the build cache used to
+      // bundle tina/database.ts and tina/config.ts) under tina/__generated__/.
+      // None of it should be committed.
+      itemsToAdd.push('tina/__generated__');
+    }
     if (itemsToAdd.length > 0) {
       await updateGitIgnore({ baseDir, items: itemsToAdd });
     }
@@ -272,7 +278,10 @@ const createPackageJSON = async () => {
 };
 const createGitignore = async ({ baseDir }: { baseDir: string }) => {
   logger.info(logText('No .gitignore found, creating one'));
-  fs.outputFileSync(path.join(baseDir, '.gitignore'), 'node_modules');
+  fs.outputFileSync(
+    path.join(baseDir, '.gitignore'),
+    'node_modules\ntina/__generated__\n'
+  );
 };
 
 const updateGitIgnore = async ({

diff --git a/packages/@tinacms/cli/src/cmds/init/detectEnvironment.ts b/packages/@tinacms/cli/src/cmds/init/detectEnvironment.ts
@@ -169,6 +169,15 @@ const detectEnvironment = async ({
     (await checkGitignoreForItem({ baseDir, line: '.env.tina' }));
   const hasGitIgnoreEnv =
     hasGitIgnore && (await checkGitignoreForItem({ baseDir, line: '.env' }));
+  // Tina writes generated artifacts (including the build cache used by the CLI
+  // to bundle tina/database.ts and tina/config.ts) under tina/__generated__/.
+  // Anything under that path is build output and should not be committed.
+  const hasGitIgnoreTinaGenerated =
+    hasGitIgnore &&
+    (await checkGitignoreForItem({
+      baseDir,
+      line: 'tina/__generated__',
+    }));
   let frontMatterFormat: ContentFrontmatterFormat;
   if (hasForestryConfig) {
     const hugoConfigPath = path.join(rootPath, 'config.toml');
@@ -194,6 +203,7 @@ const detectEnvironment = async ({
     gitIgnoreNodeModulesExists: hasGitIgnoreNodeModules,
     gitIgnoreEnvExists: hasGitIgnoreEnv,
     gitIgnoreTinaEnvExists: hasEnvTina,
+    gitIgnoreTinaGeneratedExists: hasGitIgnoreTinaGenerated,
     packageJSONExists: hasPackageJSON,
     sampleContentExists: hasSampleContent,
     sampleContentPath,

diff --git a/packages/@tinacms/cli/src/cmds/init/index.ts b/packages/@tinacms/cli/src/cmds/init/index.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ export type InitEnvironment = {
   gitIgnoreNodeModulesExists: boolean;
   gitIgnoreTinaEnvExists: boolean;
   gitIgnoreEnvExists: boolean;
+  gitIgnoreTinaGeneratedExists: boolean;
   packageJSONExists: boolean;
   sampleContentExists: boolean;
   sampleContentPath: string;