When you add a project, Solo scans the folder to detect runnable commands automatically. This saves you from typing them all in by hand. You are free to skip this auto-detection altogether if you'd like.
How detection works
After you select a project folder, Solo reads files in the project root, with a few targeted subdirectory checks such as Phoenix assets/package.json and root-level .csproj discovery, for example. Detected commands are presented in the setup wizard as suggestions. Some are pre-selected and some are offered but left unchecked. Before confirming, you can choose which suggestions to include and which included commands should auto-start. Add or edit commands after setup.
Detection runs automatically only when you first add a project that does not already have solo.yml. Editing files in the repo or editing solo.yml does not trigger automatic re-detection.
Supported project types
package.json scripts (npm / pnpm / yarn / bun)
Solo reads the scripts field in package.json and suggests matching priority scripts named start, serve, build, and test. When a dev script is present, Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Remix, and Astro replace its direct row with a framework-labeled package-manager command. Create React App detection currently suppresses a present dev script without adding a framework-specific replacement. Otherwise, a matching dev script is suggested directly. Solo also detects framework/tooling dependencies such as Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Remix, Astro, Vite, Create React App, Prisma, Drizzle, Storybook, Cypress, and Vitest.
Solo chooses the package-manager command from packageManager first, then lockfiles (bun, pnpm, yarn, npm), then falls back to npm.
Procfile and Procfile.dev
If a Procfile.dev or Procfile is present at the project root, Solo reads it. Each valid, non-comment name: command entry becomes a command suggestion using the parsed name and shell command. Blank lines, comments, malformed entries, and entries with an empty name or command are skipped:
web: node server.jsworker: node worker.jsProcfile.dev takes priority over Procfile. Rails projects use Rails-specific detection for Procfile.dev, so generic Procfile suggestions may be skipped there.
Makefile
Solo reads Makefile, makefile, or GNUmakefile targets and surfaces exact dev-relevant target names such as dev, start, serve, run, watch, build, test, lint, check, typecheck, fmt, format, up, down, clean, and e2e.
Justfile
Solo reads justfile, Justfile, or .justfile recipes using the same dev-relevant target list. Private recipes prefixed with _ are skipped.
Taskfile (Task)
Solo reads Taskfile.yml, Taskfile.yaml, or taskfile.yml and surfaces tasks whose names match the dev-relevant target list.
When more than one of these task-runner files is present, Solo uses the first available runner in this order: Taskfile, Justfile, then Makefile.
PM2 ecosystem files
For JSON/YAML PM2 configs (ecosystem.json, process.json, pm2.json, ecosystem.yml, or ecosystem.yaml), Solo reads the apps array and creates a command for each application entry. For JavaScript/TypeScript PM2 configs such as ecosystem.config.js, Solo does not parse the file; it suggests a single PM2 command to start that config file.
Turborepo
Solo detects turbo.json and surfaces dev-relevant tasks from tasks or legacy pipeline as commands like turbo run dev.
Nx
Solo detects nx.json and reads targetDefaults for dev-relevant target names, then suggests commands like nx run-many --target=serve.
Other ecosystems
Solo also detects Laravel/PHP Composer, Rust/Cargo, Spring Boot, FastAPI, Flask, Django, generic Python, Rails, Go, .NET, Phoenix, Docker Compose, and some framework-specific workers or tooling when their expected files or dependencies are present. For a generic Python project with requirements.txt or pyproject.toml, Solo suggests python main.py when main.py exists; otherwise, if app.py exists, it suggests python app.py.
Laravel Herd
For Laravel projects, Solo looks for signals that Herd may already be serving the site: either a herd.yml file exists in the project, or Herd appears to be running on your Mac. When either signal is present, the php artisan serve suggestion is still offered but left unselected because a second development server may be redundant or may conflict. The suggestion's description explains why it wasn't preselected; check the box if you want it anyway.
What gets suggested
Detection errs on the side of relevance — it prefers commands you'd run during active development over one-time setup tasks. Primary dev servers are often selected and marked for auto-start/auto-restart. Build, test, lint, formatter, migration, console, and GUI/tool commands may be offered without being selected or auto-started.
Overriding or adding commands
Detected commands are just suggestions. In the setup wizard you can:
- Uncheck any detected command you don't want.
- Choose Auto-start for each included command.
The setup wizard does not let you rename suggestions or create arbitrary commands. After setup, use Add command in the project pane or sidebar to create a custom command, or open an existing command's menu and choose Edit command... to change its name or command. You can also remove commands from the sidebar. See Adding & removing commands.
If detection misses something
Some projects have unusual tooling or custom scripts. If Solo doesn't detect your commands:
- Finish setup — or choose I'll add my own commands to skip its suggestions — then use Add command in the project pane or sidebar.
- For future teammates, add the commands to
solo.ymldirectly so they're always available.
Re-running detection
Detection doesn't re-run automatically after initial setup. If you add new tooling later, add the new command manually via the sidebar or put it in solo.yml, or have your agent do it.