Vite + React 19 + TypeScript + ESLint 9: Production Setup Guide

Stack Performance Specifications

Development Speed Metrics

• Dev server startup: 1-2 seconds (vs 15-30s with CRA, 30s+ with Webpack)
• Hot Module Replacement (HMR): Usually instant, fails ~1x per hour
• Build time: Significantly faster than Webpack configurations

Critical Failure Modes

• HMR randomly stops: Requires dev server restart + nuclear option (delete node_modules)
• ESLint 9 migration: 2-4 hours of breaking changes from .eslintrc deprecation
• React 19 ecosystem lag: 50% of libraries haven't updated peer dependencies
• Windows compatibility: Hit-or-miss, WSL2 required for reliability

Prerequisites and Resource Requirements

Mandatory Requirements

• Node.js: 20+ (22 recommended), Vite 7 requires newer Node since 18 EOL
• Clean environment: Run npm cache clean --force before setup
• No global CRA: Must uninstall npm uninstall -g create-react-app

Time Investment Expectations

• Initial setup: 30 minutes if everything works
• CRA migration: 6+ hours typical
  • 2+ hours: ESLint config migration
  • 1 hour: Environment variables (VITE_ prefix requirement)
  • 2 hours: Import/dependency issues
  • 1 hour: TypeScript errors

Production-Ready Configuration

Working TypeScript Configuration

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "jsx": "react-jsx",
    "lib": ["ES2023", "DOM", "DOM.Iterable"],
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "strict": true,
    "module": "ESNext",
    "moduleResolution": "bundler",
    "resolveJsonModule": true,
    "isolatedModules": true,
    "noEmit": true
  }
}

Critical: skipLibCheck: true essential - 50% of dependencies have TypeScript errors

ESLint 9 Flat Config (Breaking Change)

import js from '@eslint/js'
import globals from 'globals'
import reactHooks from 'eslint-plugin-react-hooks'
import reactRefresh from 'eslint-plugin-react-refresh'
import tseslint from 'typescript-eslint'

export default tseslint.config(
  { ignores: ['dist'] },
  {
    extends: [js.configs.recommended, ...tseslint.configs.recommended],
    files: ['**/*.{ts,tsx}'],
    languageOptions: {
      ecmaVersion: 2020,
      globals: globals.browser,
    },
    plugins: {
      'react-hooks': reactHooks,
      'react-refresh': reactRefresh,
    },
    rules: {
      ...reactHooks.configs.recommended.rules,
      'react-refresh/only-export-components': ['warn', { allowConstantExport: true }],
    },
  },
)

Breaking Change Impact: All .eslintrc files obsolete, VS Code requires 10-minute adjustment period

Minimal Vite Configuration

import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react'

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

Performance Warning: Skip ESLint plugin - slows dev server, let editor handle linting

Critical Warnings and Workarounds

Environment Variables Breaking Change

• Old: REACT_APP_ prefix (Create React App)
• New: VITE_ prefix required for client-side variables
• Access: import.meta.env.VITE_YOUR_VARIABLE

HMR Failure Recovery (Nuclear Option)

rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json .eslintcache
npm cache clean --force
npm install
npm run dev

Success Rate: 80% of HMR issues resolved

Common Breaking Scenarios

1. Circular dependencies in imports
2. Dynamic imports in unusual locations
3. State management libraries incompatibility
4. VS Code extensions process interference
5. Path length limits on Windows (silent failures)

Stack Comparison Matrix

Metric	Vite+React19+TS+ESLint9	Create React App	Next.js	Webpack
Dev Start Time	1-2s	15-30s	5-10s	30+s
Setup Complexity	Medium (config hell initially)	Low (just works)	High (Next magic)	Expert level
Production Readiness	Stable after 8 months	Battle-tested	Excellent	Manual optimization
Learning Curve	Moderate (ESLint 9 pain)	Low	High	Very high

Dependency Management

React 19 Upgrade Commands

npm install react@^19.1.0 react-dom@^19.1.0
npm install --save-dev @types/react@^19.1.0 @types/react-dom@^19.1.0

Dependency Conflict Detection

npm ls  # Check for version conflicts before upgrade

Bundle Size Optimization

• Import specific functions: import { useState } from 'react'
• Avoid full library imports: Never import _ from 'lodash'
• Tree-shaking differences: Vite catches different unused code than Webpack

Migration Pain Points

From Create React App

• Environment variables: REACT_APP_ → VITE_ prefix
• Import paths: Stricter about file extensions and case sensitivity
• Build process: Different bundling behavior may increase bundle size initially

From Next.js (Loss Assessment)

• SSR/SSG: Manual implementation required
• Built-in routing: Must add React Router
• Image optimization: Manual handling needed
• API routes: Separate backend required
• SEO benefits: Lost without server rendering

Production Deployment Specifications

Recommended Scripts

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "vite",
    "build": "tsc && vite build",
    "lint": "eslint .",
    "lint:fix": "eslint . --fix",
    "preview": "vite preview"
  }
}

Platform Compatibility

• Vercel: Zero-configuration deployment, just works
• Netlify: Generous free tier, easy setup
• Windows: Use WSL2 for reliability
• macOS/Linux: Native support, optimal performance

Troubleshooting Decision Tree

HMR Issues

1. Restart dev server
2. If fails: Delete node_modules + nuclear option
3. If still fails: Restart VS Code
4. Last resort: Restart computer

TypeScript Errors

1. Check React 19 type changes (stricter definitions)
2. Verify matching React/types versions: npm list react @types/react
3. Review ref props (forwardRef no longer needed)
4. Update third-party component types

Build Failures

1. Check import paths (case sensitivity)
2. Verify file extensions included
3. Review dependency peer dependency warnings
4. Test with fresh node_modules

Community and Support Quality

Responsive Support Channels

• Vite GitHub Issues: Fast maintainer response times
• Vite Discord: Active real-time community help
• Reactiflux Discord: Large React community, #help-react channel

Documentation Quality

• Vite Official Guide: Comprehensive, well-written
• React 19 Release Blog: Essential reading for updates
• ESLint 9 Migration Guide: Critical for breaking changes
• TypeScript Handbook: Definitive reference

Decision Criteria

Choose This Stack If

• Building SPA or dashboard (no SSR needed)
• Priority on development speed (1-2s startup)
• Team comfortable with configuration complexity
• Can invest weekend in initial setup
• React 19 ecosystem compatibility acceptable

Avoid This Stack If

• Need SSR/SSG (stick with Next.js)
• Team prefers zero-configuration (use CRA)
• Windows development without WSL2
• Cannot tolerate periodic HMR failures
• Legacy dependencies incompatible with React 19

Real-World Assessment

Developer Experience: Excellent when working, expect weekend debugging during setup. Noticeably faster than Webpack setups after initial configuration pain.