fix: allow Pro greenfield validation without package manifest

compat/aiox-core/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "aiox-core",
-  "version": "5.2.2",
+  "version": "5.2.3",
   "description": "Compatibility wrapper for @aiox-squads/core.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "bin": {
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     "README.md"
   ],
   "dependencies": {
-    "@aiox-squads/core": "5.2.2"
+    "@aiox-squads/core": "5.2.3"
   },
   "engines": {
     "node": ">=18"

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@aiox-squads/core",
-  "version": "5.2.2",
+  "version": "5.2.3",
   "description": "Synkra AIOX: AI-Orchestrated System for Full Stack Development - Core Framework",
   "bin": {
     "aiox": "bin/aiox.js",

packages/installer/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@aiox-squads/installer",
-  "version": "3.3.2",
+  "version": "3.3.3",
   "description": "AIOX Installer - Automated setup wizard for AIOX projects (greenfield & brownfield)",
   "main": "src/index.js",
   "bin": {

packages/installer/src/wizard/validation/validators/dependency-validator.js

@@ -46,10 +46,15 @@ async function validateDependencies(depsContext = {}) {
     // Check node_modules existence
     const nodeModulesPath = path.join(projectRoot, 'node_modules');
     const packageJsonPath = path.join(projectRoot, 'package.json');
+    const packageJsonExists = fs.existsSync(packageJsonPath);
+    const isGreenfieldNoPackageJson =
+      depsContext.skipped === true &&
+      depsContext.reason === 'no-package-json' &&
+      !packageJsonExists;
 
     // For greenfield projects, check if package.json has dependencies
     let hasDependencies = false;
-    if (fs.existsSync(packageJsonPath)) {
+    if (packageJsonExists) {
       try {
         const packageJson = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(packageJsonPath, 'utf8'));
         hasDependencies = !!(
@@ -92,14 +97,31 @@ async function validateDependencies(depsContext = {}) {
       message: 'Directory exists',
     });
 
-    // Validate package.json integrity
-    await validatePackageJson(results, projectRoot);
+    if (isGreenfieldNoPackageJson) {
+      results.checks.push({
+        component: 'Package Manifest',
+        file: packageJsonPath,
+        status: 'skipped',
+        message: 'No package.json found (greenfield project)',
+      });
+    } else {
+      // Validate package.json integrity
+      await validatePackageJson(results, projectRoot);
+    }
 
     // Validate any explicit dependency contract supplied by the caller.
     await checkRequiredDependencies(results, projectRoot, depsContext.requiredDependencies);
 
-    // Run npm audit (non-blocking - warnings only)
-    await runSecurityAudit(results, depsContext.packageManager, projectRoot);
+    if (isGreenfieldNoPackageJson) {
+      results.checks.push({
+        component: 'Security Audit',
+        status: 'skipped',
+        message: 'No package.json found (greenfield project)',
+      });
+    } else {
+      // Run npm audit (non-blocking - warnings only)
+      await runSecurityAudit(results, depsContext.packageManager, projectRoot);
+    }
 
     // Count installed packages
     await countInstalledPackages(results, nodeModulesPath);

tests/unit/wizard/validation/dependency-validator.test.js

@@ -143,6 +143,45 @@ describe('Dependency Validator', () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it('does not fail greenfield validation when Pro creates node_modules without package.json', async () => {
+    const projectPath = '/tmp/aiox-greenfield-pro';
+
+    fs.existsSync.mockImplementation((targetPath) => (
+      samePath(targetPath, projectFile(projectPath, 'node_modules'))
+    ));
+    fs.readdirSync.mockReturnValue(['@aiox-squads', '.bin']);
+
+    const result = await validateDependencies({
+      success: true,
+      skipped: true,
+      reason: 'no-package-json',
+      packageManager: 'npm',
+      projectPath,
+    });
+
+    expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.errors).toEqual([]);
+    expect(result.checks).toEqual(
+      expect.arrayContaining([
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          component: 'Dependencies',
+          status: 'success',
+        }),
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          component: 'Package Manifest',
+          status: 'skipped',
+          message: 'No package.json found (greenfield project)',
+        }),
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          component: 'Security Audit',
+          status: 'skipped',
+          message: 'No package.json found (greenfield project)',
+        }),
+      ]),
+    );
+    expect(childProcess.exec).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it('fails when package.json declares dependencies but node_modules is missing', async () => {
     const projectPath = '/tmp/aiox-broken';