[BUG] error publish without cache config in package.json / publishConfig

[neyb]

Current Behavior:

running npm publish get an error :

18 timing config:load Completed in 8ms
19 verbose npm-session 2c8eccb75d3455d8
20 timing npm:load Completed in 12ms
21 verbose publish [ '.' ]
22 timing command:publish Completed in 13ms
23 verbose stack TypeError [ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE]: The "path" argument must be of type string. Received undefined
23 verbose stack     at new NodeError (node:internal/errors:329:5)
23 verbose stack     at validateString (node:internal/validators:129:11)
23 verbose stack     at join (node:path:1081:7)
23 verbose stack     at flatten (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/flat-options.js:50:10)
23 verbose stack     at Publish.publishConfigToOpts (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/publish.js:140:12)
23 verbose stack     at Publish.publish (/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/publish.js:58:32)
24 verbose cwd /home/alban/dev/eda-vue-components
25 verbose Linux 4.19.104-microsoft-standard
26 verbose argv "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/sbin/npm" "publish" "."
27 verbose node v15.11.0
28 verbose npm  v7.6.1
29 error code ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE
30 error The "path" argument must be of type string. Received undefined
31 verbose exit 1

Expected Behavior:

it should be a success

Steps To Reproduce:

• remove any "cache" config
• npm publish on a working project

Environment:

wsl archlinux
node v15.11.0
npm v7.6.1

workaround

adding "cache":"~/.npm" in package.json solves the problem.

fix

I guess list[0] here is supposed to be the default config... but for any reason is not resolved... but I may be wrong here.

I also notice https://github.com/npm/cli/blob/latest/lib/utils/flat-options.js#L50 is the only flatten option that is supposed not to be defined : maybe the problem is there ?

Might be related to this change (the code was cache: join(npm.config.get('cache'), '_cacache'), before, maybe get use default value if any ?

[neyb]

note : might also be the cause of #2843 (also seems to miss a default config)

[malsatin]

Getting same bug.

Introduced here: 4a5dd3a#diff-c8bd325917d181608f40adecdcec3c76acde134cc15a9e4a0d18636698e4fe55

[like-me4]

Updated npm and got the same problem. On version 7.5.4 everything worked well.

[pmclachlan]

Same bug.

A note for others, at least for me, the workaround line ("cache": "~/.npm") needed to be added inside publishConfig in package.json, not at the top level.

(Actually, getting a bunch of other weird bugs on this latest version too -- will have to roll back. For example, even after the workaround, after I publish, when I 'npm install mything@latest' it doesn't actually pick up the newly published version. I rolled back to 7.5.6 and my usual workflow (npm publish; cd ../other; npm install mything@latest ) started working again.

[wraithgar]

I believe this PR may fix the issue: #2865

If you define a publishConfig, it pushes the defaults out the window, that PR makes sure all publishConfigs (including the defualts) are represented in the final opts that are generated.

[neyb]

oO it seems to be a duplicate of #2834

[neyb]

duplicate of #2834