[BUG] Extra .npm directory created in user's home while npm_config_cache set

[WhyNotHugo]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Current Behavior

A ~/.npm directory gets created on npm install along with the correct directory specified in npm_config_cache. On a fresh install without a cache created yet, the size of the extra ~/.npm directory is 2.1 MiB and the size of the specified ~/.cache/npm directory is 89.1 MiB.

Expected Behavior

Obey the npm_config_cache without creating the extra directory in home.

Steps To Reproduce

npm install a package while having npm_config_cache set to a location other than default. The extra directory is created at the end of install.

Environment

Originally:

Arch Linux
node v14.2.0
npm 6.14.5

Ongoing:

Arch Linux
node v16.2.0
npm 7.15.1

[WhyNotHugo]

I wish you'd ask reporters if an issue is still valid before closing, locking it, and requesting that a new one is opened.

It's a waste of everyone's time for someone to copy-paste the issue from the old ticket (#1305) to a new one.

Sadly, GitHub strips markdown when copy-pasting. See #1305 for a formatted version.

[ruyadorno]

Closing since the largest discussion already took place in npm/rfcs#389

[probablykasper]

@ruyadorno npm/rfcs#389 is a feature request for npm to respect standard file locations. This issue is a bug where setting npm_config_cache doesn't work, so it's not related to the RFC. Would be great if this could be reopened

[ruyadorno]

Sorry, my bad! @nlf this sounds like a potential cacache issue 🤔

[YourFin]

I've set npm_config_cache to a non-standard directory and created a non-writable ~/.npm file (touch ~/.npm; chmod a-w ~/.npm); will report back when something breaks.