[BUG] npx fails to run without empty lib directory

[knpwrs]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

This issue exists in the latest npm version

• I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

When node is installed with hermit, npx does not work:

npm ERR! code ENOENT
npm ERR! syscall lstat
npm ERR! path /Users/knpwrs/Downloads/hermit-npx-bug/.hermit/node/lib
npm ERR! errno -2
npm ERR! enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, lstat '/Users/knpwrs/Downloads/hermit-npx-bug/.hermit/node/lib'
npm ERR! enoent This is related to npm not being able to find a file.
npm ERR! enoent

Creating the .hermit/node/lib directory via mkdir -p .hermit/node/lib appears to fix this issue, even though the directory doesn't contain anything.

See cashapp/hermit-packages#309, the hermit maintainers believe this is a bug with npx.

Expected Behavior

npx should work without needing an empty lib directory to exist.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Install hermit
2. mkdir hermit-npx-bug && cd hermit-npx-bug
3. hermit init
4. . ./bin/activate-hermit
5. hermit install node
6. which npx (this will verify the hermit-installed npx is being used)
7. npx rimraf --help (this will fail)
8. mkdir -p .hermit/node/lib
9. npx rimraf --help (this works now!)

Environment

• npm: 9.2.0
• Node.js: 19.4.0
• OS Name: macOS Ventura 13.1
• System Model Name: Macbook Pro
• npm config:

; "user" config from /Users/knpwrs/.npmrc

//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken = (protected)

; "env" config from environment

cache = "/Users/knpwrs/Downloads/hermit-npx-bug/.hermit/node/cache"
prefix = "/Users/knpwrs/Downloads/hermit-npx-bug/.hermit/node"

; node bin location = /Users/knpwrs/Library/Caches/hermit/pkg/node-19.9.0/bin/node
; node version = v19.9.0
; npm local prefix = /Users/knpwrs/Downloads
; npm version = 9.6.3
; cwd = /Users/knpwrs/Downloads/hermit-npx-bug
; HOME = /Users/knpwrs
; Run `npm config ls -l` to show all defaults.

[milaninfy]

fixed in #7640