[BUG] npm install writes package-lock.json even after failing to find package.json

[haines]

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

If I run npm install and it can't find package.json, it writes an empty package-lock.json.

This is annoying because if I accidentally run it in the wrong directory, I have to clean up the lockfile afterwards.

Expected Behavior

If npm install can't find a package.json, it shouldn't write a package-lock.json.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Switch to an empty directory, e.g. by running cd $(mktemp -d)
2. Run npm install
3. Observe the empty lockfile, e.g. by running cat package-lock.json

Environment

• npm: 10.2.3
• Node.js: 20.9.0
• OS Name: macOS Sonoma 14.1
• System Model Name: MacBook Pro

[milaninfy]

Closing this as duplicate if not similer of #7892.