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Which CI is this? I would rather find out why it behaves like this?
Which version of npm are you using?

So npm ci always removes all node_modules to make sure the modules only adheres to the package.json file.

<@UM6PHB1RS> is the package.json created on an OS different from the CI runner? If so, it looks like this:
<https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/558#issuecomment-569931551>

you're talking about the `package-lock.json` not the `package.json` right?

it looks like <@USER3UEJZ> is correct re: cleaning the `node_modules`:
&gt; If a *`node_modules`* is already present, it will be automatically removed before *`npm ci`* begins its install.
<https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/ci.html>

should i be using `npm install` in ci instead of `npm ci` then? that seems strange.

Hmm.. I thought that was what `npm ci` was all about: read the lock file, and update the `node_modules` only when there are differences.

because `npm install` (without arguments) does not adhere the lock file in all circumstances.

yeah... very weird that it blows away `node_modules`