Version 5.x.x cannot install globally

[cscalfani]

I'm opening this issue because:

• npm is crashing.
• npm is producing an incorrect install.
• npm is doing something I don't understand.
• Other (see below for feature requests):

What's going wrong?

The git clone step is getting Permission Denied on the cache directory even though running the EXACT command on the command line works.

How can the CLI team reproduce the problem?

• Install version 5.4.2 (or 5.3.0) of NPM
• Install anything globally (I was running sudo npm install -g elm-slate/replicator)

15 error Command failed: /usr/local/bin/git clone --depth=1 -q -b master git://github.com/elm-slate/replicator.git /Users/charles/.npm/_cacache/tmp/git-clone-aeee4078
15 error /Users/charles/.npm/_cacache/tmp/git-clone-aeee4078/.git: Permission denied

• Run the failed command on the command line (It should work just fine)

supporting information:

• npm -v prints: 5.4.2 (also broken in 5.3.0)
• node -v prints: v8.5.0
• npm config get registry prints: https://registry.npmjs.org/
• Windows, OS X/macOS, or Linux?: OS X
• Network issues:
  • Geographic location where npm was run:
  • I use a proxy to connect to the npm registry.
  • I use a proxy to connect to the web.
  • I use a proxy when downloading Git repos.
  • I access the npm registry via a VPN
  • I don't use a proxy, but have limited or unreliable internet access.
• Container:
  • I develop using Vagrant on Windows.
  • I develop using Vagrant on OS X or Linux.
  • I develop / deploy using Docker.
  • I deploy to a PaaS (Triton, Heroku).

[cscalfani]

After doing some more research I found #18069 and it appears to be a bug in pacote issue #105.

Is anyone working on this problem? Seems like a pretty big deal killer when you cannot install globally?