Strange error 'cannot find package.json'

[okdistribute]

• I have read the contribution documentation for this project.
• I agree to follow the code of conduct that this project follows, as appropriate.
• I have searched the issue tracker for an issue that matches the one I want to file, without success.

Please describe your issue:

Using electron-forge with the native dep level on node 8.9.4

The same repository works for my colleague on linux. I'm on Mac OSX

Console output when you run electron-forge with the environment variable DEBUG=electron-forge:*. (Instructions on how to do so here). Please include the stack trace if one exists.

$ DEBUG=electron-forge:* npm start

> mapfilter-desktop@0.5.0 start /Users/karissa/node_modules/mapfilter-desktop
> electron-forge start

WARNING: DEBUG environment variable detected.  Progress indicators will be sent over electron-forge:lifecycle
  electron-forge:lifecycle Process Started: Checking your system +0ms
  electron-forge:lifecycle Process Succeeded: Checking your system +284ms
  electron-forge:runtime-config setting key: verbose to value: false +0ms
WARNING: DEBUG environment variable detected.  Progress indicators will be sent over electron-forge:lifecycle
  electron-forge:lifecycle Process Started: Locating Application +0ms
  electron-forge:project-resolver searching for project in: /Users/karissa/node_modules/mapfilter-desktop +0ms
  electron-forge:project-resolver electron-forge compatible package.json found in /Users/karissa/node_modules/mapfilter-desktop/package.json +5ms
  electron-forge:lifecycle Process Succeeded: Locating Application +6ms
  electron-forge:lifecycle Process Started: Preparing native dependencies +5ms
  electron-forge:lifecycle Process Succeeded: Preparing native dependencies +442ms
  electron-forge:hook could not find hook: generateAssets +0ms
  electron-forge:lifecycle Process Started: Launching Application +2ms
  electron-forge:lifecycle Process Succeeded: Launching Application +4ms
App threw an error during load
Error: Can't find package.json
    at findPackageJson (/Users/karissa/node_modules/mapfilter-desktop/node_modules/electron-prebuilt-compile/lib/es6-init.js:19:11)
    at findPackageJson (/Users/karissa/node_modules/mapfilter-desktop/node_modules/electron-prebuilt-compile/lib/es6-init.js:29:10)
    at findPackageJson (/Users/karissa/node_modules/mapfilter-desktop/node_modules/electron-prebuilt-compile/lib/es6-init.js:29:10)
    at findPackageJson (/Users/karissa/node_modules/mapfilter-desktop/node_modules/electron-prebuilt-compile/lib/es6-init.js:29:10)
    at findPackageJson (/Users/karissa/node_modules/mapfilter-desktop/node_modules/electron-prebuilt-compile/lib/es6-init.js:29:10)
    at main (/Users/karissa/node_modules/mapfilter-desktop/node_modules/electron-prebuilt-compile/lib/es6-init.js:44:23)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/Users/karissa/node_modules/mapfilter-desktop/node_modules/electron-prebuilt-compile/lib/es6-init.js:59:1)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/Users/karissa/node_modules/mapfilter-desktop/node_modules/electron-prebuilt-compile/lib/es6-init.js:61:3)
    at Module._compile (module.js:569:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:580:10)

What does your config.forge data in package.json look like?

  "config": {
    "forge": {
      "make_targets": {
        "win32": [
          "squirrel"
        ],
        "darwin": [
          "zip",
          "dmg"
        ],
        "linux": [
          "deb",
          "rpm"
        ]
      },
      "electronPackagerConfig": {
        "asar": true,
        "win32metadata": {
          "CompanyName": "TiziiTizii"
        }
      },
      "electronWinstallerConfig": {},
      "electronInstallerDebian": {},
      "electronInstallerRedhat": {},
      "github_repository": {
        "owner": "digidem",
        "name": "mapfilter-desktop",
        "draft": false
      },
      "windowsStoreConfig": {
        "packageName": "",
        "name": "TiziiTizii"
      }
    }
  },

Please provide either a failing minimal testcase (with a link to the code) or detailed steps to
reproduce your problem. Using electron-forge init is a good starting point, if that is not the
source of your problem.
https://github.com/digidem/mapfilter-desktop

[malept]

Try cloning a new repository of it somewhere else. That's bizarre.

[okdistribute]

Yes, this worked -- I had originally cloned it in my ~/node_modules folder, which is where I have all of my node projects because then I can easily swap out dependencies. Cloning in a bare folder without this (e.g., ~/dev) then worked.