it shouldn't check for $pkgDir/package.json

[its-dibo]

Current behavior

the package @semantic-release/npm checks for the existence of ${pkgDir}/package.json file before performing a release

the folder pkgDir may refer to a dist folder that is created in prePublishOnly phase and doesn't exist yet.

building the project everytime before running semantic-release is overkilling.

minimal repreoduction
run cd package && npm run release
don't forget to set NPM_TOKEN

Expected behavior

check for ${pkgDir}/package.json after running all pre hooks, i.e just before running puplish and after prePublishOnly and prepack

Environment

• semantic-release version:

  "@semantic-release/exec": "^6.0.3",
    "@semantic-release/git": "^10.0.1",
    "@semantic-release/npm": "^9.0.1",
    "semantic-release": "^19.0.2",
    "semantic-release-monorepo": "^7.0.5"

[travi]

the folder pkgDir may refer to a dist folder that is created in prePublishOnly phase and doesn't exist yet.

pkgDir should not be necessary in the type of scenario that it sounds like you are describing. instead, the built files should be included either through files in the package.json or by making sure they are not included in the .npmignore file. defining main or exports in the package.json helps the consumer use the files without worrying about which directory that the files are located in. i maintain many packages that have a build step like this, triggered by prepack (which i recommend over prePublishOnly) and have never needed to define pkgRoot