why npm install @libsql/client will remove other modules?

[l1t1]

D:\node-v22.11.0>npm install @libsql/client

added 14 packages, and removed 244 packages in 1m
npm notice
npm notice New major version of npm available! 10.9.0 -> 12.2.1
npm notice Changelog: https://github.com/npm/cli/releases/tag/v12.2.1
npm notice To update run: npm install -g npm@12.2.1
npm notice

and

D:\node-v26.13.0-win-x64>npm install @libsql/client

added 14 packages, and removed 144 packages in 37s

I found the npm module was removed, so

D:\node-v22.11.0>npm ls @libsql/client
node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1252
  throw err;
  ^

Error: Cannot find module 'D:\node-v22.11.0\node_modules\npm\bin\npm-prefix.js'
    at Function._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1249:15)
    at Function._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1075:27)
    at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:315:14)
    at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:218:24)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:170:5)
    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:36:49 {
  code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',
  requireStack: []
}

Node.js v22.11.0
node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1252
  throw err;
  ^

Error: Cannot find module 'D:\node-v22.11.0\node_modules\npm\bin\npm-cli.js'
    at Function._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1249:15)
    at Function._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1075:27)
    at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:315:14)
    at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:218:24)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:170:5)
    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:36:49 {
  code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',
  requireStack: []
}

Node.js v22.11.0

[g4lb]

D:\node-v22.11.0 has no package.json, so npm makes one with only @libsql/client. Then npm removes all other packages in node_modules, npm included. This is npm behavior, not a libsql problem.

1. Extract the Node.js zip again to restore npm.
2. Install packages in a project folder:

mkdir D:\myapp
cd D:\myapp
npm init -y
npm install @libsql/client

I reproduced this with npm 10.9 in Docker.

[l1t1]

thanks