bower install does not create folder with packages even though it is set up with .bowerrc (Mac)

Question

I am trying to set up an existing UI project on my mac machine using npm & bower. The project has proper bower.json and .bowerrc files. I run npm install followed by bower install. The expectation is that all the necessary bower packages will end up being created in the specified by .bowerrc directory. The bower install command seems to be executed with no errors, but the packages' folder is NOT created.

The contents of .bowerrc file:

{
    "directory": "libraries",
    "resolvers": [ "bower-npm-resolver" ]
}

The contents of bower.json file:

{
  "name": "ui-project",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "license": "All rights reserved.",
  "dependencies": {
    "angular": "~1.7.x",
    "angular-mocks": "~1.7.x",
    "angular-translate": "~2.17.x",
    "angular-translate-loader-static-files": "~2.17.x",
    "angular-animate": "~1.7.x",
    "angular-dynamic-locale": "~0.1.x",
    "angular-ui-router": "0.4.2",
    "angular-moment": "~1.1.0",
    "angular-i18n": "~1.7.x",
    "angular-ui-utils": "~0.1.1",
    "angular-messages": "~1.7.x",
    "angular-sanitize": "~1.7.x",
    "angular-uuids": "~0.0.4",
    "angular-cookies": "1.7.x",
    "animate.css": "~3.2.x",
    "restangular": "~1.5.0",
    "ngstorage": "~0.3.x",
    "moment": "~2.10.x",
    "ng-file-upload": "~2.2.x",
    "lodash": "~4.13.1",
    "file-saver": "1.3.3",
    "highcharts-release": "~4.1.x",
    "highcharts-pattern-fill": "https://github.com/highcharts/pattern-fill.git#3.0.2",
    "ng-focus-on": "~0.2.x",
    "ngSmoothScroll": "~2.0.0",
    "Sortable": "https://github.com/RubaXa/Sortable.git#6952f3b525702e0daa9033b06e7e43e3a5c24692",
    "angulartics": "~1.6.0",
    "js-sha256": "~0.3.0",
    "angular-datepicker": "~2.0.3",
    "validator-js": "~8.2.0",
    "ip-address": "~5.8.8",
    "papaparse": "~4.3.7",
    "angulartics-piwik": "~1.0.6",
    "fusion-header": "npm:@muteam/fusion-header#2.1.53-light",
    "single-spa": "npm:single-spa#5.5.3",
    "single-spa-angularjs": "npm:single-spa-angularjs#3.3.0",
    "import-map-overrides": "npm:import-map-overrides#1.15.2",
    "zone.js": "npm:zone.js#0.10.3",
    "systemjs": "npm:systemjs#6.3.2"
  },
  "resolutions": {
    "angular": "~1.7.x"
  }
}

The contents of package.json:

{
  "name": "ui-project",
  "version": "1.0.2361",
  "copyright": "All rights reserved.",
  "repository": {
    "type": "git",
    "url": "git@stash.muteam.com/ui-project.git"
  },
  "engines": {
    "node": ">=4.4.0"
  },
  "scripts": {
    "postinstall": "bower install",
    "postversion": "git add ./bower-lock.json && git commit --amend --no-edit",
    "test": "grunt test",
    "build": "grunt build",
    "grunt": "grunt",
    "grunt:dev": "grunt dev"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "bower": "~1.8.8",
    "bower-npm-resolver": "^0.10.0",
    "chance": "^1.1.4",
    "connect-modrewrite": "^0.10.2",
    "my-custom-common-components": "^0.0.47",
    "grunt": "~0.4.5",
    "grunt-autoprefixer": "~1.0.1",
    "grunt-bower-task": "~0.4.0",
    "grunt-cli": "~1.2.0",
    "grunt-concurrent": "~2.3.0",
    "grunt-contrib-clean": "~1.0.0",
    "grunt-contrib-concat": "~1.0.1",
    "grunt-contrib-connect": "~1.0.2",
    "grunt-contrib-copy": "~1.0.0",
    "grunt-contrib-jshint": "~2.0.0",
    "grunt-contrib-less": "~1.3.0",
    "grunt-contrib-uglify": "~2.0.0",
    "grunt-contrib-watch": "^1.1.0",
    "grunt-exec": "^2.0.0",
    "grunt-git-describe": "~2.3.2",
    "grunt-html2js": "~0.3.6",
    "grunt-jsonlint": "~1.1.0",
    "grunt-karma": "~3.0.2",
    "grunt-less2js": "~0.1.5",
    "grunt-ng-annotate": "^2.0.2",
    "grunt-ng-constant": "~2.0.2",
    "grunt-ngdocs": "~0.2.11",
    "grunt-string-replace": "~1.2.1",
    "grunt-webfont": "~1.4.0",
    "jasmine-core": "~3.5.0",
    "js-beautify": "1.6.14",
    "jshint-path-reporter": "~0.1.3",
    "karma": "~4.4.1",
    "karma-chrome-launcher": "~2.2.0",
    "karma-coverage": "^1.1.2",
    "karma-firefox-launcher": "~1.0.0",
    "karma-jasmine": "^3.1.1",
    "karma-jasmine-diff-reporter": "^0.6.2",
    "karma-junit-reporter": "~1.1.0",
    "karma-ng-html2js-preprocessor": "~1.0.0",
    "less": "~1.7.3",
    "load-grunt-tasks": "~3.5.0",
    "lodash": "~4.13.1",
    "time-grunt": "~1.4.0"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "my-custom-framework": "^1.0.37"
  }
}

What could be wrong? Something with the user privileges?

Answer 1

Finally fixed the issue. In my case, uninstalling brew's latest node 14 and installing node 12 from scratch through the regular installer helped.

Answer 2

What is in your package.json and bower.json?

The syntax for directory looks right to me as far as comparing to another project of mine. Are you getting any errors after installation?

You might get more details if you try and bower install --verbose