[BUG] `--force` doesn't work as intended when automatically removing `node_modules` symlinks

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

This issue exists in the latest npm version

• I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

If I have a symlink called node_modules to a different directory, then npm will remove this symlink and create a real folder. This has been introduced in https://github.com/npm/arborist/commit/f2b0ceebfe94123f162c3652af46f9c4c473cc36 as a safety feature, but as it doesn't disable it as specified when using --force option.

Other people have similar problems too:

• https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/3669
• https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/4274

Expected Behavior

It should work as intended in https://github.com/npm/arborist/commit/f2b0ceebfe94123f162c3652af46f9c4c473cc36 (don't remove symlink if --force).

I really needed this thing to work, so I had to downgrade npm to an older version.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Create an empty folder
2. Create a second folder inside the first one
3. Run npm init -y
4. Run ln -s your_folder_name node_modules
5. Run npm install --force <any package name>
6. node_modules no longer points to your_folder_name

Environment

• npm: v8.3.1
• Node.js: v17.4.0
• OS Name: MacOS Catalina
• System Model Name: iMac
• npm config:

; this only showed comments and registry auth token "(protected)"

Start by reproducing the behavior with the listed npm install --force steps, then inspect the symlink safety change in the linked npm/arborist commit. Trace the removal decision for node_modules and compare the --force option handling. Done means the node_modules symlink remains intact during the reproduction.