"dotnet new" fails to install a new template with "node_modules" with "Error: Value cannot be null" message

[dance2die]

Steps to reproduce

1. Create a new dotnet new SPA project, react.

   
   dance2die@LELOUCH c:\misc\sources\github
   > dotnet new react -n ThisFails
   The template "ASP.NET Core with React.js" was created successfully.

Processing post-creation actions... ... Manual instructions: Run "npm install"

2. Go to the newly created project.
```bash
dance2die@LELOUCH c:\misc\sources\github
> cd ThisFails

3. Install NPM packages.

   dance2die@LELOUCH c:\misc\sources\github\ThisFails
   > npm install
   npm WARN read-shrinkwrap This version of npm is compatible with lockfileVersion@1, but npm-shrinkwrap.json was generated for lockfileVersion@0. I'll try to do my best with it!
   ...
   added 546 packages in 136.886s

4. Add a new template folder, .template.config and a new configuration file, template.json.
5. Copy the following configuration to template.json file.

   {
   "$schema": "http://json.schemastore.org/template",
   "author": "Sung Kim",
   "classifications": ["Web"],
   "name": "BadTemplate",
   "identity": "BadTemplate",
   "shortName": "badtemplate",
   "tags": {
   "language": "C#",
   "type": "project"
   },
   "sourceName": "BadTemplate",
   "preferNameDirectory": true
   }

6. Go up one directory.

   dance2die@LELOUCH c:\misc\sources\github\ThisFails
   > cd ..

7. Install the template, ThisFails.

   dance2die@LELOUCH c:\misc\sources\github
   > dotnet new -i .\ThisFails
   Error: Could not install ".\ThisFails".
   Error: Value cannot be null.
   Parameter name: key
   ...
   Examples:
   dotnet new mvc --auth Individual
   dotnet new mstest
   dotnet new --help

   Expected behavior

   Go to the ThisFails folder and delete node_modules folder.

   dance2die@LELOUCH c:\misc\sources\github
   > cd ThisFails
   dance2die@LELOUCH c:\misc\sources\github\ThisFails
   > rmdir /S /Q node_modules

   Go up one directory

   dance2die@LELOUCH c:\misc\sources\github\ThisFails
   > cd ..

   Installing works without an error.

   dance2die@LELOUCH c:\misc\sources\github
   > dotnet new -i .\ThisFails
   Templates                                         Short Name       Language          Tags
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   ...
   BadTemplate                                       badtemplate      [C#]              Web
   ...
   Examples:
   dotnet new mvc --auth Individual
   dotnet new console
   dotnet new --help

Actual behavior

Fails with following error message.

dance2die@LELOUCH c:\misc\sources\github                                                                
> dotnet new -i .\ThisFails                                                                             
Error: Could not install ".\ThisFails".                                                                 
Error: Value cannot be null.                                                                            
Parameter name: key                                                                                     
Templates                                         Short Name       Language          Tags               
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Console Application                               console          [C#], F#, VB      Common/Console     
Class library                                     classlib         [C#], F#, VB      Common/Library     
Unit Test Project                                 mstest           [C#], F#, VB      Test/MSTest        
xUnit Test Project                                xunit            [C#], F#, VB      Test/xUnit         
BadTemplate                                       badtemplate      [C#]              Web                
ASP.NET Core Empty                                web              [C#], F#          Web/Empty          
ASP.NET Core Web App (Model-View-Controller)      mvc              [C#], F#          Web/MVC            
ASP.NET Core Web App                              razor            [C#]              Web/MVC/Razor Pages
ASP.NET Core with Angular                         angular          [C#]              Web/MVC/SPA        
ASP.NET Core with React.js                        react            [C#]              Web/MVC/SPA        
ASP.NET Core with React.js and Redux              reactredux       [C#]              Web/MVC/SPA        
ASP.NET Core Web API                              webapi           [C#], F#          Web/WebAPI         
global.json file                                  globaljson                         Config             
Nuget Config                                      nugetconfig                        Config             
Web Config                                        webconfig                          Config             
Solution File                                     sln                                Solution           
Razor Page                                        page                               Web/ASP.NET        
MVC ViewImports                                   viewimports                        Web/ASP.NET        
MVC ViewStart                                     viewstart                          Web/ASP.NET        

Examples:                                                                                               
    dotnet new mvc --auth Individual                                                                    
    dotnet new mstest                                                                                   
    dotnet new --help                                                                                   

Environment data

dance2die@LELOUCH c:\misc\sources\github\ThisFails   
> dotnet --info                                      
.NET Command Line Tools (2.0.2)                      

Product Information:                                 
 Version:            2.0.2                           
 Commit SHA-1 hash:  a04b4bf512                      

Runtime Environment:                                 
 OS Name:     Windows                                
 OS Version:  10.0.16299                             
 OS Platform: Windows                                
 RID:         win10-x64                              
 Base Path:   C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\2.0.2\     

Microsoft .NET Core Shared Framework Host            

  Version  : 2.0.0                                   
  Build    : e8b8861ac7faf042c87a5c2f9f2d04c98b69f28d

[livarcocc]

This issue was moved to dotnet/templating#1498