Why does every other tool in npm wants to litter their own stupid configuration file at my project root?

They are allergic to a common convention. It seems, package.json is not capable of packing any versatile configuration (opposed to *.config.js files, which are flexible). Yeah, only if they agreed on a single file with "exports.*", that would be great.

Because it is easier than dealing with configuration paths on all OS's

If that is the convention in node stuff, I hate it even more now.

@vintprox By exports, people immediately stretches it by begging for *.config.ts.

If you were talking about proper ES modules, I feel it bro.

@mundo03 Even if everyone settles in for package.json, it's still a place where Isaacs sold it for money because the fact that this is the only place established and we as a community aren't even there yet.