fix(core): Updated dependencies and improved npm preparation logic.

ts/manager.npm/index.ts

@@ -52,12 +52,17 @@ export class NpmciNpmManager {
    * authenticates npm with token from env var
    */
   public async prepare() {
+    logger.log('info', 'running >>npm prepare<<');
     const config = this.npmciRef.npmciConfig.getConfig();
     let npmrcFileString: string = '';
     await plugins.smartobject.forEachMinimatch(
       process.env,
       'NPMCI_TOKEN_NPM*',
       (npmEnvArg: string) => {
+        if (!npmEnvArg) {
+          logger.log('note','found empty token...');
+          return;
+        }
         const npmRegistryUrl = npmEnvArg.split('|')[0];
         logger.log('ok', `found token for ${npmRegistryUrl}`);
         let npmToken = npmEnvArg.split('|')[1];