Cypress binary cache management during version mismatches

Cypress Binary Versioning

Cypress utilizes a decoupled architecture where the npm package acts as a wrapper for a standalone binary stored in a local cache folder. When upgrading the npm dependency, the corresponding binary must be downloaded and installed to match the package version, otherwise, the test runner fails to execute.

Cache Recovery Constraints

In environments with strict network restrictions or proxy configurations, a failed binary upgrade can leave the cache in an inconsistent state. While deleting the entire cache folder and running cypress install is a known recovery path, this approach removes all previously cached versions, necessitating a full redownload of the binary from the CDN.

There is a need to identify a method for targeting specific corrupted versions without purging the entire local cache directory.

• Does the cypress install command support a mechanism to overwrite only the current version's binary without affecting other cached versions?
• What is the documented behavior for resolving a version mismatch when the binary cache is partially populated?