Approximates the current location of the Chromium browser across platforms.

chromium-location

• By default checks only stable.
• Supports macOS / Windows / Linux
• Works both as an ES module or CommonJS

New in this version:

• Honors environment overrides: CHROMIUM_BINARY, CHROME_BINARY
• Optional helper to throw with a friendly install guide when nothing is found
• After you run npx @puppeteer/browsers install chromium once, we auto-detect Chromium from Puppeteer's cache on all platforms (no env vars needed)
• Cross-platform version API that does not execute the browser by default

Support table

This table lists the default locations where Chromium is typically installed for each supported platform and channel. By default, only the Stable channel is checked.

Returns the first existing path found (given selected channels), or null if none are found.

Usage

Via Node.js (strict by default):

// Returns the path to Chromium as a string.
import chromiumLocation, {
  locateChromiumOrExplain,
  getInstallGuidance,
  getChromiumVersion
} from 'chromium-location'

// Strict (Stable only)
console.log(chromiumLocation())
// => "/Applications/Chromium.app/Contents/MacOS/Chromium" or null

// Enable fallback (Stable / alternative binaries on Linux)
console.log(chromiumLocation(true))

// Throw with a friendly, copy-pasteable guide when not found
try {
  const path = locateChromiumOrExplain({allowFallback: true})
  console.log(path)

  // Cross-platform version (no exec by default)
  const v = getChromiumVersion(path)
  console.log(v) // e.g. "120.0.6099.109" or null

  // Opt-in: allow executing the binary to fetch version on platforms without metadata (e.g. Linux)
  const v2 = getChromiumVersion(path, {allowExec: true})
  console.log(v2)
} catch (e) {
  console.error(String(e))
  // Or print getInstallGuidance() explicitly
}

Via CLI:

npx chromium-location

# Respect Puppeteer cache (after you install once):
npx @puppeteer/browsers install chromium
npx chromium-location

# Respect environment overrides
CHROMIUM_BINARY=/custom/path/to/chromium npx chromium-location

Environment overrides

If any of these environment variables are set and point to an existing binary, they take precedence:

• CHROMIUM_BINARY
• CHROME_BINARY

When nothing is found

The helper returns actionable guidance:

We couldn't find a Chromium browser on this machine.

Here's the fastest way to get set up:

1) Install Chromium via Puppeteer Browsers (recommended)
   npx @puppeteer/browsers install chromium

Then re-run your command — we'll detect it automatically.

Alternatively, install Chromium using your OS package manager and re-run.

API

• default export locateChromium(allowFallback?: boolean): string | null

  • Returns the first existing path among the selected channels or null.
  • When allowFallback is true, checks the stable locations and common alternatives per-platform.

• locateChromiumOrExplain(options?: boolean | { allowFallback?: boolean }): string

  • Returns a path if found, otherwise throws an Error with a friendly installation guide.

• getChromiumVersion(bin: string, opts?: { allowExec?: boolean }): string | null

  • Cross-platform version resolver that does not execute the browser by default.
  • Windows: reads PE file metadata via PowerShell (no GUI spawn).
  • macOS: reads Info.plist (no GUI spawn).
  • Linux/other: attempts to infer from Puppeteer cache path; otherwise returns null unless allowExec is true.

• getInstallGuidance(): string

  • Returns the same guidance text used by locateChromiumOrExplain().

Related projects

• brave-location
• chrome-location2
• edge-location
• firefox-location2
• opera-location2
• vivaldi-location2
• yandex-location
• waterfox-location

Acknowledgements

This project is adapted from chrome-location.

License

MIT (c) Cezar Augusto.