grafana/k6 · error · ErrChromeNotFoundAtPath

k6 couldn't detect google chrome or a chromium-supported bro

Error message

k6 couldn't detect google chrome or a chromium-supported browser on the given path

What it means

ErrChromeNotFoundAtPath is the counterpart of ErrChromeNotInstalled for the explicit case: you configured an executable path (executablePath browser option or K6_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH), and the browser-type code failed to locate/execute a browser binary at that path (trimmed non-empty triggers the path branch in executablePath).

Source

Thrown at internal/js/modules/k6/browser/chromium/browser_type.go:350

		}
	}()

	args, err := parseArgs(flags)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	return common.NewLocalBrowserProcess(bProcCtx, path, args, dataDir, bProcCtxCancel, logger) //nolint: wrapcheck
}

var (
	// ErrChromeNotInstalled is returned when the Chrome executable is not found.
	ErrChromeNotInstalled = errors.New(
		"k6 couldn't detect google chrome or a chromium-supported browser on this system",
	)

	// ErrChromeNotFoundAtPath is returned when the Chrome executable is not found at the given path.
	ErrChromeNotFoundAtPath = errors.New(
		"k6 couldn't detect google chrome or a chromium-supported browser on the given path",
	)
)

// executablePath returns the path where the extension expects to find the browser executable.
func executablePath(
	path string,
	env env.LookupFunc,
	lookPath func(file string) (string, error), // os.LookPath
) (string, error) {
	// find the browser executable in the user provided path
	if path := strings.TrimSpace(path); path != "" {
		if _, err := lookPath(path); err == nil {
			return path, nil
		}
		return "", fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", ErrChromeNotFoundAtPath, path)
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to 93accf6570)

Solutions

1. Use an absolute path and verify it: ls -l /usr/bin/chromium && /usr/bin/chromium --version — the binary must run standalone
2. Fix the path: K6_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH=/usr/bin/chromium (or the correct path in your image)
3. If the file exists but is not executable: chmod +x <path>
4. Clear the env var to fall back to k6's default system-wide detection

Example fix

# before
export K6_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH=/usr/bin/google-chrome  # wrong for this image

# after
export K6_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH=/usr/bin/chromium
/usr/bin/chromium --version  # sanity check

#!/bin/sh
p="${K6_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH:-}"
[ -n "$p" ] || exit 0   # not configured, default detection applies
[ -x "$p" ] || { echo "browser executable not usable at $p" >&2; exit 1; }
"$p" --version >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "browser at $p fails to run" >&2; exit 1; }

When it happens

Trigger: A typo or wrong path in K6_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH; a relative path that resolves differently under k6's working directory; a path that exists but lacks the executable bit; pointing at a wrapper script or directory instead of the Chrome binary; container path differing from the host path.

Common situations: Docker volume-mounts mapping Chrome to a different path than expected; CI templates hardcoding /usr/bin/google-chrome on images where it is /usr/bin/chromium; scripts written on macOS reused on Linux; binaries installed per-user under ~/.local.

Related errors

• WebSocket endpoint cannot be empty
• k6 couldn't detect google chrome or a chromium-supported bro
• both K6_CLOUD_METRICS_PUSH_URL and K6_CLOUD_TEST_RUN_TOKEN m
• K6_CLOUD_LOGS_PUSH_URL requires K6_CLOUD_TEST_RUN_TOKEN
• missing required url

AI-assisted analysis of grafana/k6@93accf6570 (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/69ee079592973e86. Report an issue: GitHub.