Common Issues

In this section, you will find solutions to common problems you may encounter when self-hosting iHorizon, as well as detailed instructions for resolving them. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced user, these explanations will help you correct your configuration.

If your problem is not listed here, feel free to reach out on our support community or submit a ticket on our GitLab repository.

Could not find Chrome

Affects: Linux, Windows, macOS

This error occurs when Puppeteer, a JavaScript library used in iHorizon for image generation (in particular for the captcha system and the music module), cannot find the path to the Chrome or Chromium browser on your machine. The usual cause is a missing browser installation or an incorrect path configuration.

"Could not find Chrome" error in the terminal

Fix on Linux

Two methods are available. Use whichever suits your setup best.

Method 1: Puppeteer's built-in installer (npx)

This is the simplest method. It downloads a Chrome binary that is guaranteed to be compatible with your version of Puppeteer:

npx puppeteer browsers install chrome

Chrome will be downloaded and Puppeteer will find it automatically, with no additional configuration needed.

Node.js is required for this method

If Node.js is not installed, run sudo apt install nodejs first (on Debian-based distributions), or follow the instructions on the official Node.js website.

Method 2: Flatpak (Chromium)

Use this method if you prefer a system-level installation of Chromium or if the npx method doesn't work in your environment.

Step 1: Install Flatpak (if you haven't already). Installation instructions are available on the official Flatpak website.

Step 2: Install Chromium via Flatpak:

flatpak install org.chromium.Chromium

If you see the following error:

error: No remotes refs found for 'org.chromium.Chromium'

This means no Flatpak repository is configured on your system. Initialize the Flathub repository first, then re-run the install command:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Step 3: Create a .env file (if you haven't already) and add the following environment variable:

PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH=/var/lib/flatpak/exports/bin/org.chromium.Chromium

Chromium will have a different file path if the Flathub repository/remote has been added with the --user parameter

When adding a Flatpak repository/remote with the --user parameter, i.e. executing the following command:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists --user flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Chromium will have a totally different path for his executable since this parameter will only install Chromium and all other flatpak apps you may install on your home directory instead of your root directory (and will, by the way, make these apps available only on the user account where the app has been installed). In this case, the correct environment variable will be:

PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH=~/.local/share/flatpak/app/org.chromium.Chromium/current/active/export/bin/org.chromium.Chromium

Fix on Windows and macOS

Install Google Chrome from its official website. Puppeteer will detect it automatically.