Understanding Vibium's Installed Folder Structure

After npm install vibium, your project has a node_modules/vibium package that bundles a single Go binary; on first launch that binary downloads its own Chrome for Testing into a local cache. There's no ChromeDriver, no PATH edits, and no Selenium Grid — the binary manages the browser for you. Knowing the layout helps you debug installs and .gitignore the right things.

What is on disk after install?

A minimal Vibium Node project looks like this:

my-vibium-project/
├── node_modules/
│   └── vibium/            # the client library + the bundled Go binary
├── package.json
├── package-lock.json
└── first_test.js          # your script

The important part is node_modules/vibium — it contains the JavaScript client you require() plus the single Go binary that actually drives the browser over WebDriver BiDi.

Where does Chrome go?

The first time you run a script, the Go binary downloads a pinned Chrome for Testing build into a local cache (outside your project) so every machine runs the same browser version. You never point Vibium at your system Chrome, and you never install ChromeDriver.

What to commit and what to ignore

Commit your scripts and package.json / lockfile. Ignore the rest:

# .gitignore
node_modules/
.vibium-cache/
*.log

Verify your install

npm ls vibium        # shows the installed version
node first_test.js   # first run triggers the one-time Chrome download

If the first run is slow, that's the one-time Chrome download — subsequent runs are fast.

Next steps

• How to install Vibium (Python & Node)
• Your first Vibium script in JavaScript
• How Vibium works: BiDi, the Go binary, and MCP