npm start variable BROWSER is not working.

[minnie-J]

package.json

"scripts": {
    "start": "BROWSER=chrome react-scripts start"
}

It works in CRA v4.x.
But it doesn't work in CRA v5.0.0
It opens with the default browser (Firefox).

Environment

Windows 10
WSL 2
node v14.16.0
npm v6.14.11

[daudminhas]

I also did a much research on this issue but couldn't find a working solution. The snippet below is not a proper solution but achieved my requirement and might be helpful for you.

"start": "set \"BROWSER=none\" && start firefox localhost:3000 && react-scripts start" (Windows)

[tusharsdesai]

I tried setting the BROWSER envrionment variable on command line, in .env file, in package.json as well as exporting from my .bashrc (on Ubuntu), but it does not work with react-scripts 5.0.1. When I reverted back to 4.0.1, it worked. So something is still broken in 5.0.1.

[ERGeorgiev]

IF YOU ARE USING ANGULAR:
In the package.json:

  "scripts": {
    ....
    "start": "set \"BROWSER=none\" && ng serve --open",
    ....
  },

Remove the '--open'

[juan-montilla]

This issue is still happening.
react-scripts: 5.0.1
OS: Ubuntu

[alexiuscrow]

bump

[shiva-karthick]

Yup, I am having the same issue too in WSL 2 Ubuntu

[yogeshwar-b]

I can confirm, I still have this issue in WSL on Win 11. I tried having "BROWSER=chrome" in the scripts but that didn't help.

Edit : Looks like my issue was different.

I found the solution to my problem. I was running my project in the Windows file system (root/mnt/d/... here d is my local windows drive) from WSL, I moved my project to the Linux file system (root/home/..) and viola it started working fine.

[elawad]

Seeing this issue as well in CRA 5. But works in v4.

On MacOS with Safari as default browser.
Setting BROWSER=google chrome in .env no longer lunches Chrome, but Safari.

Although if Chrome is already open, then CRA will use Chrome instead.
This is not the case in v4; Chrome will always launch, even if was closed.

[Walker555]

This issue is still happening.
react-scripts: 5.0.1
OS: Linux-Mint

I use Firefox as my default daily web browser and Chrome for development.

workaround steps:

1. disable start of OS default browser in package.json

"scripts": {
    "start": "BROWSER=none react-scripts start"
}

2. use VS Code debugger launch.json config, for starting desired browser (Chrome):

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "type": "chrome",
            "request": "launch",
            "name": "Chrome localhost",
            "url": "http://localhost:3000",
            "webRoot": "${workspaceFolder}",
            "userDataDir": "${env:HOME}/.vscode/vscode-chrome-debug-userdatadir"
        }
    ]
}

[elawad]

For anyone it may help, my recommendation is to move to Vite or RSBuild.

We migrated a large CRA app to RSBuild.
They even have a nice migration guide. https://rsbuild.dev/guide/migration/cra