Running native binaries

Using packages with native components in BrowserPod

BrowserPod runs Node.js in a Wasm environment. Packages that ship native binaries for specific CPU architectures will not run in this environment unless they provide a Wasm build.

Strategy: Using Wasm-compatible alternatives

If a package has a Wasm-compatible alternative, you can use overrides in package.json to force npm to install the Wasm version.

Example: esbuild

To use the Wasm version of esbuild:

{
  "overrides": {
    "esbuild": "npm:esbuild-wasm@*"
  }
}

This forces npm to replace the default esbuild package (which contains native binaries) with the Wasm-compatible version.

Example: rollup

Similarly, for rollup:

{
  "overrides": {
    "rollup": "npm:@rollup/wasm-node@*"
  }
}

This ensures that the build works inside BrowserPod without relying on native CPU binaries.

When no Wasm build exists

If a package does not offer a Wasm build, it will not work inside BrowserPod. In that case, you have two options:

1. Look for a different package that offers similar functionality and has a Wasm build.

2. Run the original tool outside of BrowserPod in a normal Node.js environment.