I require a method to download large files because I plan to move away from using my cloud service. I tried Dockerizing Firefox with R3Firefox; however, it only runs an older FF84 version that many websites no longer support. I’m searching for an alternative approach that doesn’t rely on keeping a full virtual machine active solely for file downloads. Any suggestions or ideas to achieve smoother headless downloading in a Docker environment would be great.
I have experimented with headless Chrome as an alternative solution for this problem. Instead of relying on outdated versions of Firefox, I used a minimal Docker container setup to run Chrome in headless mode, which allowed me to perform downloads efficiently without managing a full virtual machine. Although setting up and tuning the container required some adjustments with related dependencies, my experience shows that this approach provides a reliable method for handling large downloads. It has proven cost-effective and technically robust over time, making it a viable choice for similar scenarios.
An alternative method that has proven effective involves using Puppeteer with headless Chrome within a Docker container. This approach leverages the power of Node.js to script download processes, which can lead to improved automation and scalability. During my experiments, I encountered issues related to file system mappings and container performance when dealing with large files. With some configuration adjustments in the host and container environment, these issues were resolved. This method avoids the overhead of a full VM while offering flexibility and better integration with modern web standards.
i recently used a docker setup with headless chrome via puppeteer, works ok for big files. had minor issues with perms but nothing major. might be a good path for your needs if you want to drop the legacy firefox route.