I have configured the acceptance.suite.yml file with the following settings:
chromeOptions:
args: ["--headless", "--disable-gpu", "--test-type", "--ignore-certificate-errors"],
However, it doesn’t seem to work. What should I try next?
Additionally, when I execute the tests in headless mode, they appear to freeze, and the output (fail.png) shows a blank page. I suspect they are encountering an ‘Insecure Connection’ page, which is blocking further execution. How can I prevent this from occurring?
To resolve the SSL certificate verification and ensure smoother operation of your tests with headless Chrome in Codeception, follow these alternative steps:
-
Use a Custom Profile for Chrome:
Create a custom Chrome profile where you disable SSL certificate verification. This can be done through settings in the profile or using specific extensions that ignore certificate errors. Restart Chrome with this profile.
-
Implement Browser Logs:
Integrate detailed Chrome logging to gather insights on what’s causing the freeze:
chromeOptions:
args: ["--headless", "--disable-gpu", "--test-type", "--ignore-certificate-errors", "--enable-logging", "--v=1"]
Review the logs to trace any blocking issues like mixed content or network errors.
-
Dynamic Capabilities Setup:
Leverage Codeception functionality to dynamically set capabilities, ensuring options like SSL bypass persist across tests:
WebDriver:
url: 'http://your-url.com'
window_size: maximize
capabilities:
chromeOptions:
args: ["--headless", "--disable-gpu", "--ignore-certificate-errors", "--test-type"]
-
Alternative Browsing Context:
Test the setup outside headless mode to confirm if it’s strictly a headless issue versus a broader compatibility problem. Occasionally, graphical mode may highlight unexposed bugs in your configuration when compared to headless mode.
-
Optimize Network Conditions:
Ensure your network environment is not introducing latency or firewall restrictions:
- Disable any VPNs or proxies during test execution.
- Use a reliable internet connection to minimize network-induced delays.
By attempting these practical strategies, you can further isolate SSL certificate verification issues and enhance the resilience of your testing framework. These steps focus on fine-tuning browser and network settings, likely to produce more predictable results during automation runs.
To bypass SSL certificate errors in headless Chrome with Codeception, aside from the settings you’ve already tried, make sure to verify the complete compatibility and update versions for ChromeDriver, the browser itself, and Codeception. Discrepancies in versions can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior.
Here’s a step-by-step process you can follow:
-
Update Drivers and Libraries:
Ensure you have the latest ChromeDriver installed by checking compatibility with your current version of Chrome. Updating these can resolve many issues related to freezing or errors.
-
Additional Chrome Arguments:
Though you’ve already set "--ignore-certificate-errors", you might want to additionally include:
chromeOptions:
args: ["--headless", "--disable-gpu", "--test-type", "--ignore-certificate-errors", "--no-sandbox", "--disable-dev-shm-usage"]
These additional arguments can enhance the stability of headless operations.
-
Adjust the Timeout:
If the page isn’t loading fast enough, increase the default timeout in your acceptance.suite.yml. This can help if pages seem to be freezing or loading incorrectly due to network latency.
WebDriver:
url: 'http://your-url.com'
window_size: 'maximize'
capabilities:
unexpectedAlertBehaviour: 'accept'
connection_timeout: 90
request_timeout: 90
-
Log and Debug:
Utilize browser logs to identify what’s blocking the page loads. Initiating debug logs in Codeception might indicate specific steps where the issue arises.
By combining version checks, additional arguments, and timeout adjustments, your headless browser should bypass SSL certificate warnings and execute tests smoothly. If issues persist, reviewing the logs can offer more insight. This efficient setup should get your automated tests running without unnecessary delays.
Try setting the environment variable NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED to 0 to disable SSL verification for Node.js dependent processes. Add it to your test command in acceptance.suite.yml:
chromeOptions:
args: ["--headless", "--disable-gpu", "--test-type", "--ignore-certificate-errors"]
NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0 vendor/bin/codecept run acceptance
Also, ensure your headless Chrome can access remote debugging:
chromeOptions:
args: ["--headless", "--disable-gpu", "--test-type", "--no-sandbox", "--disable-dev-shm-usage", "--remote-debugging-port=9222"]
If tests still stick on a blank page, check console logs for errors with "--enable-logging --v=1". This helps identify SSL or other connectivity issues.
To address the SSL certificate verification issue and improve test stability using Codeception with headless Chrome, consider evaluating a few alternative solutions:
-
Custom Selenium Server Configuration:
Set up a Selenium Server that allows browser capabilities to be defined with extended flexibility. Codeception can interface with this server, offering broader options for configuration.
WebDriver:
url: 'http://your-url.com'
browser: chrome
host: '127.0.0.1' # points to your local selenium server
port: 4444
capabilities:
goog:chromeOptions:
args: ["--headless", "--disable-gpu", "--test-type", "--ignore-certificate-errors"]
-
Use a Local Proxy for SSL Handling:
Implement a local proxy that can manage SSL handshake processes independently. This can help intercept HTTPS requests, thus allowing headless Chrome to bypass SSL certificate issues:
Tools like Fiddler or Charles Proxy can be configured as an interception layer between your browser and network:
- Set up the proxy to trust all certificates.
- Direct Codeception tests to route through this proxy.
-
Modify Host Machine Security Policies Temporarily:
For testing purposes only, you may alter host machine settings to relax security policies. While not suitable for production, this may help identify if the problem is due to strict OS-level SSL checks.
-
Reconsider the Testing Environment:
Occasionally, environmental factors like DNS or local security settings cause unexpected behavior:
- Test on a virtual machine or container that mimics production more closely.
- Ensure you have unrestricted network access during test execution.
By exploring these diverse approaches, you can isolate the SSL issue from the headless browser environment, refining test executions to prevent interruptions due to certificate errors. These steps also provide a comprehensive strategy to systematically address and rectify potential SSL-related obstacles during testing.