We’re currently performing feature tests in our Rails application utilizing a headless browser with RSpec and the web drivers gem to manage the Chrome driver. Unfortunately, some of our team members do not have Chrome installed, nor do they plan to, and our application runs on a Jenkins server where Chrome installation is not an option. Is there a way to conduct headless browser testing without the need to install the actual browser or depending on the testing environment? I’ve encountered mixed information suggesting that headless browser testing can be done without a browser installed, yet documentation from Chrome and Firefox implies that their browser must be present for driver functionality. I’ve also discovered an alternative solution that appears to eliminate the requirement for WebDriver but still seems to necessitate Chrome’s presence on the testing system.
You can try using Headless Chrome with Puppeteer, which installs Chromium, not Chrome, directly on your system, circumventing the need for Chrome. Since Chromium is bundled with Puppeteer, it eliminates dependency on local installations. To integrate with Rails:
# Gemfile
gem 'puppeteer-ruby'
# In your test setup
Puppeteer.launch(headless: true) do |browser|
page = browser.new_page
page.goto('http://yourapp.test')
# Your test code here
end
Run tests without needing a full browser installation. Good luck!
Try using Headless Firefox with Geckodriver as an alternative to Chrome. It allows remote execution without a full browser installation, which can be helpful in restricted environments like Jenkins servers.
# Gemfile
gem 'selenium-webdriver'
gem 'capybara'
# spec_helper.rb or rails_helper.rb
require 'capybara/rspec'
Capybara.register_driver :headless_firefox do |app|
options = Selenium::WebDriver::Firefox::Options.new(args: [‘-headless’])
Capybara::Selenium::Driver.new(app, browser: :firefox, options: options)
end
Capybara.javascript_driver = :headless_firefox
This setup uses headless Firefox, reducing dependency on local browser installations.
To perform headless browser testing in a Rails application without needing to install actual browsers, such as Chrome, you might consider using Capybara with an alternative driver like selenium-webdriver configured to use a browser emulation setup like PhantomJS or Capybara-Webkit. Although PhantomJS is no longer maintained, it is still helpful where browser installation isn't possible. Capybara-Webkit is another headless driver option that doesn't require a browser to be installed on your system.
Implementation could look something like this:
# Gemfile
gem ‘capybara-webkit’
# spec_helper.rb or rails_helper.rb
require ‘capybara/rspec’
require ‘capybara/webkit’
Capybara.javascript_driver = :webkit
The :webkit driver uses QtWebKit, which does not require a separate browser installation. It's essential to ensure the Qt dependencies are installed on your server or CI environment, as these are crucial for Capybara-webkit to function correctly.
This configuration allows your feature tests to run without needing a graphical browser like Chrome, making it ideal for headless testing on environments such as Jenkins servers beyond limitations or specific team member setups.
For headless browser testing in Rails without needing a browser installation, consider using Playwright for Ruby. Playwright supports multiple browsers and comes packaged with browser binaries, which means no need to install them separately on your local machines or CI/CD systems.
Integrate Playwright in your Rails app as follows:
# Gemfile
gem 'playwright-ruby-client'
# In your test setup
Playwright.create(playwright_chromium_path: 'chromium_path') do |playwright|
browser = playwright.chromium.launch(headless: true)
page = browser.new_page
page.goto('http://yourapp.test')
# Add your test code here
end
This approach eliminates the need for a separate browser installation, making tests run smoothly on different systems, such as servers where installation is restricted, like Jenkins.
An alternative to consider for headless browser testing without needing browser installations in a Rails environment is using TestCafe. Unlike others, TestCafe does not require any browser plugins or WebDriver. Instead, it leverages proxy technology to test your application in any browser, including headless ones, without needing them to be installed locally.
# First, install TestCafe in your system
npm install -g testcafe
Once installed, you can write your tests with a simple script:
// test.js
fixture `My Fixture`
.page `http://localhost:3000`;
import { Selector } from ‘testcafe’;
// Create a test
test(‘My first test’, async t => {
await t
.click(‘button’)
.expect(Selector(‘span’).innerText).eql(‘Some text’);
});
To execute the tests:
testcafe chrome:headless test.js
Advantages of TestCafe:
- It doesn't depend on WebDriver and works with any browser, making it perfect for environments like Jenkins.
- Automates the testing of applications with a simple run command.
- Supports parallel test executions across multiple environments.
This approach frees you from installing individual browser software, providing flexibility for various developer setups and server environments.