Python wrapper for running a display inside X virtual framebuffer (Xvfb)
Corey Goldberg - 2012, 2013
Install xvfbwrapper from PyPI:
pip install xvfbwrapper
- Xvfb (sudo apt-get install xvfb, or similar)
- Python 2.7 or 3.2+ (tested on py27, py32, py33)
In the X Window System, Xvfb or X Virtual FrameBuffer is an X11 server that performs all graphical operations in memory, not showing any screen output. This virtual server does not require the computer it is running on to even have a screen or any input device. Only a network layer is necessary.
from xvfbwrapper import Xvfb vdisplay = Xvfb() vdisplay.start() # launch stuff inside virtual display here vdisplay.stop()
from xvfbwrapper import Xvfb with Xvfb() as xvfb: # launch stuff inside virtual display here. # It starts/stops in this code block.
from selenium import webdriver from xvfbwrapper import Xvfb import unittest class TestPages(unittest.TestCase): def setUp(self): self.xvfb = Xvfb(width=1280, height=720) self.addCleanup(self.xvfb.stop) self.xvfb.start() self.browser = webdriver.Firefox() self.addCleanup(self.browser.quit) def testUbuntuHomepage(self): self.browser.get('http://www.ubuntu.com') self.assertIn('Ubuntu', self.browser.title) def testGoogleHomepage(self): self.browser.get('http://www.google.com') self.assertIn('Google', self.browser.title) if __name__ == '__main__': unittest.main(verbosity=2)
This code uses selenium and xvfbwrapper to run a test with Firefox inside a headless display.
- install selenium bindings: pip install selenium
- Firefox will launch inside virtual display (headless)
- browser is not shown while tests are run