To run a headed test in Playwright without XServer, you'll need to use the --headed
option and set up a virtual display using Xvfb (X virtual framebuffer). Xvfb creates a virtual display in memory, allowing applications to run in an X11 environment without a physical display.
First, install Xvfb on Ubuntu or Debian-based systems:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xvfb
Next, start Xvfb and configure the virtual display:
Xvfb :99 -screen 0 1024x768x16 &
export DISPLAY=:99
This command starts Xvfb on display number 99 with a 1024x768 resolution and 16 bits per pixel color depth. The export DISPLAY=:99
command sets the DISPLAY
environment variable for applications to find the virtual display.
With Xvfb running, you can execute your @playwright/test headed tests without XServer:
npx playwright test my-test.spec.ts --headed
This command runs the my-test.spec.ts
file in a headed browser, allowing you to see the browser window during test execution. By using Xvfb, you can run headed tests on servers without X11 installed, such as headless Linux servers.
If you still have questions, please ask a question and I will try to answer it.
Rayrun is a community for QA engineers. I am constantly looking for new ways to add value to people learning Playwright and other browser automation frameworks. If you have feedback, email [email protected].