Headless Executions

Qualitia supports headless executions. In headless mode, tests are executed without display, keyboard, and mouse. Such executions are known to be faster as compared to executions that use a display. You can use Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers to execute test cases in headless mode.

Qualitia supports headless test case execution on following browsers and operating systems.

You can execute test cases from your Qualitia offline package using following two ways:

Execution Using googlechromedc.properties / firefoxdc.properties (Chrome/Firefox Options) - Recommended

For Firefox 56 and above and for Chrome 60 and above, you can execute test cases in headless mode using Chrome/Firefox Options from the firefoxdc.properties or googlechromedc.properties files.

Google Chrome

To execute test cases in headless mode on Chrome.

1. Open googlechromedc.properties.
2. In the Chrome options properties section:
   1. Set custom_use_chromeoptions as True.
   2. Set args as --headless.

Firefox

To execute test cases in the headless mode on Firefox.

1. Open firefoxdc.properties.
2. In the Firefox options properties section:
   1. Set custom_use_firefoxoptions as True.
   2. Set args as -headless.

Execution Using qualitia.properties (Headless Execution Properties)

If you are using Mozilla Firefox versions below 56, headless executions can be triggered only by setting Headless Execution Properties in the qualitia.properties file. This mode of headless execution works on Linux only.

To execute using qualitia.properties

1. Open qualitia.properties.
2. In the Headless Execution Properties section:
   1. Set HeadlessMode as True.
   2. Set Display and BrowserBinaryPath as per the requirements.

There are multiple configurations and allied software components that are required to support executions in headless mode on Linux. In order to execute test cases in headless mode, you need to configure the headless box by installing X Virtual Frame Buffer (Xvfb).

X Virtual Frame Buffer (Xvfb) Installation

The Xvfb helps in performing all graphical operations in memory without displaying any screen output. With reference to Qualitia, Xvfb allows executing test cases performing all UI operations and capturing of screenshots without displaying on the screen. For this reason, it is recommended to set ScreenCaptureMode as Browser when performing headless mode.

To install Xvfb, enter the following command at command prompt:

• sudo apt-get install xvfb 

Xvfb uses the unique display number to run the operations graphically. Decide any number and turn the access control off entering the following command:

• sudo Xvfb :99 -ac

Once this is done successfully, change the properties in the qualitia.properties file as mentioned below.

• HeadlessMode=True 

• DISPLAY=99

• ScreenCaptureMode=BROWSER

The following is the list of commands that you need to enter to run the QOP in headless mode

• Xvfb :99&

• export DISPLAY=:99

• java –jar qualitiaoffline-xxxx.jar