chrome-runner

Run chrome with ease from node.

• Support OSX Linux Windows system
• Handle chrome unexpected exit and restart it
• Opens up the browser's remote-debugging-port on an available port
• Automatic locates a Chrome binary to launch
• Uses a fresh Chrome profile for each launch, and cleans itself up on kill()
• Support typescript

Use

const {Runner,launch,launchWithoutNoise,launchWithHeadless} = require('chrome-runner');
// launch a chrome, launch return a Runner instance
const runner = await launch();
// read chrome remote debugging port
runner.port;
// kill this chrome
await runner.kill();

Options

launch() method can pass options by launch({name:value}). Include:

• port: {number} launch chrome listen on debug port, default will random a free port to use
• chromePath: {string} chrome executable full path, default will automatic find a path according to your system. If no executable chrome find, will use env CHROME_PATH as executable full path. If all of the above way can't get a path a Error('no chrome installations found') will throw
• chromeFlags: {Array} flags pass to chrome when start chrome, all flags can be find here
• startupPage: {string} open page when chrome start, default is about:blank
• shouldRestartChrome: {boole} logger to handle log from chrome-runner, interface like console, default use console
• monitorInterval: {number} in ms, monitor chrome is alive interval, default is 500ms
• chromeDataDir: {string} chrome data dir, default will create one in system tmp
• disableLogging: {boolean} Controls if Chome stdout and stderr is logged to file, default is true.

Runner API

• runner.port: get chrome remove debug port
• runner.kill(): kill chrome and release all resource and remove temp files

Events

Runner extends EventEmitter, it will emit some events in it's lifecycle, Include:

• chromeAlive(port): when monitor detect chrome is alive
• chromeDead(code, signal): after monitor detect chrome is not alive
• chromeRestarted(): after chrome unexpected exited then runner restart it
• chromeDataDirPrepared(chromeDataDir): after runner create data dir for chrome
• chromeDataDirRemoved(chromeDataDir): after remove successful create data dir for chrome

launchWithoutNoise

launchWithoutNoise same with launch but disables many chrome services that add noise to automated scenarios.

launchWithHeadless

launchWithHeadless same with launch but run chrome in headless mode and without noise.

more use case see unit test, API detail see d.ts

Chrome log files

After chrome launched, chrome's log and pid file will be pipe to file in chromeDataDir, Include:

• chrome-out.log chrome info log
• chrome-err.log chrome error log
• chrome.pid chrome pid file

Install chrome on linux server

chrome-runner required chrome installed on your system, it easy to install on OSX and Windows, Linux server see How to install Chrome browser properly via command line?

Use Case

chrome-runner has been used in many project, e.g:

• chrome-render general server render base on chrome
• chrome-pool headless chrome tabs manage pool
• koa-seo SEO middleware for koa base on chrome-render, a substitute for prerender
• chrome-tester web page automatic tester