Environment:MarketSquare Robotframework browser Docker Container

Knowledge Sources	robotframework-browser Playwright Docker
Domains	Infrastructure, Containerization
Last Updated	2026-02-12 04:00 GMT

Overview

Docker container environment based on the Playwright Noble image, configured with seccomp profiles and non-root user for running Browser library tests.

Description

This environment provides a containerized setup for running robotframework-browser tests in Docker. It uses the official Playwright Docker image as a base (`mcr.microsoft.com/playwright:v1.58.2-noble`), includes Python 3.12 with a virtual environment, and comes with pre-initialized browser binaries. The container requires specific security settings (seccomp profile, IPC host mode) for Chrome compatibility and must run tests as the `pwuser` non-root user.

Usage

Use this environment when running Browser library tests in CI pipelines, isolated testing environments, or when you need a reproducible container-based setup. It is particularly relevant for the Library_Development_and_Release workflow and for users who want to run tests in Docker.

System Requirements

Category	Requirement	Notes
OS	Any Docker-compatible host	Linux preferred for best performance
Docker	Docker Engine 20+	Required for running containers
Disk	~2GB for container image	Includes browser binaries

Dependencies

Base Image

• `mcr.microsoft.com/playwright:v1.58.2-noble` (Ubuntu Noble with Playwright pre-installed)

Container Packages

• Python 3.12 with `python3.12-venv`
• `robotframework-browser` (latest)
• Pre-initialized Playwright browser binaries

Required Docker Flags

• `--ipc=host` — Required for Chrome stability in containers
• `--security-opt seccomp=seccomp_profile.json` — Allows Chromium sandboxing syscalls
• `--user pwuser` — Run as non-root user to prevent permission issues

Credentials

The following environment variables are set in the Docker image:

• `PATH` includes `/home/pwuser/.local/bin` and `/home/pwuser/.venv/bin`
• `NODE_PATH` = `/usr/lib/node_modules`

Quick Install

# Pull the published Docker image
docker pull marketsquare/robotframework-browser:latest

# Run tests in Docker
docker run --rm \
  -v $(pwd)/tests:/test \
  --ipc=host \
  --user pwuser \
  --security-opt seccomp=seccomp_profile.json \
  marketsquare/robotframework-browser:latest \
  bash -c "robot --outputdir /test/output /test"

# Download the seccomp profile
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/playwright/master/utils/docker/seccomp_profile.json

Code Evidence

Docker seccomp profile allowing user namespaces from `docker/seccomp_profile.json:54`:

{
    "comment": "Allow create user namespaces",
    "names": ["clone", "setns", "unshare"],
    "action": "SCMP_ACT_ALLOW"
}

Docker run recommendation from `docker/README.md:17`:

docker run --rm -v $(pwd)/atest/test/:/test --ipc=host --user pwuser \
  --security-opt seccomp=seccomp_profile.json \
  marketsquare/robotframework-browser:latest \
  bash -c "robot --outputdir /test/output /test"

Common Errors

Error Message	Cause	Solution
Chrome crashes silently in container	Missing seccomp profile	Add `--security-opt seccomp=seccomp_profile.json` to docker run
Permission errors on browser launch	Running as root user	Use `--user pwuser` flag
Shared memory errors	IPC namespace not shared	Add `--ipc=host` flag

Compatibility Notes

• Chrome in Docker: Requires both the seccomp profile and `--ipc=host` flag for stable operation. Without these, Chrome may crash silently.
• Non-root execution: All dependencies are installed for the `pwuser` user. Running as root or other users can cause permission mismatches with browser binaries.
• ARM support: CI includes `ubuntu-24.04-arm` testing, so ARM Docker images should work.

Related Pages

• Implementation:MarketSquare_Robotframework_browser_Github_Release_Workflow