Playwright VNC Docker

Docker image for running Playwright tests with VNC support, allowing both headless execution in CI/CD and headed mode for local development/debugging. Particularly useful for Windows + WSL users who want to avoid complex local Playwright setup.

Features

• Pre-installed Playwright with Chrome, Firefox, and WebKit browsers
• VNC server for visual access to browser sessions
• Support for both headless (CI/CD) and headed (local development) modes
• Test recording capability through VNC
• Volume mounting for local test development

Quick Start

1. Pull the Docker image:

docker pull prudnikov21/playwright_vnc:latest

2. Start the container:

docker-compose up --build

Running Tests

Execute tests in headed mode:

docker-compose exec playwright-python pytest tests/test_example.py --headed -v

Record new test by interacting with the browser through VNC:

docker-compose exec playwright-python python -m playwright codegen --target python -o tests/test_example.py

VNC Client Setup

Linux

Install TigerVNC viewer:

sudo apt-get install tigervnc-viewer

Connect using:

vncviewer localhost:13901

Windows

1. Download and install TightVNC Viewer

2. During installation, use Custom Setup to deselect the VNC Server component - you only need the viewer for connecting to the Docker container.

3. After installation completes, launch TightVNC Viewer from the Start menu

4. Enter 127.0.0.1::13901 as the remote host address and click Connect

5. You should now see the Docker container's display:

6. You can now run Playwright tests in headed mode or use the record feature:

Environment Variables

• DISPLAY: X11 display configuration (default: :99)
• PYTHONUNBUFFERED: Python output buffering (default: 1)