从运行在Google Cloud Shell中的Python打开浏览器

Question

I'm developing a small script on Python 3.6, and I'll most likely use it from Google Cloud Shell. In said script, I want to do some API calls, and then, open the web browser with an URL, result of those calls. The following code works in other environments that I have tested on, but not in Cloud Shell:

import webbrowser as wb
# different calls and process here, not relevant to the issue 
wb.open('URL_HERE')
#This just echoes the URL.

Is there anyway to make Python 'tell' Cloud Shell to use the browser from where it's running? ie: if I'm using Chrome to open Cloud Shell, is there any way to open the link in Chrome? It doesn't matter if it's with webbrowser or other library.

Answer 1

Cloud Shell is just a “window” displaying a command line from a remote and temporary Compute Engine virtual machine instance . Meaning that when you run the script, you are actually running it in the remote VM (not in Chrome), and that specific VM does not have a browser by itself.

For example, when you try to run an app in Cloud Shell ( here you can find a quick example using "mvn appengine:run"), once the application is running, you will see a message in Cloud Shell, something like:

[INFO] GCLOUD: INFO: Module instance default is running at http://localhost:8080/

If you click on http://localhost:8080/ , you will actually be redirected to the temporary address assigned for the Cloud Shell VM instance (something like 8080-dot-VM-ID-devshell.appspot.com).

In summary, you can't command Cloud Shell to open the browser with a specific URL shown in the remote VM command line. Also, you should consider that there are outgoing connections limitations and Cloud Shell is intended for interactive use only.