Selenium test execution via jenkins on linux machine without GUI (CLI-only) - HEADLESS MODE

Question

This is regarding Selenium Automation Testing. I have a Jenkins job setup for some test executions.Jenkins is setup on a Ubuntu machine without GUI (CLI Only). So when I run the scripts seems like it can't find the web browser obviously .
This job is working perfectly fine in windows . In Windows I get like this result.

Window Successful Result

-------------------------------------------------------
 T E S T S
-------------------------------------------------------
Running TestSuite
06/08/2015 00:04:47,996   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:251) - ======BEGIN Test workflow============
06/08/2015 00:04:48,002   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:252) - BEGIN Test: MlpBvt
06/08/2015 00:04:48,002   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:253) - ======BEGIN Test workflow============

06/08/2015 00:04:58,862  DEBUG [main] (DefaultUIDriver.java:300) - Opened url: http://mlpdemo.qaprod.ecollege.com/
06/08/2015 00:04:58,912   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:296) - -------------BEGIN Test Method-------------------
06/08/2015 00:04:58,913   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:297) - BEGIN Test Method: verifyAdminLogin
06/08/2015 00:04:58,913   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:298) - -------------BEGIN Test Method-------------------
06/08/2015 00:04:58,969  DEBUG [main] (DefaultUIElement.java:980) - Waiting 60000ms for element to be displayed [Locator = {By.xpath: //input[@id='clientname']}]
06/08/2015 00:04:59,058  DEBUG [main] (DefaultUIElement.java:538) - Element is displayed [Locator = {By.xpath: //input[@id='clientname']}]
06/08/2015 00:04:59,059  DEBUG [main] (DefaultUIElement.java:992) - After 89ms, element is displayed [Locator = {By.xpath: //input[@id='clientname']}]

On Linux I get like this

-------------------------------------------------------
 T E S T S
-------------------------------------------------------
Running TestSuite

06/08/2015 00:18:46,834   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:251) - ======BEGIN Test workflow============
06/08/2015 00:18:46,839   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:252) - BEGIN Test: MlpBvt
06/08/2015 00:18:46,839   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:253) - ======BEGIN Test workflow============
06/08/2015 00:18:46,998  DEBUG [main] (CapturePageOnFailureListener.java:186) - CapturePageOnFailure found 2 parameters 
06/08/2015 00:18:47,002   WARN [main] (DebugUIDriver.java:311) - Called quit() on debugDriver containing null uiDriver
06/08/2015 00:18:47,025   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:304) - -------------END Test Method-------------------
06/08/2015 00:18:47,026   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:305) - END Test Method: verifyAdminLogin
06/08/2015 00:18:47,026   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:306) - -------------END Test Method-------------------
06/08/2015 00:18:47,031   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:304) - -------------END Test Method-------------------
06/08/2015 00:18:47,032   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:305) - END Test Method: VerifyProfessorLogin
06/08/2015 00:18:47,032   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:306) - -------------END Test Method-------------------
06/08/2015 00:18:47,036   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:304) - -------------END Test Method-------------------
06/08/2015 00:18:47,036   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:305) - END Test Method: VerifyStudentLogin
06/08/2015 00:18:47,037   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:306) - -------------END Test Method-------------------
06/08/2015 00:18:47,038   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:283) - ======END Test workflow============
06/08/2015 00:18:47,038   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:284) - END Test: MlpBvt
06/08/2015 00:18:47,040   INFO [main] (BasicTestObject.java:285) - ======END Test workflow============
06/08/2015 00:18:47,100  DEBUG [main] (ProcessTool.java:36) - Getting current tool for LINUX
06/08/2015 00:18:47,100   WARN [main] (ProcessTool.java:40) - Could not find ProcessTool for LINUX
06/08/2015 00:18:47,101   WARN [main] (ProcessTool.java:88) - There was no ProcessTool for LINUX
06/08/2015 00:18:47,101  DEBUG [main] (ProcessTool.java:115) - process count for There was no ProcessTool for LINUX:1
Tests run: 12, Failures: 1, Errors: 0, Skipped: 11, Time elapsed: 1.976 sec <<< FAILURE!

Results :

Failed tests: 

It is mentioned as

06/08/2015 00:18:47,002   WARN [main] (DebugUIDriver.java:311) - Called quit() on debugDriver containing null uiDriver

Please provide me some technical specialities regarding this matter. Can I run this job in linux ? Please help me out

Answer 1

Well for unix systems you have to use Xvfb to run tests in headless mode, for jenkins you can use xvfb plugin

Simple example how to open firefox in headless mode

from xvfbwrapper import Xvfb
from selenium import webdriver

xf = Xvfb()  #  xf = Xvfb(1920, 1080) - will create virtual display with 1920x1080 size
xf.start()
# browser won't appear
driver = webdriver.Firefox()
driver.get("http://google.com")