[🐛 Bug]: Unable to launch url in Selenium-automated Firefox browser due to temp user profile copy

[MagdelineNg]

[🐛 Bug]: Unable to launch url in Selenium-automated Firefox browser due to temp user profile copy

[github-actions]

@MagdelineNg, thank you for creating this issue. We will troubleshoot it as soon as we can.

---

Info for maintainers

Triage this issue by using labels.

If information is missing, add a helpful comment and then I-issue-template label.

If the issue is a question, add the I-question label.

If the issue is valid but there is no time to troubleshoot it, consider adding the help wanted label.

If the issue requires changes or fixes from an external project (e.g., ChromeDriver, GeckoDriver, MSEdgeDriver, W3C), add the applicable G-* label, and it will provide the correct link and auto-close the issue.

After troubleshooting the issue, please add the R-awaiting answer label.

Thank you!

[MagdelineNg]

Referred to these issues on Selenium creating a temporary user profile copy, but this creates a problem for apps that use default user profile to launch a url in browser as the url cannot be launched in the existing Selenium browser for automation purposes.
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/69448781/selenium-throws-error-if-an-instance-of-firefox-is-already-open
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40521731/why-selenium-always-create-temporary-firefox-profiles-using-web-driver

[diemol]

I don't know how Selenium can help here. You are manipulating a profile being used, and I wonder if Firefox plays well with that.

For testing purposes, somehow your desktop app needs to know to which Firefox instance it has to connect for the validation. You should also explore if there is a way to mock that interaction. In any case, this is more about how to automate a flow rather than an issue in Selenium.

Please ask questions using the different options below.

[github-actions]

💬 Please ask questions at:

• 📫 The Selenium user group
• 📮 StackOverflow
• 🗣 Our IRC/Slack/Matrix channels where the community can help you as well

[MagdelineNg]

@diemol I raised an issue in Geckodriver here mozilla/geckodriver#2179 (comment) , but I believe it may be related to Selenium Firefox webdriver options. I am not sure how to remove the options set by Selenium webdriver by default, such as -no-remote , and also how to set Firefox environment variables(such as MOZ_MARIONETTE) in the script as well