Automation Testing

How To Get Started With Zalenium Docker Grid (Video)

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Hey! It's Joe.

In a previous post, I defined what Zalenium is.

Now, with this video, I’ll cover how to actually get started with it.

I'll show you how to install Zalenium. We’ll also take a look at the Zalenium dashboard functionality, and how to use the Selenium IDE runner to run some tests against a Zalenium Selenium Grid.

You have two open-source solutions that can get you up and running with test automation really quickly, out of the box with no cost. Some really cool solutions. Check it out and let me know what you think.

How to Install Zalenium

First, make sure Docker is up and running.

Go to a terminal or command line and run a few commands to get Zalenium installed and running.

  • The first command will pull Selenium down for you: docker pull elgalu/selenium
  • Next, run the command to pull Zalenium down:  docker pull dosel/zalenium
  • Then, start up Zalenium:docker run –rm -ti –name zalenium -p 4444:4444 \     -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \     -v /tmp/videos:/home/seluser/videos \     –privileged dosel/zalenium start

Notice how fast it is to get up and running. (You’ll know it's running when you receive the message.) Zalenium is now ready.

Zalenium Ready

Zalanium Dashboard

All right. Now let's take a look at the Dashboard.

If you go to the dashboard once it’s been installed, you'll receive a message that says “Waiting for the dashboard to be ready…it will load automatically after the first videos are ready.”

Let’s run a quick test and then take a look at the results within Zalenium.

Run Selenium IDE Test against Zalenium Grid

I'm going to use a test script I created in a previous post, and then I'll run against Zalenium.

All this script does is go to my test page, types in my name, chooses an operating system from the dropdown menu and returns the value of an operating system.

Open up a new terminal or command line and select the Selenium IDE Runner command to run the demo script against the Zalenium instance:

selenium-side-runner –server http://localhost:444/wd/hub JoeDemo.side

Hit Enter and see what happens.

Now, return to the Zalenium dashboard and see what it looks like.

Selenium Test Playback Video

One of the coolest features of Zalenium is the automatic test replay.

Zalenium Selenium Script Playback Video

It also captures the logs automatically so you can look at the Selenium and browser driver logs.

When you select the test run it will show information about each run, including the day it ran, on what platform, the screen dimensions and where it was run from.

Pretty awesome stuff, right out of the box.

Zalenium and Selenium IDE Together – Great Combination

So if you're looking to run your test against Selenium Grid and don't want to have to manage it yourself, Zalenium is a great solution.

Even better, pairing it with the Selenium IDE runner yields a pretty cool end-to-end solution out of the box that will get you started automating your tests right away with minimal effort.

 

A bearded man with blue glasses and a black-and-white jacket smiles at a microphone in a studio setting.

About Joe Colantonio

Joe Colantonio is the founder of TestGuild, an industry-leading platform for automation testing and software testing tools. With over 25 years of hands-on experience, he has worked with top enterprise companies, helped develop early test automation tools and frameworks, and runs the largest online automation testing conference, Automation Guild.

Joe is also the author of Automation Awesomeness: 260 Actionable Affirmations To Improve Your QA & Automation Testing Skills and the host of the TestGuild podcast, which he has released weekly since 2014, making it the longest-running podcast dedicated to automation testing. Over the years, he has interviewed top thought leaders in DevOps, AI-driven test automation, and software quality, shaping the conversation in the industry.

With a reach of over 400,000 across his YouTube channel, LinkedIn, email list, and other social channels, Joe’s insights impact thousands of testers and engineers worldwide.

He has worked with some of the top companies in software testing and automation, including Tricentis, Keysight, Applitools, and BrowserStack, as sponsors and partners, helping them connect with the right audience in the automation testing space.

Follow him on LinkedIn or check out more at TestGuild.com.

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