How can I run a Selenium Java Maven test inside a Docker container without using Selenium Grid?

Below is an example of one solution. The problem is that your base image (maven:3.8.6-eclipse-temurin-11) does not come with Google Chrome or the matching chromedriver installed. Even though your test is running headless, the Chrome binary still must be present in the container.

You can update your Dockerfile to install Google Chrome and chromedriver. For example:

---

DOCKERFILECopied
# Use a base image that has the JDK and Maven installed.
FROM maven:3.8.6-eclipse-temurin-11

# Install dependencies for installing Chrome and chromedriver
USER root
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y wget gnupg2 unzip

# Install Google Chrome
RUN wget -q -O - https://dl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | apt-key add - && \
    echo "deb [arch=amd64] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main" \
         >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google.list && \
    apt-get update && \
    apt-get install -y google-chrome-stable

# Install chromedriver
# It is important the chromedriver version matches the installed chrome version.
# Here we fetch the latest release. Alternatively, specify a version.
ENV CHROME_DRIVER_VERSION=`curl -sSL https://chromedriver.storage.googleapis.com/LATEST_RELEASE`
RUN wget -O /tmp/chromedriver.zip https://chromedriver.storage.googleapis.com/${CHROME_DRIVER_VERSION}/chromedriver_linux64.zip && \
    unzip /tmp/chromedriver.zip -d /usr/local/bin/ && \
    chmod +x /usr/local/bin/chromedriver && \
    rm /tmp/chromedriver.zip

# Set the working directory and copy your project files.
WORKDIR /app
COPY . /app

# Run the test when the container starts.
CMD ["mvn", "test"]

---

Explanation

1. Installing Chrome Dependencies:
   The Dockerfile updates the package lists and installs wget, gnupg2, and unzip – utilities needed to add the Google repository and download chromedriver.

2. Installing Google Chrome:
   The public key for the Google repository is added and then Chrome is installed with apt-get.

3. Installing chromedriver:
   The script retrieves the latest chromedriver version matching the installed Chrome version. The chromedriver binary is then installed to a directory that is on the PATH (/usr/local/bin).

4. Executing Tests:
   Finally, the CMD command runs your Maven tests, and because Chrome is now properly installed, your Selenium test should be able to create a Chrome session in headless mode.

Additional Notes

• Version Compatibility:
  Be sure that the installed chromedriver version is compatible with the installed Google Chrome version. In production you might want to lock both versions to avoid compatibility issues.

• ChromeOptions:
  Your test already sets options like “--headless”, “--no-sandbox”, and “--disable-dev-shm-usage” which are essential for running Chrome inside a container.

• Troubleshooting:
  If Chrome still fails to start, you can check container logs for any issues related to sandboxing or missing libraries. Sometimes additional libraries (like libnss3, libgconf-2-4, etc.) may be required depending on the container environment.

This approach should allow your container to run your Selenium tests without needing a Selenium Grid.