The Tool Desk
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Choose the browser model first
There are two local-browser approaches in Sail. Puppeteer’s normal package manages a browser for you; a system Chromium installation is managed by your Dockerfile and by you at runtime.
| Approach | What gets installed | Advantages | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puppeteer-managed Chrome for Testing | puppeteer plus its downloaded browser |
The browser revision is selected for Puppeteer compatibility. | Allow the install script to download the browser, keep its cache available to the runtime user, and provide Linux libraries. |
| System Chromium | Your base image’s Chromium package and dependencies | Uses a distribution-managed browser and update process. | Find the actual binary, maintain libraries and assess Chromium/Puppeteer compatibility yourself. |
| Externally managed browser | puppeteer-core connected to a remote or separately managed browser |
Browser lifecycle can be separated from the PHP application image. | Provide the endpoint or executable and manage its security, versions and availability. |
The official installation guide says that installing Puppeteer automatically downloads a recent Chrome for Testing and, from Puppeteer v21.6.0, a chrome-headless-shell binary guaranteed to work with Puppeteer (Puppeteer installation documentation). This is not the same as installing Debian’s chromium package.
Check the Sail project and container
- Open
compose.yamland locate thelaravel.testservice. Note itsbuildcontext, Dockerfile and anyNODE_VERSIONargument. Current Sail documentation uses Node 24 by default and allows that build argument to be changed. - Run commands through Sail, not through an unrelated host Node installation:
./vendor/bin/sail node --version ./vendor/bin/sail npm --versionIf you configured the Sail shell alias,
sailcan replace./vendor/bin/sail. - Start the services if they are not running:
./vendor/bin/sail up -d
Sail is Docker configuration and is intended to be customized; Laravel documents that you can customize nearly everything about it (Laravel Sail documentation).
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- KEYBOARD: The keyboard works for Windows with hot keys that enable easy access to Media, My Computer, Mute, Volume up/down, and Calculator
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Install Puppeteer’s compatible browser (recommended path)
- From the project directory, add the dependency inside the application container:
./vendor/bin/sail npm install puppeteerThis updates
package.jsonand the lock file. Commit both so another image build installs the same dependency graph. - Build dependency installation into your normal image workflow. If your Dockerfile runs
npm installornpm ciduring a build, ensure Puppeteer’s install script is permitted. Package-manager policies such asignore-scripts=truecan prevent the browser download. - If the install script was skipped, download the browser explicitly inside the container:
./vendor/bin/sail npx puppeteer browsers install - Use Puppeteer in application code. For example, create
resources/js/capture.mjs:import puppeteer from 'puppeteer'; const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: true, }); try { const page = await browser.newPage(); await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle2' }); await page.screenshot({ path: '/tmp/example.png', fullPage: true }); } finally { await browser.close(); } - Run it in Sail:
./vendor/bin/sail node resources/js/capture.mjs
Do not assume the browser cache belongs to the same user that runs your Laravel worker. Puppeteer v19 and later normally cache browsers below $HOME/.cache/puppeteer. Installing as one user and launching as another can produce “Could not find Chrome” or “Could not find expected browser locally” even though installation appeared successful.
Make the cache predictable
Choose a shared, writable cache location and use it consistently during image build and runtime. Puppeteer supports configuration files and the PUPPETEER_CACHE_DIR environment variable (Puppeteer configuration). For example, in the Dockerfile or service environment:
ENV PUPPETEER_CACHE_DIR=/opt/puppeteer-cacheCreate the directory, install the browser as the same user that will launch it, and grant that user read/execute access. If the cache is mounted as a volume, preserve ownership across container restarts.
Install system Chromium in the Sail image
Choose this route only when you specifically need the distribution package. The exact package name, executable path and dependency names vary by Sail base image and architecture. Add the browser and libraries to the Dockerfile used by laravel.test, rather than installing them interactively in a running container.
Rank #2
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- Identify the base distribution and release in the Dockerfile.
- Add the appropriate Chromium package using that distribution’s package manager. Do not copy an Ubuntu package command into a Debian image (or vice versa) without checking availability.
- Install the runtime libraries required by that image’s Chromium build.
- Build the image and locate the binary from inside the rebuilt container, for example with
command -v chromium,command -v chromium-browseror the package manager’s file list. - Pass the discovered path explicitly:
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer-core';
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
executablePath: '/actual/path/from-command-v',
headless: true,
});
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle2' });
await page.screenshot({ path: '/tmp/example.png' });
} finally {
await browser.close();
}puppeteer-core does not download a browser, so an executable path or externally managed connection is mandatory. You can also use the full puppeteer package with an explicit executablePath, but then you must still decide whether its bundled browser download is wanted.
Rebuild after every Dockerfile change
./vendor/bin/sail build --no-cache
./vendor/bin/sail up -dAn apt install performed inside an ephemeral running container disappears when that container is recreated. A Dockerfile change plus a rebuild makes the browser and libraries part of the Sail image.
Linux libraries, profiles and process handling
A successful npm install does not prove Chrome can start. Headless Chrome commonly needs shared libraries that are absent from minimal images. Puppeteer’s troubleshooting guide provides a Debian/Ubuntu dependency list, but it advises matching requirements to the actual Chromium/Chrome package, release and architecture (Puppeteer troubleshooting). When launch output reports a missing .so file, inspect the browser’s dependencies with ldd and add the package that supplies that library to the Dockerfile.
Read-only containers cause a different failure: Chrome must write configuration, cache and profile data. Set writable XDG locations and a user-data directory, or mount writable directories with correct ownership. A typical diagnostic launch looks like:
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- Plastic parts in K120 include 51% certified post-consumer recycled plastic*
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
headless: true,
userDataDir: '/tmp/puppeteer-profile',
});Use /tmp only when its lifecycle and isolation suit your workload; a persistent profile can leak cookies between jobs.
Puppeteer’s Docker guidance recommends Docker’s --init option or another init process so child browser processes are reaped correctly (Puppeteer Docker guide). The project’s example Dockerfile demonstrates a non-root user and browser requirements, but it is not a drop-in replacement for a PHP-based Sail image (Puppeteer Dockerfile). Do not add --no-sandbox as a blanket fix. First correct the user, libraries, writable paths and process setup; change sandbox settings only after evaluating the security of the actual container.
Verify the installation before integrating Laravel
- Check versions in the same container and user context as the worker:
./vendor/bin/sail node --version ./vendor/bin/sail npm --version ./vendor/bin/sail npm list puppeteer puppeteer-core - Run a minimal navigation and screenshot script. Use a URL reachable from the container and write to a known writable path.
- Confirm the output file exists and has non-zero size.
- If your Laravel queue runs under a different user, execute the same script as that user or inspect its
HOME, cache and temporary directories.
Troubleshooting common failures
“Could not find Chrome” or “Could not find expected browser locally”
- Confirm the dependency is
puppeteer, notpuppeteer-core, unless you intentionally provide a browser. - Check whether install scripts were disabled; run
npx puppeteer browsers install. - Compare the user and
HOMEused during npm install with the user launching Chrome. Set a sharedPUPPETEER_CACHE_DIRand fix ownership. - For system Chromium, verify
executablePathagainstcommand -vinside the rebuilt image.
Browser starts, then exits with a missing-library error
Read the complete Chrome stderr output, run ldd on the actual executable, and add matching packages for the Sail base distribution. Rebuild the image; installing a library interactively is not persistent.
“Failed to launch” in a read-only container
Provide writable XDG cache/configuration and user-data paths, or mount writable directories owned by the runtime user. Avoid reusing one profile concurrently across jobs.
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Chrome hangs, leaves zombies or consumes resources
Use an init process as described in the Docker guide, close every browser in a finally block, and limit concurrent launches. Keep the full launch error when diagnosing rather than masking it with sandbox flags.
It works on the host but not in Sail
The host browser and libraries are irrelevant to the container. Run Node, npm, the browser lookup and the capture script through Sail, then inspect the container’s base image, architecture and environment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do not confuse Puppeteer with Laravel Dusk
Laravel’s Sail documentation describes an optional Selenium service for Laravel Dusk. Dusk is a separate browser-testing approach; Puppeteer does not require Selenium. Decide whether your code is a Node Puppeteer script or a Dusk test suite before adding services. Running both can be valid, but they have separate browser drivers, images and configuration.
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is reliable screenshots rather than maintaining Chrome inside Sail, ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API and MCP server. It accepts a URL and returns PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF. Before capture it can accept cookie banners and remove more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets; each step can be disabled. Bot checks, CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. AI agents can use its MCP tools take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf.
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the complete option reference in the ScreenshotNeo documentation. It supports full-page and CSS-selector captures, dark mode, device presets and custom viewports, retina scale, PDF paper and page settings, custom CSS/JavaScript, clicks, waits, request blocking, headers, cookies, user agents, authorization, timezone, geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, chosen cache TTLs, signed image links, asynchronous webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, usage reporting and an OpenAPI specification. Existing parameter names used by other screenshot APIs are accepted to ease migration.
Best Value
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- Long-lasting Battery Life: A 24-month battery life (4) means you can go for 2 years without the hassle of changing batteries of your wireless full-size keyboard
- Simply plug the USB receiver into a USB port on your desktop, laptop or netbook computer and start using the keyboard right away without any software installation
- Simply Wireless: Forget about drop-outs and delays thanks to a strong, reliable wireless connection with up to 33 ft range (5); K270 is compatible with Windows 7, 8, 10 or later
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Other clients: Python and Node.js
The same API can be called without changing your Sail browser image:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);Frequently Asked Questions
Should I install Chromium or let Puppeteer download Chrome?
Letting the puppeteer package download its compatible Chrome for Testing build is the least-maintenance local option. Choose system Chromium only when you need distribution-managed browser updates or an existing package policy.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Can Puppeteer run in Sail without Selenium?
Yes. Puppeteer launches its own browser process from Node. Selenium is an optional service documented for Laravel Dusk, which is a separate testing stack.
Why does a rebuild matter after editing the Dockerfile?
The running container is disposable. Rebuilding incorporates browser packages and shared libraries into the image so they remain available after recreation.
Quick Recap
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