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When a test passes on Windows but fails on Linux, start with the exact CI failure and the failing test—not a broad test-suite rerun. The most common early check is path spelling: standard Windows filesystem behavior is usually case-insensitive, while Linux typically distinguishes uppercase and lowercase names. Then compare the two environments’ shells, setup, runtime versions and filesystem assumptions, fix the underlying cause, and keep both operating systems in CI if your project supports them.
Capture the failure before changing anything
Save the failing job and step, runner image, language and runtime versions, exact test command, failing test identifier, traceback or assertion, and relevant environment variables. Preserve the logs and any test artifacts before editing code; otherwise a change can erase evidence about what differed between the two runs.
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Check the workflow’s shell as well as its operating system. GitHub Actions documents PowerShell Core as the default shell on Windows and sh as the fallback on Linux and macOS when Bash is unavailable. Each workflow step runs in its own process, so shell initialization or environment changes in one step should not be assumed to carry into the next.
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Reproduce only the failing test
Use the test identifier from the failure output to narrow the run. For pytest, a node ID can select a test directly:
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pytest path/to/test_file.py::TestClass::test_nameIf the selected Python interpreter matters, run pytest as a module:
python -m pytest path/to/test_file.py::TestClass::test_namePytest documents that module invocation also adds the current directory to sys.path. Confirm that the command collected the intended test: pytest exit codes distinguish test failures from interruption, internal errors, usage errors and a run in which no tests were collected. A run that collected nothing is not evidence that the test passes.
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Compare exact path names and casing
Compare every referenced path with the repository’s actual entries, character for character. Look at imports, fixture paths, test data, glob patterns and files generated during setup. A reference such as TestData/input.json may appear to work on a typical Windows filesystem even if the repository entry is testdata/input.json; Linux typically treats those as different names.
Python’s pathlib glob methods also use platform-specific casing rules by default: typically case-sensitive on POSIX and case-insensitive on Windows. The pathlib documentation describes these behaviors. Inspect the names that actually exist rather than relying on a glob that happens to match on one operating system.
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Prefer composing paths with a path API instead of building them from strings containing hard-coded separators. In Python, pathlib lets you join path objects with / and uses native path formatting when converting a path to a string.
Look for filesystem and filename assumptions
Review names and path components in test data for characters or reserved names that Windows does not allow. Microsoft documents Windows filename restrictions, including reserved names and characters; path-length constraints can also depend on the filesystem and path format. A name accepted on Linux may therefore be unsuitable for a test that must also run on Windows.
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If a test depends on symbolic links, executable bits, permissions or other special filesystem behavior, make that dependency explicit and test it on the target Linux environment. Do not infer that filesystem semantics match simply because the same test data is present on both systems.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsCompare setup, shell behavior and dependencies
Check whether the test depends on shell syntax, an assumed working directory, environment initialization or packages installed only on a developer’s machine. Make workflow setup explicit, and define required environment values in the step that uses them. This helps distinguish an application defect from a difference in how CI prepared or launched the test.
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For browser-based suites, Playwright’s CI guide covers installing operating-system dependencies on Linux CI agents and retaining test results and traces. Keeping those artifacts gives you useful evidence when a failure is intermittent or specific to a runner.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose a reproduction environment that answers the question
Local Linux, a Linux CI runner and a container can all help reproduce a failure. Choose based on the details most likely to matter:
- Operating-system and filesystem fidelity: use an environment that matches the target CI or production system when the suspected cause involves path casing, permissions or other filesystem behavior.
- Runtime and dependency match: align language, runtime and package versions with the failing job so the comparison isolates the operating-system difference.
- Repeat speed: use the option that lets you rerun the focused test quickly while investigating.
- Diagnostic evidence: ensure CI or the reproduction setup retains logs, traces or results when a run fails.
Playwright describes containers as useful for consistent environments, but a container is most useful when its operating system and dependencies reproduce the conditions you are trying to investigate.
Fix the cause and preserve cross-platform coverage
- Correct mismatched filename or import casing, or replace fragile path construction with the appropriate path API.
- Make CI setup, working-directory assumptions and required environment values explicit in the workflow.
- Rerun the focused test on both Windows and Linux, then run the broader suite.
- Keep automated Linux coverage if Linux is a supported target, and retain useful test output or artifacts for future failures.
Use a platform-conditional skip only when the test genuinely does not apply on that platform, and give the skip a clear reason. Pytest distinguishes skip and xfail behavior; an unexpected pass can be reported. A broad skip may silence an unintended failure, but it does not repair a portability defect.
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