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Puppeteer Screenshot Tests Failing on Linux? Fix Missing Dependencies

When Puppeteer screenshots fail on Linux, check the exact Chrome binary with ldd, install only the distribution’s missing packages, and investigate browser downloads or sandbox issues separately.
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If Puppeteer’s screenshot test fails to launch Chrome on Linux, first run ldd against the exact Chrome executable the test uses and look for libraries marked not found. Install the corresponding packages for your distribution. If no libraries are missing, check whether Puppeteer downloaded a browser, then investigate sandbox, container, and profile-directory issues separately.

1. Identify the failing Chrome executable and missing libraries

Start with the complete launch error from the test. Determine which Chrome binary Puppeteer is trying to launch; checking a different system-installed Chrome can give misleading results. Puppeteer’s official troubleshooting guide recommends using ldd to check for unresolved shared libraries.

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  1. Find the executable path in the launch error or your Puppeteer configuration.
  2. Run ldd on that executable, replacing the example path with the one from your environment:
    ldd /path/to/chrome | grep 'not found'
  3. If the command prints library names followed by not found, install the OS packages that provide those libraries.
  4. If it prints nothing, this check found no unresolved shared libraries. Continue to the browser-download and launch-error checks below.

Use the executable actually launched by the test. Puppeteer normally downloads a compatible Chrome for Testing browser, so its path may differ from a system Chrome path.

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2. Install the missing packages for your Linux distribution

Package names vary between distributions and releases. Use the diagnostic output to identify what is missing, then install the matching packages for the host’s release. Puppeteer’s troubleshooting guide lists common Debian/Ubuntu dependencies such as libnss3, libatk-bridge2.0-0, libgtk-3-0, libgbm1, libasound2, libx11-xcb1, libxcomposite1, libxdamage1, libxrandr2, libxss1, libxtst6, and fonts-liberation, along with other libraries and utilities. Consult the complete, current package guidance rather than treating that sample as a universal install command.

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For CentOS or another distribution, follow the package list and instructions applicable to that distribution in Puppeteer’s guide. Do not copy Debian package names into a different package manager. After installing packages, rerun ldd; the unresolved entries should be gone before retrying the screenshot test.

3. Check whether Puppeteer downloaded Chrome

A missing browser executable is different from missing shared libraries. Puppeteer’s normal installation downloads a compatible Chrome for Testing browser, but package managers or project policies may block installation scripts and prevent that download. Check the launch error for a missing executable and inspect the project’s installation output or browser cache.

If the browser is absent, install it explicitly using the command for your package manager, as described in the Puppeteer installation guide:

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  • npm: npx puppeteer browsers install
  • Yarn: yarn puppeteer browsers install
  • pnpm: pnpm exec puppeteer browsers install
  • Bun: bunx puppeteer browsers install

Check the live guide and your installed Puppeteer version if a command differs in your project; installation behavior is version-sensitive. Puppeteer says its Linux browser download is approximately 282 MB, so account for that transfer and cache space in a build environment.

4. Choose how to install system dependencies

On Ubuntu or Debian, there are two practical approaches. Installing only packages identified by ldd is targeted and can be incorporated explicitly into a reproducible image. Puppeteer also documents a browser installation option that asks it to install dependencies:

npx puppeteer browsers install chrome --install-deps

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This option is for Chrome on Ubuntu/Debian and requires root privileges. It is not a universal Linux dependency installer. If your build cannot run as root, install the diagnosed packages through the distribution’s package manager instead. For other distributions, use their current package requirements and manager.

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5. Distinguish sandbox failures from dependency failures

An error such as No usable sandbox! indicates a sandbox or host configuration problem, not proof of missing shared libraries. Puppeteer strongly discourages launching Chrome with --no-sandbox; disabling the sandbox removes an important browser security boundary.

Puppeteer notes a specific issue on Ubuntu 23.10 and later: an AppArmor profile applied to Chrome stable binaries can block user namespaces used by Puppeteer-downloaded Chrome for Testing. Follow the documented AppArmor guidance for the affected host and configure a suitable sandbox where possible. Do not treat --no-sandbox as the routine fix for a CI or production failure.

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6. Check Docker, Alpine, and current runtime requirements

Docker

The container image must include Chrome’s required shared libraries, and Puppeteer needs a writable user-data directory. If the browser launches locally but not in the container, check the image’s installed packages, the binary path, filesystem permissions, and the full container launch error. Install dependencies into the image rather than relying on packages present only on the host.

Alpine

Chrome is not supported out of the box on Alpine according to Puppeteer’s troubleshooting guidance. Check the current system package requirements and browser compatibility before choosing an Alpine-based image; do not assume that a dependency list intended for Debian or Ubuntu will work there.

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Version and platform

The current Puppeteer system-requirements page specifies Node.js 22.12 or later and lists Chrome for Testing Linux support on Debian/Ubuntu and openSUSE/Fedora for x64 and arm64. These current requirements may not apply to an older project: verify the Puppeteer version in your lockfile and use its matching documentation before changing a legacy build.

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7. Troubleshoot by symptom

Symptom Likely area What to check
ldd reports not found Missing OS libraries Install the packages that provide the reported libraries for the host distribution; rerun ldd.
Chrome executable or browser cannot be found Browser download or configured path Check whether install scripts were blocked, then install a browser with the package-manager command in Puppeteer’s guide or correct the configured executable path.
No usable sandbox! Host sandbox configuration Follow Puppeteer’s sandbox guidance for the host. Avoid using --no-sandbox as a blanket workaround.
It works on the host but fails in Docker Image libraries or permissions Check dependencies inside the image and confirm Puppeteer can write to its user-data directory.
It fails only on Alpine Distribution compatibility Check Puppeteer’s current Alpine and system-package guidance; Chrome is not supported out of the box there.

8. Or skip the browser setup

If the task is simply to produce a screenshot rather than run a browser inside your own Linux environment, ScreenshotNeo provides a website screenshot API and MCP server. A single GET request can return an image or PDF. For example, using cURL:

API documentation

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture, and failed loads, bot checks, blank pages, and cache hits are not billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents use the take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Sign up free for 1,000 screenshots a month, with no card required.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does installing Puppeteer also install every Linux dependency Chrome needs?

No. Puppeteer’s browser download and the operating system’s shared libraries are separate. Use `ldd` on the launched Chrome executable to check for unresolved libraries.

Can I use `–no-sandbox` to fix a Linux screenshot test?

Puppeteer strongly discourages it because it disables an important security boundary. Diagnose and configure the host sandbox instead.

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