The headless-shell project provides a multi-arch container image, docker.io/chromedp/headless-shell, containing Chrome's headless-shell -- a slimmed down version of Chrome that is useful for driving, profiling, or testing web pages.

This image has been created for the Go chromedp package, which provides a simple and easy to use API for driving browsers compatible with the Chrome Debugging Protocol, but can be used with library or application that supports the Chrome Debugging Protocol.

The version of headless-shell contained in the docker.io/chromedp/headless-shell has been modified from the original Chromium source tree, to report the same user agent as Chrome, and has had other minor modifications made to it in order to make it better suited for use in an embedded context.

Multi-arch images for Chrome's stable, beta, and dev channels are pushed daily to the docker.io/chromedp/headless-shell repository.

The image can be used via the stable, beta, or dev floating tags, or via a specific version tag:

# pull latest stable
$ podman pull docker.io/chromedp/headless-shell:latest

# pull specific version
$ podman pull docker.io/chromedp/headless-shell:123.0.6312.86

# pull beta
$ podman pull docker.io/chromedp/headless-shell:beta

# pull dev
$ podman pull docker.io/chromedp/headless-shell:dev

The headless-shell container can be used in the usual way:

# run
$ podman run -d -p 9222:9222 --rm --name headless-shell docker.io/chromedp/headless-shell

# if headless-shell is crashing with a BUS_ADRERR error, pass a larger shm-size:
$ podman run -d -p 9222:9222 --rm --name headless-shell --shm-size 2G docker.io/chromedp/headless-shell

# run as unprivileged user
# get seccomp profile from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jfrazelle/dotfiles/master/etc/docker/seccomp/chrome.json
$ podman run -d -p 9222:9222 --user nobody --security-opt seccomp=chrome.json --entrypoint '/headless-shell/headless-shell' docker.io/chromedp/headless-shell --remote-debugging-address=0.0.0.0 --remote-debugging-port=9222 --disable-gpu --headless

When using docker.io/chromedp/headless-shell (either directly or as a base image), you could experience zombie processes problem. To reap zombie processes, use podman run's --init arg:

$ podman run -d -p <PORT>:<PORT> --name <your-program> --init <your-image>

If running Docker older than 1.13.0, use dumb-init or tini on your Dockerfile's ENTRYPOINT

FROM docker.io/chromedp/headless-shell:latest
...
# Install dumb-init or tini
RUN apt install dumb-init
# or RUN apt install tini
...
ENTRYPOINT ["dumb-init", "--"]
# or ENTRYPOINT ["tini", "--"]
CMD ["/path/to/your/program"]