How can we install google-chrome-stable on alpine image in dockerfile using dpkg? - docker

Question

I am trying to install google-chrome-stable on alpine image using dpkg. However, the dpkg is installed but it does not install google-chrome-stable and return this error instead? Is there a way to install google-chrome-stable in alpine image either using dpkg or other way?
dpkg: regarding google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb containing
google-chrome-stable:amd64, pre-dependency problem:
google-chrome-stable:amd64 pre-depends on dpkg (>= 1.14.0)
dpkg: error processing archive google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb (--install):
pre-dependency problem - not installing google-chrome-stable:amd64
Errors were encountered while processing:
Dockerfile:
# Base image
FROM ruby:2.6.3-alpine3.10
# Use node version 10.16.3, yarn version 1.16.0
RUN apk add --no-cache --repository http://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/v3.10/main/ nodejs=10.16.3-r0
RUN apk add --no-cache --repository http://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/v3.10/community/ yarn=1.16.0-r0
# Install dependencies
RUN apk upgrade
RUN apk --update \
add build-base \
git \
tzdata \
nodejs \
nodejs-npm \
bash \
curl \
yarn \
gzip \
postgresql-client \
postgresql-dev \
imagemagick \
imagemagick-dev \
imagemagick-libs \
chromium \
chromium-chromedriver \
ncurses \
less \
dpkg=1.19.7-r0 \
chromium \
chromium-chromedriver
RUN dpkg --add-architecture amd64
RUN wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
RUN dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
# This is the base directory used in any
# further COPY, RUN and ENTRYPOINT commands
WORKDIR /webapp
# Copy Gemfile and Gemfile.lock and run bundle install
COPY Gemfile* /webapp/
RUN gem install bundler -v '1.17.3' && \
bundle _1.17.3_ install
# Copy everything to /webapp for docker image
COPY . ./
EXPOSE 3000
# Run the application
CMD ["rails", "server", "-b", "0.0.0.0"]

Answer 1

Installing the Chrome .deb file this way won't work on Alpine.
While the dpkg package is available in the Alpine repository, and is useful for installing lightweight Debian packages, you won't be able to use it for installing complex Debian packages, since it'll be impossible to satisfy many Debian dependencies. Alpine is generally not Debian compatible (relying on musl libc), so installing native Alpine packages using apk is the right way to go.
AFAIK, there's currently no Google Chrome Alpine Linux compatible, musl-libc build.
You could, however, install the Chromium browser, which is available using an apk package:
apk add chromium
Another option is enabling glibc on a vanilla Alpine image, making it compatible with Debian binaries. This is a fairly simple procedure, see: Dockerfile. However, it may not be suitable for images with existing applications such as ruby:2.6.3-alpine3.10. Moreover, even with a glibc setup on Alpine, Chrome is not likely to run without issues. I have made a quick attempt (Dockerfile) but couldn't get past the first segfault.
Edit 9/5/21: Running the debian compatible Chrome stable on Alpine is going to be a very difficult task to say the least. This is in part due to the very large number of dependencies and libraries. Trying to run it results with segfaults during dynamic linking and finally assertions from the dynamic linker. Even if we manage to get passed these issues and start Chrome it will probably be very unstable.

Answer 2

Since chromium-chromedriver is presented in your package list, I suppose that you want to do browser automation.As to browser automation, I used java and selenium, and download chromium binary and chromium driver binary manually.
What the most I want to tell you is that the chromium binary and chromium driver binary bundle might not work as expected, and you need to downgrade the version of either chrome driver or chrome and make several trial to find a matched versions that really work, no matter whether you use node.js or java selenium.
With Selenium, you have another option that you can deploy the chrome and chromedriver bundle as a http service in a different server, and make selenium invoke the remote chrome service.
ChromeDriver for version 93.0.4577.15