Fix most Wallaby headless-Chrome crashes by proving the tests pass outside Wallaby, confirming Chrome and Node.js, selecting the correct Chrome executable, and checking the flags Wallaby passes to it. Then collect a Wallaby Diagnostics Report, reset caches, and isolate worker processes. These steps distinguish a test failure from a browser-launch failure and give you a reproducible path to a fix.
1. Establish whether Wallaby is actually the cause
Before changing Chrome flags or Wallaby settings, run the same test command with the framework’s normal runner. Use the command your project already uses, such as npm test, npx jest, npx vitest run, npx mocha or the equivalent script.
- If the tests fail outside Wallaby, fix the test, application, or dependency problem first. Wallaby is only exposing an existing failure.
- If they pass normally but crash in Wallaby, continue with the browser, runner, cache, and worker checks below.
- If only one test file causes the crash, run that file alone and then bisect recently changed tests or setup code.
Keep the failing test command, operating system, Node.js version, Chrome version, Wallaby core version, editor, and the exact crash message. Those details make a diagnostics report actionable.
2. Verify the prerequisites
Google Chrome
Wallaby’s browser workflow uses a local Google Chrome process in headless mode by default. Confirm that Chrome is installed for the same user account that launches your editor. Open Chrome normally once; a first-run profile or operating-system permission prompt can otherwise look like a Wallaby crash.
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On Linux, verify the executable from a shell with google-chrome --version or google-chrome-stable --version. On macOS, the usual application binary is /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome. On Windows, check the Chrome installation under Program Files or LocalAppData. The exact path can differ by installation channel.
Node.js
Wallaby itself requires Node.js. Check both the version and the executable selected by your editor:
node --version
which nodeOn Windows, use where node instead of which node. A terminal and an editor can resolve different Node installations, especially when using a version manager. Restart the editor after changing Node versions.
3. Point Wallaby at the intended Chrome executable
In your Wallaby configuration, select the Chrome environment and set env.runner when auto-detection chooses the wrong binary. Use an absolute path or a path-resolvable executable:
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return {
env: {
kind: 'chrome',
runner: '/absolute/path/to/your/chrome'
}
};
};Replace the path with the real executable for your operating system. Do not point to a desktop shortcut, an application bundle directory, or a Chromium binary with a profile locked by another process. If your organization provides a managed Chrome build, verify that its policies permit headless automation.
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Chrome versus other Wallaby environments
Chrome is appropriate when your tests need browser APIs and real rendering. Wallaby also documents Node.js, Electron, and PhantomJS environments. A Node runner avoids browser startup entirely but cannot validate DOM, layout, or browser-only APIs. Electron can reproduce an Electron runtime more closely, while PhantomJS is an older compatibility choice. Change environments only when the test’s runtime requirements justify it; switching runners can hide a browser-specific defect.
4. Understand and adjust headless flags
Wallaby starts Chrome with flags intended for automated testing. Its defaults include:
--headless--disable-gpu--disable-translate--disable-extensions--disable-background-networking--safebrowsing-disable-auto-update--disable-sync--metrics-recording-only--disable-default-apps--no-first-run
On Linux, Wallaby adds --no-sandbox and --disable-setuid-sandbox. These are significant: sandbox restrictions, container policies, and corporate endpoint software can make a flag combination fail before the test page loads.
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module.exports = function (wallaby) {
return {
env: {
kind: 'chrome',
params: {
runner: [
'--window-size=1280,900'
]
}
}
};
};Do not randomly remove security flags or add unrelated switches. Test one change at a time. If a flag fixes startup, compare the resulting diagnostics with a clean configuration and check whether the flag is safe for your build environment.
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5. Capture diagnostics before making broad changes
Wallaby identifies its Diagnostics Report as the first troubleshooting artifact. Generate it from the Wallaby commands in your editor and include the complete report when contacting Wallaby.js support. Also inspect the editor’s Wallaby output and log location for messages such as an executable-not-found error, a process exit code, a permissions failure, or a page that started and then disconnected.
When the page starts but tests fail
Open the local localhost test page in Chrome DevTools when Wallaby exposes it. Console errors, failed network requests, uncaught exceptions, and incompatible browser APIs can explain a page-level failure that looks like a Chrome crash in the editor.
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When Chrome exits immediately
Compare the configured path with the executable that works interactively, check operating-system permissions, and review the exact command-line flags in the logs. A missing shared library, a locked profile, a sandbox policy, or a version mismatch generally appears in the browser or editor log rather than in the test assertion output.
6. Reset caches without losing your evidence
Cache corruption can create intermittent failures after dependency or browser changes. First save the diagnostics report and logs. Then clear the test framework’s cache where applicable. For Jest, for example:
npx jest --clearCacheNext run the editor command Wallaby.js: Reset Wallaby Cache. Wallaby notes that a cache reset should not normally be necessary; if it consistently fixes the crash, record that fact because it points to stale transformed files or test metadata.
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After resetting, allow one complete run before changing another setting. Otherwise you cannot tell which action solved the problem.
7. Isolate workers and process reuse
Run one worker
Set Wallaby’s worker count to 1 temporarily. If the crash disappears, tests may share mutable global state, ports, files, databases, or browser resources. Make the tests independent rather than leaving the reduced worker count as a permanent workaround unless the project intentionally requires serial execution.
Restart workers
For failures that appear only after several runs, enable workers.restart: true. Restarting exposes problems caused by process reuse, leaked timers, retained module state, service workers, or a test that does not clean up. A stable run with restarts is evidence of test isolation trouble, not proof that Chrome itself is defective.
Compare the two settings
| Experiment | What it tests | Likely follow-up |
|---|---|---|
workers: 1 |
Parallel-state and resource contention | Remove shared state, allocate unique ports, or serialize only the affected suite |
workers.restart: true |
Leaks and bad process reuse | Close servers, timers, pages, and connections in teardown hooks |
| Both settings | Whether concurrency and reuse interact | Re-enable one feature at a time to identify the trigger |
8. Check dependency and version drift
If Wallaby stopped working immediately after an upgrade, inspect the lockfile and recent changes to Wallaby core, the test framework, plugins, Chrome, and Node.js. Reinstall dependencies from the lockfile so that transitive packages match the known-good environment. If the failure began with a Wallaby core upgrade, temporarily return to the previously working core version while you collect diagnostics and identify the incompatible change. Treat rollback as a diagnostic comparison, not a final fix; keep the version pinned and documented if you must ship with it.
Also check whether your editor updated its extension independently of the project. A project that works in one editor profile but not another may be loading a different Node executable or Wallaby extension version.
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9. Common symptoms and targeted fixes
| Symptom | Most useful check | Action |
|---|---|---|
| “Chrome not found” or immediate launch failure | Executable path and editor environment | Set an absolute env.runner path; restart the editor |
| Only Linux crashes | Sandbox and container policy | Confirm Wallaby’s Linux sandbox flags, permissions, shared libraries, and container restrictions |
| Tests pass once, then crash | Worker reuse and leaked state | Try workers.restart: true, then clean up teardown code |
| Parallel run crashes, serial run works | Shared files, ports, or globals | Use one worker to isolate the suite and remove collisions |
| Crash follows a dependency update | Lockfile and Wallaby core history | Reinstall from the lockfile or compare with the last known-good core version |
| Browser launches but a page fails | Local test page and DevTools console | Fix application exceptions, blocked requests, or unsupported browser APIs |
| Resetting cache fixes it | Stale transformed data | Document the trigger and include the result in your support report |
10. A repeatable recovery checklist
- Run the normal test command outside Wallaby.
- Record OS, Node.js, Chrome, Wallaby, editor, and dependency versions.
- Confirm Chrome and Node.js are installed for the editor’s user account.
- Set
env.kind: 'chrome'and an explicitenv.runnerif needed. - Review Wallaby’s default flags and add only targeted values through
env.params.runner. - Generate the Wallaby Diagnostics Report and inspect editor logs.
- Open the local test page in DevTools if the browser reaches it.
- Clear the framework cache, then use Wallaby.js: Reset Wallaby Cache.
- Try one worker and then
workers.restart: true. - Compare dependency and Wallaby core versions with the last known-good lockfile.
- Re-enable concurrency, caching, and custom flags one at a time.
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FAQ
Does Wallaby require Chrome for every test?
No. Chrome is required for the browser-based environment; Node.js, Electron, and PhantomJS are documented alternatives with different runtime behavior.
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Should I permanently run Wallaby with one worker?
Only when your tests intentionally require serial execution. Otherwise use one worker to identify shared-state defects, then restore normal concurrency after isolating them.
What should I send Wallaby support?
Send the Diagnostics Report, relevant editor logs, the reproducible test command, versions, Chrome path, and any flag, cache, or worker change that altered the result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Wallaby require Chrome for every test?
No. Chrome is required for the browser-based environment; Node.js, Electron, and PhantomJS are documented alternatives with different runtime behavior.
Should I permanently run Wallaby with one worker?
Only when your tests intentionally require serial execution. Use it as an isolation experiment first.
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