r - download file with Rselenium & docker toolbox

Question

I m trying to download files by Rselenium but it looks impossible.I don't arrive to download even with an easy example:

1) i have installed docker toolbox (https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/RSelenium/vignettes/RSelenium-docker.html)

2) i ran the firefox standalone image : 3.1.0 and now i m testing the older 2.52.0

3) i have installed the rselenium package on My R X64 3.3.2 and i read all the questions & answers on stackoverflow

4) i have tried the following code, by the way, when i analyse the firefox options about:config , i don't find the "browser.download.dir" options:

require(RSelenium)
fprof <- makeFirefoxProfile(list(browser.download.dir = "C:/temp"
                             ,  browser.download.folderList = 2L
                             , browser.download.manager.showWhenStarting     = FALSE
                             , browser.helperApps.neverAsk.saveToDisk =  "application/zip"))
remDr <- remoteDriver(browserName = "firefox",remoteServerAddr = "192.168.99.100",port = 4445L,extraCapabilities = fprof)
remDr$open(silent = TRUE)
remDr$navigate("https://www.chicagofed.org/applications/bhc/bhc-home")
# click year 2012
webElem <- remDr$findElement("name", "SelectedYear")
webElems <- webElem$findChildElements("css selector", "option")
webElems[[which(sapply(webElems, function(x){x$getElementText()}) == "2012" )]]$clickElement()

# click required quarter

webElem <- remDr$findElement("name", "SelectedQuarter")
Sys.sleep(1)
webElems <- webElem$findChildElements("css selector", "option")
webElems[[which(sapply(webElems, function(x){x$getElementText()}) == "4th Quarter" )]]$clickElement()

# click button

webElem <- remDr$findElement("id", "downloadDataFile")
webElem$clickElement()

6) i have no error but i have no file

7) At the end , i would like to download the excel file on this page by Rselenium:

[link]https://app2.msci.com/products/indexes/performance/country_chart.html?asOf=Feb%2028,%202010&size=30&scope=C&style=C&currency=15&priceLevel=0&indexId=83#

Answer 1

If you are using Docker toolbox with windows you may have issues mapping volumes see Docker : Sharing a volume on Windows with Docker toolbox

If you are using Docker Machine on Mac or Windows, your Docker daemon has only limited access to your OS X or Windows filesystem. Docker Machine tries to auto-share your /Users (OS X) or C:Users (Windows) directory.

I initiated a clean install of docker toolbox on a windows 10 box and ran the following image:

$ docker stop $(docker ps -aq)
$ docker rm $(docker ps -aq)
$ docker run -d -v //c/Users/john/test/://home/seluser/Downloads -p 4445:4444 -p 5901:5900 selenium/standalone-firefox-debug:2.53.1

NOTE: we mapped to a directory in the Users/john space. User john is running docker toolbox

Running the below code

require(RSelenium)
fprof <- makeFirefoxProfile(list(browser.download.dir = "home/seluser/Downloads"
                             ,  browser.download.folderList = 2L
                             , browser.download.manager.showWhenStarting     = FALSE
                             , browser.helperApps.neverAsk.saveToDisk =  "application/zip"))
remDr <- remoteDriver(browserName = "firefox",remoteServerAddr = "192.168.99.100",port = 4445L,extraCapabilities = fprof)
remDr$open(silent = TRUE)
remDr$navigate("https://www.chicagofed.org/applications/bhc/bhc-home")
# click year 2012
webElem <- remDr$findElement("name", "SelectedYear")
webElems <- webElem$findChildElements("css selector", "option")
webElems[[which(sapply(webElems, function(x){x$getElementText()}) == "2012" )]]$clickElement()

# click required quarter

webElem <- remDr$findElement("name", "SelectedQuarter")
Sys.sleep(1)
webElems <- webElem$findChildElements("css selector", "option")
webElems[[which(sapply(webElems, function(x){x$getElementText()}) == "4th Quarter" )]]$clickElement()

# click button

webElem <- remDr$findElement("id", "downloadDataFile")
webElem$clickElement()

And checking the mapped download folder

> list.files("C://Users/john/test")
[1] "bhcf1212.zip"
>