cli: Provide better error message for ChromeDriver version mismatch

[not-my-profile]

I am on Debian where the latest stable version of chromium is 108.

$ npm install -g @axe-core/cli
$ axe http://example.com
Running axe-core 4.6.3 in chrome-headless
Error: SessionNotCreatedError: session not created: This version of ChromeDriver only supports Chrome version 109
Current browser version is 108.0.5359.94 with binary path /usr/bin/chromium
    at Object.throwDecodedError (/home/martin/.local/share/fnm/node-versions/v16.13.2/installation/lib/node_modules/@axe-core/cli/node_modules/selenium-webdriver/lib/error.js:522:15)
    at parseHttpResponse (/home/martin/.local/share/fnm/node-versions/v16.13.2/installation/lib/node_modules/@axe-core/cli/node_modules/selenium-webdriver/lib/http.js:589:13)
    at Executor.execute (/home/martin/.local/share/fnm/node-versions/v16.13.2/installation/lib/node_modules/@axe-core/cli/node_modules/selenium-webdriver/lib/http.js:514:28)
    at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:96:5) {
  remoteStacktrace: '#0 0x560eb88a3303 <unknown>\n' +
    '#1 0x560eb8677d37 <unknown>\n' +
    '#2 0x560eb86a4a54 <unknown>\n' +
    '#3 0x560eb869f80e <unknown>\n' +
    '#4 0x560eb869c330 <unknown>\n' +
    '#5 0x560eb86dd4a6 <unknown>\n' +
    '#6 0x560eb86d4753 <unknown>\n' +
    '#7 0x560eb86a7a14 <unknown>\n' +
    '#8 0x560eb86a8b7e <unknown>\n' +
    '#9 0x560eb88f232e <unknown>\n' +
    '#10 0x560eb88f5c0e <unknown>\n' +
    '#11 0x560eb88d8610 <unknown>\n' +
    '#12 0x560eb88f6c23 <unknown>\n' +
    '#13 0x560eb88ca545 <unknown>\n' +
    '#14 0x560eb89176a8 <unknown>\n' +
    '#15 0x560eb8917836 <unknown>\n' +
    '#16 0x560eb8932d13 <unknown>\n' +
    '#17 0x7fbc73e9aea7 start_thread\n'
}
Please report the problem to: https://github.com/dequelabs/axe-core-npm/issues/

To be honest i am not sure how to get this working. @axe-core/puppeteer works fine since installing puppeteer also automatically downloads chromium into ~/.cache/puppeteer/chrome/. However the following doesn't work:

axe --chromedriver-path ~/.cache/puppeteer/chrome/linux-1095492/chrome-linux/chrome http://example.com/

it just opens chrome (not in headless mode for some reason) and doesn't open example.com (neither does it say "this chrome instance is remote controlled") ... probably because that chrome version is 111.0.5555.0, which isn't 109? How am I supposed to install Chrome 109?

[straker]

It looks like you used the Chrome executable as a chromedriver, which is why it launched chrome. You should be able to install chromedriver at the desired version then use that for the path. Something like:

$ npm install -g chromedriver@108
$ axe --chromedriver-path $(npm root -g)/chromedriver/bin/chromedriver http://example.com/

[sacsar]

For what it's worth, passing --chromedriver-path is not working for me. axe still finds /usr/sbin/chromium.

(axe version 4.6.0, axe-core 4.6.3)

[not-my-profile]

Huh, that's weird. Passing --chromedriver-path $(npm root -g)/chromedriver/bin/chromedriver works fine for me after installing the chromedriver package.

[llimllib]

Doesn't work for me either (mac os ventura, node 19.4.0). I'm passing a path that exists and has the correct version, but axe is trying to use the system browser anwyay:

$ npm install -g @axe-core/cli@4.6.0 chromedriver@109

added 34 packages, removed 32 packages, and changed 32 packages in 4s

4 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details
Reshimming asdf nodejs...

$ axe --chromedriver-path $(npm root -g)/chromedriver/bin/chromedriver http://google.com
Running axe-core 4.6.3 in chrome-headless
Error: SessionNotCreatedError: session not created: This version of ChromeDriver only supports Chrome version 109
Current browser version is 111.0.5563.64 with binary path /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome
<snip>

$ ls "$(npm root -g)/chromedriver/bin/chromedriver"
/Users/llimllib/.asdf/installs/nodejs/19.4.0/lib/node_modules/chromedriver/bin/chromedriver*

$ "$(npm root -g)/chromedriver/bin/chromedriver" --version
ChromeDriver 109.0.5414.74 (e7c5703604daa9cc128ccf5a5d3e993513758913-refs/branch-heads/5414@{#1172})

$ axe --version
4.6.0

oddly, these same steps worked perfectly in CI, but they don't work on my machine

[not-my-profile]

Oh yes, you have to install the right version of chromedriver matching your installed version of Chrome, which is 111 so you'll need to install chromedriver@111.

axe still finds /usr/sbin/chromium.

Yes chromedriver doesn't replace Chrom(e|ium) ... the version just has to match.

[TheBoatyMcBoatFace]

I see the same problem

axe https://example.com
Running axe-core 4.6.3 in chrome-headless
Error: SessionNotCreatedError: session not created: This version of ChromeDriver only supports Chrome version 109
Current browser version is 111.0.5563.64 with binary path /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome
    at Object.throwDecodedError (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/@axe-core/cli/node_modules/selenium-webdriver/lib/error.js:522:15)
    at parseHttpResponse (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/@axe-core/cli/node_modules/selenium-webdriver/lib/http.js:589:13)
    at Executor.execute (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/@axe-core/cli/node_modules/selenium-webdriver/lib/http.js:514:28)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5) {
  remoteStacktrace: '0   chromedriver                        0x0000000106c78fa8 chromedriver + 4886440\n' +
    '1   chromedriver                        0x0000000106bf6643 chromedriver + 4351555\n' +
    '2   chromedriver                        0x0000000106844b27 chromedriver + 477991\n' +
    '3   chromedriver                        0x0000000106876659 chromedriver + 681561\n' +
    '4   chromedriver                        0x00000001068713bb chromedriver + 660411\n' +
    '5   chromedriver                        0x000000010686d712 chromedriver + 644882\n' +
    '6   chromedriver                        0x00000001068b8bd7 chromedriver + 953303\n' +
    '7   chromedriver                        0x00000001068af3a3 chromedriver + 914339\n' +
    '8   chromedriver                        0x000000010687957f chromedriver + 693631\n' +
    '9   chromedriver                        0x000000010687ab1e chromedriver + 699166\n' +
    '10  chromedriver                        0x0000000106c45b9e chromedriver + 4676510\n' +
    '11  chromedriver                        0x0000000106c4a91e chromedriver + 4696350\n' +
    '12  chromedriver                        0x0000000106c5219f chromedriver + 4727199\n' +
    '13  chromedriver                        0x0000000106c4b81a chromedriver + 4700186\n' +
    '14  chromedriver                        0x0000000106c1ea62 chromedriver + 4516450\n' +
    '15  chromedriver                        0x0000000106c6a8c8 chromedriver + 4827336\n' +
    '16  chromedriver                        0x0000000106c6aa45 chromedriver + 4827717\n' +
    '17  chromedriver                        0x0000000106c807ef chromedriver + 4917231\n' +
    '18  libsystem_pthread.dylib             0x00007ff80e86b259 _pthread_start + 125\n' +
    '19  libsystem_pthread.dylib             0x00007ff80e866c7b thread_start + 15\n'
}
Please report the problem to: https://github.com/dequelabs/axe-core-npm/issues/

I installed chrome108 and same with 111

npm install -g chromedriver@108

Still getting the error

axe --chromedriver-path $(npm root -g)/chromedriver/bin/chromedriver http://example.com/
Running axe-core 4.6.3 in chrome-headless
Error: SessionNotCreatedError: session not created: This version of ChromeDriver only supports Chrome version 108
Current browser version is 111.0.5563.64 with binary path /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome
    at Object.throwDecodedError (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/@axe-core/cli/node_modules/selenium-webdriver/lib/error.js:522:15)
    at parseHttpResponse (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/@axe-core/cli/node_modules/selenium-webdriver/lib/http.js:589:13)
    at Executor.execute (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/@axe-core/cli/node_modules/selenium-webdriver/lib/http.js:514:28)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5) {
  remoteStacktrace: '0   chromedriver                        0x0000000103959f38 chromedriver + 4910904\n' +
    '1   chromedriver                        0x00000001038d9a03 chromedriver + 4385283\n' +
    '2   chromedriver                        0x000000010351e747 chromedriver + 472903\n' +
    '3   chromedriver                        0x00000001035503e9 chromedriver + 676841\n' +
    '4   chromedriver                        0x000000010354b14b chromedriver + 655691\n' +
    '5   chromedriver                        0x00000001035474a2 chromedriver + 640162\n' +
    '6   chromedriver                        0x0000000103592460 chromedriver + 947296\n' +
    '7   chromedriver                        0x0000000103591cbf chromedriver + 945343\n' +
    '8   chromedriver                        0x0000000103588ee3 chromedriver + 909027\n' +
    '9   chromedriver                        0x000000010355330c chromedriver + 688908\n' +
    '10  chromedriver                        0x000000010355488e chromedriver + 694414\n' +
    '11  chromedriver                        0x00000001039271de chromedriver + 4702686\n' +
    '12  chromedriver                        0x000000010392bb19 chromedriver + 4721433\n' +
    '13  chromedriver                        0x000000010393328e chromedriver + 4752014\n' +
    '14  chromedriver                        0x000000010392c91a chromedriver + 4725018\n' +
    '15  chromedriver                        0x0000000103900b02 chromedriver + 4545282\n' +
    '16  chromedriver                        0x000000010394b888 chromedriver + 4851848\n' +
    '17  chromedriver                        0x000000010394ba05 chromedriver + 4852229\n' +
    '18  chromedriver                        0x0000000103961e5f chromedriver + 4943455\n' +
    '19  libsystem_pthread.dylib             0x00007ff80e86b259 _pthread_start + 125\n' +
    '20  libsystem_pthread.dylib             0x00007ff80e866c7b thread_start + 15\n'
}
Please report the problem to: https://github.com/dequelabs/axe-core-npm/issues/

I'm not sure of a fix, but the issue is still around

[Zidious]

Hey, you will not be able to use a Chromedriver version that does not match your current Chrome version (currently 111), it will work with 1 version lower than your current Chrome version.

[sacsar]

🤦 Thank you -- I thought the 108 in @straker's original response was a typo.

[llimllib]

ah ha! I guess I thought that the chromedriver message was saying that axe only supported the noted version, not understanding that axe just needs any version of chromedriver that supports the version of chrome present on the system. I guess I assumed that the chromedriver package included chrome.

Installing chromedriver@111 works:

$ npm install -g @axe-core/cli@4.6.0 chromedriver@111

added 32 packages, and changed 66 packages in 7s

4 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details
Reshimming asdf nodejs...

$ axe --chromedriver-path $(npm root -g)/chromedriver/bin/chromedriver http://google.com
Running axe-core 4.6.3 in chrome-headless

Testing http://google.com ... please wait, this may take a minute.

Thanks!

[TheBoatyMcBoatFace]

Thanks @Zidious!

@not-my-profile -
See below

Steps to Fix/Get Working

1. Get chromedriver version
   chromedriver --version

   That will spit out something like this ChromeDriver 111.0.5563.64 (c710e93d5b63b7095afe8c2c17df34408078439d-refs/branch-heads/5563@{#995})

2. Find out where chromedriver is
   where chromedriver

   Which gives you something like this
   /usr/local/bin/chromedriver From a mac

3. Run axe cli with the following flag. Based on above step
   Flag: --chromedriver-path /usr/local/bin/chromedriver

Example:

axe www.google.com --chromedriver-path /usr/local/bin/chromedriver

Getting Fancy

axe www.google.com --chromedriver-path $(where chromedriver)

Getting Fancier

This asks for you to input the URL after running it. IE you don't have to put the URL between axe and --chrome

echo -n "URL to check: "
read url
axe "$url" --chromedriver-path "$(where chromedriver)"

To-Do for Me

• Update CLI Package Readme Chromedriver Path Docs
• Submit PR