Install a Linux package

Use provision.installer() to install command-line and desktop apps, and download a script, on Linux.

This file has three provision.installer() tests in a Linux sandbox:

• One installs a command-line tool from a .deb and runs it.
• One installs a desktop app from a .deb and checks that its window opens.
• One downloads a shell script without running it and checks that it exists.

Watch it run

The test

installer.test.mjs

import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
import { TestDriver } from "testdriverai/vitest/hooks";

const isLinux = (process.env.TD_OS || "linux") === "linux";

describe("Provision Installer", () => {
  it.skipIf(!isLinux)(
    "should download and install a .deb package on Linux",
    async (context) => {
      const testdriver = TestDriver(context);
      
      // Install bat (a cat clone with syntax highlighting) using provision.installer
      const filePath = await testdriver.provision.installer({
        url: 'https://github.com/sharkdp/bat/releases/download/v0.24.0/bat_0.24.0_amd64.deb',
      });

      // Verify the file was downloaded
      expect(filePath).toContain('bat');

      // Verify bat was installed by running it
      await testdriver.exec('sh', 'bat --version', 10000);
    },
  );

  it.skipIf(!isLinux)(
    "should install a .deb with missing dependencies and launch its window",
    async (context) => {
      const testdriver = TestDriver(context);

      // Yaak is a Tauri app. Its .deb depends on WebKitGTK and libsoup,
      // which aren't preinstalled, so dpkg alone leaves it unconfigured.
      await testdriver.provision.installer({
        url: 'https://github.com/mountain-loop/yaak/releases/download/v2026.9.0/yaak_2026.9.0_amd64.deb',
        appName: 'Yaak',
      });

      // The package and its dependencies are fully installed
      const status = await testdriver.exec(
        'sh',
        "dpkg-query -W -f='${Status}' yaak",
        10000,
      );
      expect(status).toBe('install ok installed');

      // launch: true (the default) started the app, so its window is on screen
      const result = await testdriver.assert('The Yaak app window is open');
      expect(result).toBeTruthy();
    },
  );

  it.skipIf(!isLinux)(
    "should download a shell script and verify it exists",
    async (context) => {
      const testdriver = TestDriver(context);
      
      // Download a shell script (nvm installer)
      const filePath = await testdriver.provision.installer({
        url: 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh',
        launch: false, // Download the script without running it
      });

      // Verify the file was downloaded
      expect(filePath).toContain('install.sh');

      // Verify the file is executable
      const result = await testdriver.exec('sh', `ls -la "${filePath}"`, 10000);
      expect(result).toBeTruthy();
    },
  );
});

How it works

• provision.installer({ url }) downloads the file, installs it by extension, and returns its path.
• On Linux, a .deb is installed with dpkg, and missing dependencies are installed with apt-get. The step fails if the package still isn’t fully installed.
• With launch: true (the default), a .deb app is started from its .desktop entry, then appName is focused. That’s how the Yaak window opens.
• A .sh script is made executable and run.
• launch: false makes a .sh script executable without running it. It also skips focusing the app when you pass appName.
• With launch: false, packages such as .deb files are still installed.
• exec('sh', command, timeout) runs a shell command and returns its output. The test uses it to check that bat is installed.
• it.skipIf(!isLinux) skips every test when TD_OS is set to windows.

Run it

The test is in the TestDriver SDK repository. Clone it, install dependencies, and run the file:

git clone https://github.com/testdriverai/testdriverai
cd testdriverai
npm install
npx vitest run examples/installer.test.mjs

The test reads your API key from TD_API_KEY. Create a key at console.testdriver.ai/team/api-keys. Then set it in your environment or a .env file.

Related

• Launch apps
• exec()