download file with Rselenium & docker toolbox - r

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"
>

Answer 2

finally i have decided to make a clean install of the docker for windows (17.03.0) stable.
i needed to decrease the number of available cpu (to 1) and available ram too (to 1GB).
i have shared my c too (btw it s mandatory to have a password session otherwise you can't share the directory
after that i restarted my computer
On the R side , do not forget to remove the:
remoteServerAddr = "192.168.99.100"
and i got the file.
my fear now is about the stability of docker, sometimes it runs, sometimes not.
many thanks john for your help