feat: add option to ignore chrome preferences (#29447)

* feat: add option to ignore chrome preferences

* build binary on this branch

* adds explanation comment and test

* update changelog from dev

* Update packages/server/lib/browsers/chrome.ts

Co-authored-by: Matt Schile <mschile@cypress.io>

* put disableRestorePagesPrompt back in promise list in browser open

* Update cli/CHANGELOG.md

* ensure we skip writing to chrome prefs when env is set

* changelog update

* Update packages/server/lib/browsers/chrome.ts

Co-authored-by: Matt Schile <mschile@cypress.io>

* more fully ignore chrome preferences when env var is set

---------

Co-authored-by: Cacie Prins <cacie@cypress.io>
Co-authored-by: Cacie Prins <cacieprins@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Matt Schile <mschile@cypress.io>

.circleci/workflows.yml

@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ mainBuildFilters: &mainBuildFilters
         - /^release\/\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/
         # use the following branch as well to ensure that v8 snapshot cache updates are fully tested
         - 'update-v8-snapshot-cache-on-develop'
+        - 'ignore-chrom-prefs'
         - 'publish-binary'
-        - 'feat/support_next_14'
 
 # usually we don't build Mac app - it takes a long time
 # but sometimes we want to really confirm we are doing the right thing
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ macWorkflowFilters: &darwin-workflow-filters
     - equal: [ develop, << pipeline.git.branch >> ]
     # use the following branch as well to ensure that v8 snapshot cache updates are fully tested
     - equal: [ 'update-v8-snapshot-cache-on-develop', << pipeline.git.branch >> ]
-    - equal: [ 'feat/support_next_14', << pipeline.git.branch >> ]
+    - equal: [ 'ignore-chrom-prefs', << pipeline.git.branch >> ]
     - matches:
         pattern: /^release\/\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/
         value: << pipeline.git.branch >>
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ linuxArm64WorkflowFilters: &linux-arm64-workflow-filters
     - equal: [ develop, << pipeline.git.branch >> ]
     # use the following branch as well to ensure that v8 snapshot cache updates are fully tested
     - equal: [ 'update-v8-snapshot-cache-on-develop', << pipeline.git.branch >> ]
-    - equal: [ 'feat/support_next_14', << pipeline.git.branch >> ]
+    - equal: [ 'ignore-chrom-prefs', << pipeline.git.branch >> ]
     - matches:
         pattern: /^release\/\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/
         value: << pipeline.git.branch >>
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ commands:
           name: Set environment variable to determine whether or not to persist artifacts
           command: |
             echo "Setting SHOULD_PERSIST_ARTIFACTS variable"
-            echo 'if ! [[ "$CIRCLE_BRANCH" != "develop" && "$CIRCLE_BRANCH" != "release/"* && "$CIRCLE_BRANCH" != "feat/support_next_14" ]]; then
+            echo 'if ! [[ "$CIRCLE_BRANCH" != "develop" && "$CIRCLE_BRANCH" != "release/"* && "$CIRCLE_BRANCH" != "ignore-chrom-prefs" ]]; then
                 export SHOULD_PERSIST_ARTIFACTS=true
             fi' >> "$BASH_ENV"
   # You must run `setup_should_persist_artifacts` command and be using bash before running this command

cli/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ _Released 6/4/2024 (PENDING)_
 **Features:**
 
 - Added support for [Next.js 14](https://nextjs.org/blog/next-14) for component testing. Addresses [#28185](https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/28185).
+- Added an `IGNORE_CHROME_PREFERENCES` environment variable to ignore Chrome preferences when launching Chrome. Addresses [#29330](https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/29330).
 
 **Performance:**
 

packages/server/lib/browsers/chrome.ts

@@ -55,6 +55,15 @@ let browserCriClient: BrowserCriClient | undefined
  * @param userDir
  */
 const _getChromePreferences = (userDir: string): Bluebird<ChromePreferences> => {
+  // skip reading the preferences if requested by the user,
+  // typically used when the AUT encrypts the user data dir, causing relaunches of the browser not to work
+  // see https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/29330
+  if (process.env.IGNORE_CHROME_PREFERENCES) {
+    debug('ignoring chrome preferences: not reading from chrome preference files')
+
+    return Bluebird.resolve(_.mapValues(CHROME_PREFERENCE_PATHS, () => ({})))
+  }
+
   debug('reading chrome preferences... %o', { userDir, CHROME_PREFERENCE_PATHS })
 
   return Bluebird.props(_.mapValues(CHROME_PREFERENCE_PATHS, (prefPath) => {
@@ -95,7 +104,16 @@ const _mergeChromePreferences = (originalPrefs: ChromePreferences, newPrefs: Chr
   })
 }
 
-const _writeChromePreferences = (userDir: string, originalPrefs: ChromePreferences, newPrefs: ChromePreferences) => {
+const _writeChromePreferences = (userDir: string, originalPrefs: ChromePreferences, newPrefs: ChromePreferences): Promise<void> => {
+  // skip writing the preferences if requested by the user,
+  // typically used when the AUT encrypts the user data dir, causing relaunches of the browser not to work
+  // see https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/29330
+  if (process.env.IGNORE_CHROME_PREFERENCES) {
+    debug('ignoring chrome preferences: not writing to preference files')
+
+    return Promise.resolve()
+  }
+
   return Bluebird.map(_.keys(originalPrefs), (key) => {
     const originalJson = originalPrefs[key]
     const newJson = newPrefs[key]
@@ -154,6 +172,10 @@ const _removeRootExtension = () => {
 
 // https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/2048
 const _disableRestorePagesPrompt = function (userDir) {
+  if (process.env.IGNORE_CHROME_PREFERENCES) {
+    return Promise.resolve()
+  }
+
   const prefsPath = path.join(userDir, 'Default', 'Preferences')
 
   return fs.readJson(prefsPath)

packages/server/test/unit/browsers/chrome_spec.js

@@ -192,6 +192,38 @@ describe('lib/browsers/chrome', () => {
       })
     })
 
+    context('when IGNORE_CHROME_PREFERENCES env is set', () => {
+      let oldPref
+      let writeJson
+
+      beforeEach(function () {
+        oldPref = process.env.IGNORE_CHROME_PREFERENCES
+        process.env.IGNORE_CHROME_PREFERENCES = true
+        this.readJson.rejects({ code: 'ENOENT' })
+        writeJson = sinon.stub(fs, 'outputJson').resolves()
+      })
+
+      afterEach(() => {
+        process.env.IGNORE_CHROME_PREFERENCES = oldPref
+        writeJson.restore()
+      })
+
+      it('does not read or write preferences', async function () {
+        chrome._writeExtension.restore()
+        utils.getProfileDir.restore()
+
+        await chrome.open({
+          isHeadless: true,
+          isHeaded: false,
+          name: 'chromium',
+          channel: 'stable',
+        }, 'http://', openOpts, this.automation)
+
+        expect(writeJson).not.to.be.called
+        expect(this.readJson).not.to.be.called
+      })
+    })
+
     it('DEPRECATED: normalizes --load-extension if provided in plugin', function () {
       plugins.registerEvent('before:browser:launch', (browser, config) => {
         return Promise.resolve(['--foo=bar', '--load-extension=/foo/bar/baz.js'])