How to install Xvfb on Ubuntu

The Linux/Unix operating system is designed for use with the X virtual frame buffer, often known as Xvfb. By attaching an input device, you can run graphical applications without a monitor. The software can operate headlessly and execute graphic operations in virtual memory. It was created specifically for Linux systems, and in this tutorial, we’ll go through how to install and use it on Ubuntu (Linux OS). 

Installation of Xvfb on Ubuntu

Follow the below steps for installing Xvfb on Ubuntu:

Step 1: Firstly, update the repositories using the apt manager. Execute the below command to update.

sudo apt update

Step 2: Install the Xvfb Tool using apt manager. Execute the command to install the Tool.

sudo apt install xvfb 

Step 3: Enter ‘Y’ for confirming the installation.

Enter Y

Step 4: Now, install the firefox browser using the below command, as it is the prerequisite for the tool.

sudo apt-get install firefox

Step 5: Run the command shown below to verify the status of the xvfb process to see if it is installed and functioning properly. 

ps -ef | grep xvfb | grep -v grep

When you type ‘ps -ef', it lists all the processes running on your system. The ‘grep xvfb' part filters this list to only show lines containing “xvfb”.

Step 6: You can run browsers and tests in the background using Xvfb while hiding their execution. Use the following syntax when testing or running headless programs. As an example, the command below will open Firefox using xvfb in the background without displaying anything on the screen. 

xvfb-run firefox HTTP://geeksforgeeks.org

Step 7: Use the help command with this command to learn more about it, and run the following command to learn more about how to use it. 

xvfb-run --help

Conclusion:

Xvfb, or X virtual framebuffer, enables you to execute programs headlessly in the background without displaying actual processing. Running tests without opening an unnecessary window is helpful. In this article, We describe how to install and test xvfb on Ubuntu (Linux OS), as well as how it functions once it has been installed.