How to download files

[ImagineImogen]

I'm trying to download files with Arsenic and I don't know how to manage the Firefox pop-up window
await session.get_alert_text() gives me NoSuchAlert error, await session.get_window_handles returns only the active window and no pop-up.
What's the best way to deal with it?

[ImagineImogen]

after reading about the topic it is clear why this window is never present in window handles, but still not clear what to do with it. Is there a way to use Firefox profiles?

[dimaqq]

re: alert, I think it makes sense that there's no alert, because it's a download, not a javascript alert().

for the rest, I must admit that I don't know... maybe @ojii has an idea.

[ojii]

Is there a way to use Firefox profiles?

Firefox(**{"moz:firefoxOptions": {"profile": PATH_TO_PROFILE}})

[dimaqq]

mozilla/geckodriver#1776 and mozilla/geckodriver#1707 have snippets to configure Firefox to download files automatically without a popup.

Looks like the implied advice is still the same†, to configure the browser not to show a dialog when downloading files.

† stackoverflow advice from 2009 https://stackoverflow.com/a/1176389/705086

[ImagineImogen]

@ojii unfortunately, passing the profile doesn't work, it either doesn't do anything like here #30 (for me it throws an error arsenic.errors.SessionStartError: unknown error: Invalid byte 58, offset 1.) or opens the index of the profile folder in the browser (if I use browsers.Firefox(**{'moz:firefoxOptions': {'args': ["profile", r"C:\Users\Path\to\Profile]}}))
@dimaqq thanks for the links, I configured my Firefox to start downloading without pop-up. It is also working when I pass this configured profile to Selenium. I just cannot get it to work with Arsenic. Here it was also not possible to use Firefox capabilities #61

[ojii]

@ojii unfortunately, passing the profile doesn't work, it either doesn't do anything like here #30 (for me it throws an error arsenic.errors.SessionStartError: unknown error: Invalid byte 58, offset 1.) or opens the index of the profile folder in the browser (if I use browsers.Firefox(**{'moz:firefoxOptions': {'args': ["profile", r"C:\Users\Path\to\Profile]}}))

It should be browsers.Firefox(**{'moz:firefoxOptions': {"profile": r"C:\Users\Path\to\Profile"}})

[ImagineImogen]

@ojii I tried that back then, and it gave me TypeError: Object of type set is not JSON serializable. The correct way to start it is browsers.Firefox(**{'moz:firefoxOptions': {'args': ["-profile", r"C:\Users\Path\to\Profile]}}), then I see in the logs that the driver has started with this profile (instead of a newly created one). But it doesn't do anything, just like what is mentioned here #30 . I checked how it is done in Selenium, and they are cloning the passed profile directory in the one created by webdriver. Unfortunately, Firefox profiles don't work for Arsenic yet.

[dimaqq]

Looks like a silly typo, which would explain the "set" type in the error:
－ "profile", r"C:...
＋ "profile": r"C:...

[ImagineImogen]

No, the string @ojii provided is not working, giving either arsenic.errors.SessionStartError: unknown error: Invalid byte 58, offset 1 or TypeError: Object of type set is not JSON serializable
browsers.Firefox(**{'moz:firefoxOptions': {'args': ["-profile", r"C:\Users\Path\to\Profile]}}) is working, but it is starting the webdriver with the profile provided, but it doesn't do anything, it cannot perform the GET request. Another user had the same issue #30

[dimaqq]

I believe your analysis is correct, a duplicate of #30, where PR would be very welcome 🙏