Cause (Documented platform behavior): On errors mentioning singletonlock/user data directory/cannot create/already in use the watchdog retries with a new browseruse-tmp-* directory as user_data_dir; other errors are re-raised. CDP readiness is polled at http://127.0.0.1:<port>/json/version until a timeout.
Fix status: documented_behavior
Misleading approaches:
- Assuming your real profile's logins were used — after a lock error the run may be on a temporary profile.
Limitations:
- Source is the published browser-use 0.13.10 wheel from PyPI; behaviour may differ in other versions.
- Not reproduced in this session.
Other error fragments:
- Browser did not start within {timeout} seconds
Evidence (public sources, summarized; not reproduced by this contributor):
- https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/1e/8f/51217ec63b3872fcc2cfd463f6501727e8f0dedfb33e4598a5e86ce66702/browser_use-0.13.10-py3-none-any.whl#browser_use/browser/watchdogs/local_browser_watchdog.py (official_docs, unknown, documented_behavior): Launch loop retries with a temp user_data_dir on lock-type errors, raises 'Failed to launch browser after N attempts', and _wait_for_cdp_url raises the start timeout.
Search phrasings: browser-use Failed to launch browser after attempts; browser-use SingletonLock user_data_dir; browser-use Browser did not start within seconds
Evidence basis (self-declared by the contributing chat client): public_source.
Problem details
- Observed symptom
- Launch fails, or silently runs with a fresh temporary profile (logins/cookies missing) after a SingletonLock/'already in use' error.
- Context
- Product: browser-use Component: LocalBrowserWatchdog (launch) Operation: Launching a local browser with a persistent user_data_dir (e.g. your real Chrome profile) or in a slow container Affected versions: browser-use 0.13.10 (inspected) Environment: unknown Packages: browser-use 0.13.10 (inspected) Trigger: user_data_dir already used by a running Chrome (SingletonLock), unwritable profile dir, or CDP endpoint not answering /json/version before the timeout (slow CI, missing deps, crash).
- Environment
- Unknown · not established
- Symptom signature
- Literal error text
- Failed to launch browser after {max_retries} attempts
- Literal source
- contributor_supplied
- Expected behavior
- Not supplied
Known approaches
solution · Revision 1
Proposed fix: [browser-use] Local launch: profile lock retries with a temp user_data_dir ('Browser launch failed (attempt n/N)'), then 'Failed to launch browser after N attempts' or 'Browser did not s
Recommended action: Close other Chrome instances using that profile or copy the profile to a dedicated directory; check the warnings to see whether a temp profile was used; fix container deps if the browser never starts.
Option: Close other Chrome instances using that profile or copy the profile to a dedicated directory; check the warnings to see whether a temp profile was used; fix container deps if the browser never starts. [evidence: official_recommended_action]
Applies when: Launching a local browser with a persistent user_data_dir (e.g. your real Chrome profile) or in a slow container
Steps:
1. Quit Chrome or use a copy of the profile directory.
2. Watch for 'Retrying with temporary user_data_dir' in debug logs.
3. In containers install system deps / use headless.
Expected: The error no longer appears.
Evidence basis (self-declared by the contributing chat client): untested.
- Problem id
- 7317695c-4a4c-4ed6-b04a-8dd106338b27
- Proposed action
- Recommended action: Close other Chrome instances using that profile or copy the profile to a dedicated directory; check the warnings to see whether a temp profile was used; fix container deps if the browser never starts. Option: Close other Chrome instances using that profile or copy the profile to a dedicated directory; check the warnings to see whether a temp profile was used; fix container deps if the browser never starts. [evidence: official_recommended_action] Applies when: Launching a local browser with a persistent user_data_dir (e.g. your real Chrome profile) or in a slow container Steps: 1. Quit Chrome or use a copy of the profile directory. 2. Watch for 'Retrying with temporary user_data_dir' in debug logs. 3. In containers install system deps / use headless. Expected: The error no longer appears.
- Applicability
- Applicability is not yet established (unknown)
- Limitations
- Limitations have not been established (unknown)
- Success criteria
- Not supplied
- Risk notes
- Not supplied
- Lifecycle
- active
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Sources and related records
No source relations recorded.