Selenium with chromedriver on CircleCI: "Connection refused" - selenium

Question

I am facing an issue with a test with selenium, my tests cannot connect to the server "Connection refused". I manually installed Selenium and its chromedriver with my circle.yml. I'm running tests with Behat on a Symfony application.
Here is my config:
dependencies:
pre:
# Install Chrome driver
- curl http://chromedriver.storage.googleapis.com/2.23/chromedriver_linux64.zip | gzip -dc > chromedriver
- chmod +x chromedriver
# Install Selenium
- curl http://selenium-release.storage.googleapis.com/2.53/selenium-server-standalone-2.53.1.jar > selenium-server-standalone.jar
- 'java -jar selenium-server-standalone.jar -trustAllSSLCertificates -Dwebdriver.chrome.driver=chromedriver':
background: true
And the std err:
15:56:28.737 INFO - Launching a standalone Selenium Server
Setting system property webdriver.chrome.driver to chromedriver
15:56:28.779 INFO - Java: Oracle Corporation 25.102-b14
15:56:28.779 INFO - OS: Linux 3.13.0-115-generic amd64
15:56:28.795 INFO - v2.53.1, with Core v2.53.1. Built from revision a36b8b1
15:56:28.900 INFO - Driver provider org.openqa.selenium.ie.InternetExplorerDriver registration is skipped:
registration capabilities Capabilities [{ensureCleanSession=true, browserName=internet explorer, version=, platform=WINDOWS}] does not match the current platform LINUX
15:56:28.901 INFO - Driver provider org.openqa.selenium.edge.EdgeDriver registration is skipped:
registration capabilities Capabilities [{browserName=MicrosoftEdge, version=, platform=WINDOWS}] does not match the current platform LINUX
15:56:28.902 INFO - Driver class not found: com.opera.core.systems.OperaDriver
15:56:28.902 INFO - Driver provider com.opera.core.systems.OperaDriver is not registered
15:56:28.905 INFO - Driver provider org.openqa.selenium.safari.SafariDriver registration is skipped:
registration capabilities Capabilities [{browserName=safari, version=, platform=MAC}] does not match the current platform LINUX
15:56:28.906 INFO - Driver class not found: org.openqa.selenium.htmlunit.HtmlUnitDriver
15:56:28.906 INFO - Driver provider org.openqa.selenium.htmlunit.HtmlUnitDriver is not registered
15:56:29.009 INFO - RemoteWebDriver instances should connect to: http://127.0.0.1:4444/wd/hub
15:56:29.009 INFO - Selenium Server is up and running
16:02:27.578 INFO - Executing: [new session: Capabilities [{browser=firefox, name=Behat feature suite, browserName=chrome, ignoreZoomSetting=false, tags=[box5.localdomain, PHP 7.0.11]}]])
16:02:27.590 INFO - Creating a new session for Capabilities [{browser=firefox, name=Behat feature suite, browserName=chrome, ignoreZoomSetting=false, tags=[box5.localdomain, PHP 7.0.11]}]
Starting ChromeDriver 2.23.409687 (c46e862757edc04c06b1bd88724d15a5807b84d1) on port 8696
Only local connections are allowed.
16:02:33.118 INFO - Command failed to close cleanly. Destroying forcefully (v2). [/home/ubuntu/kaya/chromedriver, --port=8696][ {}]
16:02:34.127 ERROR - Unable to kill process with PID 41907
16:02:34.133 WARN - Exception thrown
java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: org.openqa.selenium.WebDriverException: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
Build info: version: '2.53.1', revision: 'a36b8b1', time: '2016-06-30 17:37:03'
System info: host: 'box5.localdomain', ip: '127.0.0.1', os.name: 'Linux', os.arch: 'amd64', os.version: '3.13.0-115-generic', java.version: '1.8.0_102'
Driver info: driver.version: unknown
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.report(FutureTask.java:122)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.get(FutureTask.java:192)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DefaultSession.execute(DefaultSession.java:183)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DefaultSession.<init>(DefaultSession.java:119)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DefaultSession.createSession(DefaultSession.java:95)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DefaultDriverSessions.newSession(DefaultDriverSessions.java:124)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.handler.NewSession.handle(NewSession.java:59)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.handler.NewSession.handle(NewSession.java:1)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.rest.ResultConfig.handle(ResultConfig.java:111)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.JsonHttpCommandHandler.handleRequest(JsonHttpCommandHandler.java:79)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DriverServlet.handleRequest(DriverServlet.java:204)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DriverServlet.doPost(DriverServlet.java:166)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:707)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DriverServlet.service(DriverServlet.java:132)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:790)
at org.openqa.jetty.jetty.servlet.ServletHolder.handle(ServletHolder.java:428)
at org.openqa.jetty.jetty.servlet.ServletHandler.dispatch(ServletHandler.java:680)
at org.openqa.jetty.jetty.servlet.ServletHandler.handle(ServletHandler.java:571)
at org.openqa.jetty.http.HttpContext.handle(HttpContext.java:1526)
at org.openqa.jetty.http.HttpContext.handle(HttpContext.java:1479)
at org.openqa.jetty.http.HttpServer.service(HttpServer.java:920)
at org.openqa.jetty.http.HttpConnection.service(HttpConnection.java:820)
at org.openqa.jetty.http.HttpConnection.handleNext(HttpConnection.java:986)
at org.openqa.jetty.http.HttpConnection.handle(HttpConnection.java:837)
at org.openqa.jetty.http.SocketListener.handleConnection(SocketListener.java:243)
at org.openqa.jetty.util.ThreadedServer.handle(ThreadedServer.java:358)
at org.openqa.jetty.util.ThreadPool$PoolThread.run(ThreadPool.java:537)
Caused by: org.openqa.selenium.WebDriverException: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
Build info: version: '2.53.1', revision: 'a36b8b1', time: '2016-06-30 17:37:03'
System info: host: 'box5.localdomain', ip: '127.0.0.1', os.name: 'Linux', os.arch: 'amd64', os.version: '3.13.0-115-generic', java.version: '1.8.0_102'
Driver info: driver.version: unknown
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DefaultDriverProvider.callConstructor(DefaultDriverProvider.java:113)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DefaultDriverProvider.newInstance(DefaultDriverProvider.java:97)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DefaultDriverFactory.newInstance(DefaultDriverFactory.java:60)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DefaultSession$BrowserCreator.call(DefaultSession.java:222)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DefaultSession$BrowserCreator.call(DefaultSession.java:1)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DefaultSession$1.run(DefaultSession.java:176)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)
Caused by: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance0(Native Method)
at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.java:62)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.java:45)
at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:423)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.server.DefaultDriverProvider.callConstructor(DefaultDriverProvider.java:103)
... 9 more
Caused by: org.openqa.selenium.remote.UnreachableBrowserException: Could not start a new session. Possible causes are invalid address of the remote server or browser start-up failure.
Build info: version: '2.53.1', revision: 'a36b8b1', time: '2016-06-30 17:37:03'
System info: host: 'box5.localdomain', ip: '127.0.0.1', os.name: 'Linux', os.arch: 'amd64', os.version: '3.13.0-115-generic', java.version: '1.8.0_102'
Driver info: driver.version: ChromeDriver
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.execute(RemoteWebDriver.java:665)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.startSession(RemoteWebDriver.java:249)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.<init>(RemoteWebDriver.java:131)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.<init>(RemoteWebDriver.java:144)
at org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver.<init>(ChromeDriver.java:170)
at org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver.<init>(ChromeDriver.java:138)
... 14 more
Caused by: org.openqa.selenium.WebDriverException: org.apache.http.conn.HttpHostConnectException: Connect to localhost:8696 [localhost/127.0.0.1] failed: Connection refused
Build info: version: '2.53.1', revision: 'a36b8b1', time: '2016-06-30 17:37:03'
System info: host: 'box5.localdomain', ip: '127.0.0.1', os.name: 'Linux', os.arch: 'amd64', os.version: '3.13.0-115-generic', java.version: '1.8.0_102'
Driver info: driver.version: ChromeDriver
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.service.DriverCommandExecutor.execute(DriverCommandExecutor.java:91)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver.execute(RemoteWebDriver.java:644)
... 19 more
Caused by: org.apache.http.conn.HttpHostConnectException: Connect to localhost:8696 [localhost/127.0.0.1] failed: Connection refused
at org.apache.http.impl.conn.DefaultHttpClientConnectionOperator.connect(DefaultHttpClientConnectionOperator.java:151)
at org.apache.http.impl.conn.PoolingHttpClientConnectionManager.connect(PoolingHttpClientConnectionManager.java:353)
at org.apache.http.impl.execchain.MainClientExec.establishRoute(MainClientExec.java:380)
at org.apache.http.impl.execchain.MainClientExec.execute(MainClientExec.java:236)
at org.apache.http.impl.execchain.ProtocolExec.execute(ProtocolExec.java:184)
at org.apache.http.impl.execchain.RetryExec.execute(RetryExec.java:88)
at org.apache.http.impl.execchain.RedirectExec.execute(RedirectExec.java:110)
at org.apache.http.impl.client.InternalHttpClient.doExecute(InternalHttpClient.java:184)
at org.apache.http.impl.client.CloseableHttpClient.execute(CloseableHttpClient.java:71)
at org.apache.http.impl.client.CloseableHttpClient.execute(CloseableHttpClient.java:55)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.internal.ApacheHttpClient.fallBackExecute(ApacheHttpClient.java:162)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.internal.ApacheHttpClient.execute(ApacheHttpClient.java:90)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.HttpCommandExecutor.execute(HttpCommandExecutor.java:142)
at org.openqa.selenium.remote.service.DriverCommandExecutor.execute(DriverCommandExecutor.java:82)
... 20 more
Caused by: java.net.ConnectException: Connection refused
at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.socketConnect(Native Method)
at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.doConnect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:350)
at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connectToAddress(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:206)
at java.net.AbstractPlainSocketImpl.connect(AbstractPlainSocketImpl.java:188)
at java.net.SocksSocketImpl.connect(SocksSocketImpl.java:392)
at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:589)
at org.apache.http.conn.socket.PlainConnectionSocketFactory.connectSocket(PlainConnectionSocketFactory.java:74)
at org.apache.http.impl.conn.DefaultHttpClientConnectionOperator.connect(DefaultHttpClientConnectionOperator.java:134)
... 33 more
16:02:34.143 WARN - Exception: Connection refused
My tests are running on Behat (v3) with Mink extension (v2.2) and Mink Selenium driver (v1.3).
Also, tests are passing on my own machine. I'm on Windows so we cannot compare, but at least I think it's not my own test code that is failing.
I'm running out of idea. It should be working pretty straightforward but I can't make it work. Internet is no help on this so far.
Thanks for any insight!

Answer 1

OK I've found the issues:
I was using an old version of Selenium. Upgrading to 3.3 did the trick. I was not aware the version 3 existed at all.
When executing Selenium3, be careful of the order of the arguments: java -jar selenium-server-standalone.jar -Dwebdriver.chrome.driver=chromedriver must become java -Dwebdriver.chrome.driver=chromedriver -jar selenium-server-standalone.jar