Idelium CLI

Idelium CLI is the Python execution agent for the Idelium test automation platform. It downloads test definitions from Idelium API, executes browser, mobile, API, or plugin-based steps, and reports structured results back to the configured reporting service.

It is designed for developer workstations, CI systems such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, and Bamboo, and remotely managed test-execution hosts.

Main capabilities

• Execute Idelium projects and test cycles from a command line.
• Run Selenium tests with local drivers or Selenium Grid.
• Run native, hybrid, and mobile-web tests through Appium.
• Execute Postman Collection v2.1 requests, folders, variables, and examples.
• Load project plugins and configuration steps supplied by Idelium API.
• Report execution progress and results to Idelium or Jira/Zephyr.
• Operate as an HTTPS listener for remotely launched enterprise executions.
• Verify TLS certificates by default with configurable finite timeouts.

Requirements

• CPython 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, or 3.13.
• pip and a virtual environment are strongly recommended.
• Network access to Idelium API and any tested endpoint.
• A supported browser and driver for local Selenium execution, or a reachable Selenium Grid.
• Appium server, platform SDK, and device/emulator for mobile execution.
• libmagic system support where required by the Python libmagic package.

The package metadata, classifiers, test matrix, and CI workflow use the same Python support range.

Installation

Create an isolated environment and install the released package:

python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
python -m pip install idelium

Upgrade an existing installation with:

python -m pip install --upgrade idelium

Confirm the command is available:

idelium --help

Authentication

Idelium API requires a customer API key. The CLI accepts --ideliumKey=<value>, but command-line arguments may be visible to other local processes and CI logs. The safer built-in mechanism is the user key file:

install -m 600 /dev/null ~/.idelium

Copy the key into ~/.idelium using a secure editor or secret-management tool. Do not print it, commit it, pass it in a URL, or paste it into support output. Protect the file so only its owner can read it. CI systems should materialize the file from their protected secret store for the duration of the job and remove it afterward.

Run a test cycle

The required values for normal Idelium reporting are:

• --idProject=<id> — project identifier.
• --idCycle=<id> — cycle identifier.
• --environment=<name> — environment name configured in the project.
• an API key from ~/.idelium or --ideliumKey.

With the protected key file in place, run:

idelium --idProject=8 --idCycle=2 --environment=production

The hosted API is used by default. To use a local Idelium stack:

idelium \
  --idProject=8 \
  --idCycle=2 \
  --environment=local \
  --ideliumwsBaseurl=https://localhost \
  --caBundle=/path/to/trusted-local-ca.pem

Use project and cycle identifiers from your own Idelium instance. The selected environment is retrieved from the API; it is a configured environment name, not a local credentials file.

Command-line options

Options use --name=value unless shown as a flag.

Execution selection

Browser and execution overrides

HTTP security and reliability

Server mode

Jira and Zephyr

Run idelium --help for the options supported by the installed version. Keep automation pinned to a known Idelium CLI version and review release changes before adopting new behavior.

HTTP and TLS behavior

Every Idelium, Postman, Jira, and Zephyr request verifies certificates and uses finite connection and read timeouts by default. Use --caBundle for a private certificate authority or local development certificate.

--insecure disables certificate verification only when explicitly supplied and emits a visible warning. It is intended for an isolated development system, never CI or production. Automatic retries are bounded and apply only to safe or idempotent methods; POST requests are not retried, preventing accidental duplicate execution records.

Verbose diagnostics include the method, redacted URL, and response status. They must not include credentials, authorization headers, API keys, payloads, full response bodies, sensitive query parameters, or session identifiers.

Selenium execution

For local browser execution, install a compatible browser. The CLI uses Selenium and WebDriver Manager to select or acquire supported drivers. Browser availability and vendor restrictions still apply on the execution host.

Selenium Grid

Set seleniumGridUrl in an Idelium environment to create remote sessions instead of starting a local driver. Optional W3C capabilities belong in the seleniumGridCapabilities object:

{
  "browser": "chrome",
  "seleniumGridUrl": "https://selenium-grid.example.invalid:4444",
  "seleniumGridCapabilities": {
    "platformName": "linux",
    "se:name": "Idelium test"
  }
}

The command line can override both values:

idelium \
  --idProject=8 \
  --idCycle=2 \
  --environment=ci \
  --seleniumGridUrl=https://selenium-grid.example.invalid:4444 \
  --seleniumGridCapabilities='{"platformName":"linux"}'

Grid URLs must use HTTP or HTTPS. Put credentials in infrastructure-level secret configuration rather than the capabilities object. If Grid session creation fails, the CLI does not fall back to a local browser; the infrastructure failure remains visible to automation.

Appium execution

Mobile environments can provide isRealDevice, appiumServer, and appiumDesiredCaps. The desired capabilities depend on the Appium driver and target platform. Keep device-farm credentials outside the stored capability payload whenever possible and consult the Appium documentation for driver-specific requirements.

The execution host is responsible for Appium, the appropriate platform driver, SDKs, signing configuration, and access to the device or emulator.

Postman Collection execution

Idelium executes Postman Collection v2.1 requests, including requests inside nested folders. Collection variables are loaded first and enabled environment values override them.

Saved response examples define assertions:

• when an example exists, Idelium compares the expected HTTP status and body;
• JSON bodies are compared semantically without depending on object key order;
• without an example, a request passes only for an HTTP status from 200 to 399;
• a failed status or body assertion fails the containing Idelium step.

Certificate verification and finite timeouts apply to collection requests too. An uploaded execution object may set insecure only for an explicit development run and produces a warning. Stored results redact common credential fields in JSON bodies and sensitive URL query parameters.

Server mode

Server mode exposes an HTTPS endpoint for remotely managed executions:

idelium --ideliumServer --ideliumServerPort=8691

Before starting it, create cert/cert.pem and cert/key.pem relative to the working directory. Use a trusted certificate and protect the private key with strict filesystem permissions. The listener binds to all interfaces, so place it behind appropriate network controls and expose it only to authorized Idelium components. Do not use a development certificate on an internet-facing host.

Development setup

Clone the repository and install the project with development and test extras:

git clone https://github.com/idelium/idelium-cli.git
cd idelium-cli
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install --upgrade pip 'setuptools>=83,<84'
python -m pip install -e '.[dev,test]'

The source uses a src/ layout. Runtime dependencies are bounded in setup.py, and build-system dependencies are pinned to supported ranges in pyproject.toml.

Tests and quality gates

Tests are network-free by default and cover HTTP transport behavior, sensitive data redaction, metadata, Selenium Grid, Appium, and Postman execution. Add a regression test for every fix and boundary tests for parsing, timeouts, retries, TLS behavior, and error handling when those areas change.

Run the same checks used by CI:

python -m pip_audit
ruff check src tests
ruff format --check src/idelium/_internal/commons/connection.py src/idelium/_internal/thirdparties/ideliumpostman.py tests
mypy --allow-untyped-defs --allow-any-generics --disable-error-code var-annotated src/idelium/_internal/commons/connection.py src/idelium/_internal/thirdparties/ideliumpostman.py
COVERAGE_OUTPUT_DIR=.coverage-data coverage run --source=src/idelium -m unittest discover -s tests
coverage combine .coverage-data
coverage report --fail-under=27
check-manifest
python -m build

CI also imports the package and runs idelium --help on CPython 3.10 through 3.13. The coverage run measures branch coverage and enforces the current 27% project gate.

Package and release verification

Before publishing a release:

1. Keep the version in src/idelium/_internal/main.py aligned with package metadata.
2. Run all tests, audit, lint, type, manifest, import, and help checks.
3. Build both source and wheel distributions with python -m build.
4. Inspect the archive contents and install the wheel in a clean environment.
5. Confirm no key, certificate, execution result, cache, or local configuration entered the distribution.

Exit behavior and automation

Treat any non-zero process exit as a failed CLI invocation. Preserve stdout and stderr only after checking that the output contains no credentials or customer data. Use finite job timeouts in CI, pin the installed package version, and make the selected project, cycle, environment, browser infrastructure, and reporting destination explicit in the job configuration.

Troubleshooting

401 Invalid key

Verify that ~/.idelium exists, is readable by the execution user, contains the key for the intended customer, and has not been rotated. Do not print the file while collecting diagnostics.

TLS verification fails

Check the hostname, certificate validity, chain, and system clock. For an internal authority, pass its CA bundle with --caBundle. Do not solve a production trust failure with --insecure.

Browser or driver cannot start

Confirm the browser is installed, its version is supported, the execution user can create a profile and temporary files, and required system libraries exist. For Grid, verify the endpoint and available slots; no automatic local fallback is performed.

Environment is not found

The value passed to --environment must match an environment configured for the selected Idelium project. Also verify the project belongs to the customer associated with the API key.

Postman assertion differs unexpectedly

Check the saved example status and body, variable precedence, and enabled environment values. JSON object key order is ignored, but values and array order remain meaningful.

Security expectations

• Verify TLS and use a CA bundle for private trust roots.
• Keep API keys, Jira credentials, device-farm credentials, and certificates in protected secret stores.
• Never log credentials, full sensitive URLs, request headers, protected payloads, or complete response bodies.
• Keep retries bounded and limited to safe or idempotent operations.
• Use stable command options and meaningful non-zero exits in automation.
• Pin runtime and package versions for reproducible CI jobs.

Report suspected vulnerabilities privately to the maintainers without including live credentials or customer data in a public issue.

Contributing

Read the Idelium CLI engineering directives before making changes. Documentation, docstrings, comments, diagnostics, and new identifiers must be in clear English. Keep transport behavior centralized, preserve stable command options, add focused tests for behavioral changes, avoid unrelated refactoring, and run the relevant quality gates before opening a pull request.

Related projects

• idelium-api — configuration and result API.
• idelium-web — administration UI.
• idelium-docker — reproducible full-stack environment.

Idelium CLI is distributed under the MIT License. Project information is available at idelium.io.