Requirements
Automator runs natively on Linux, or in Docker.
Operating Systems
- Native Execution
- Docker
- Debian 11 or newer
- Ubuntu 20.04 or newer
- Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit)
- RHEL, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, or CentOS 8 or newer
- Fedora 36 or newer
We test most extensively on Debian and Ubuntu.
You also need:
- An ordinary user account that runs the measurements, for example
surfmeter. Automator refuses to run as root. sudorights for the installation.- Internet access to the Surfmeter server and to the download sites of the operating system packages, or a proxy.
- A Linux host with Docker Engine 20.10 or higher, or Docker Desktop on macOS or Windows
- Internet access to the Surfmeter server and to the Docker registry
Hardware
| Component | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 64-bit x86 (amd64) or ARM (arm64) CPU | Intel Core i5, AMD Ryzen 5 |
| Memory | 2 GB or higher | 4 GB or higher |
| Disk | 10 GB of free disk space1 | 30 GB or higher |
Most tests also run on less powerful hardware. For video tests, use the recommended specifications.
Google also notes that for representative website tests that reduce variability, hardware should be performant enough.
The Raspberry Pi 4B can run basic tests but lacks high-definition video support. For video tests, choose at least the Raspberry Pi 5 with a 64-bit operating system.
DRM-protected content (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and similar) needs the Widevine CDM. The browser depends on the architecture:
amd64uses Chrome for Testing, with Widevine. DRM-protected studies work.arm64uses Chromium without Widevine. DRM-protected studies do not work.
By default, the browser renders in software. On a Linux amd64 machine with an Intel or AMD GPU, you can optionally let the browser render on the GPU. GPU rendering can be unstable, and we have not tested it on all hardware. Please reach out if you need this.
Next, follow the setup for native execution, or the Docker setup. If you already run Automator 1.x, see Migrating from Automator 1.x.