[🚀 Feature]: Use Environment Variables to set driver locations

[titusfortner]

Feature and motivation

We discussed in the Selenium Dev Summit about having the ability to set driver location system-wide using environment variables, similar to how Java currently uses System Properties.

See #13806

Usage example

If we match Java System Properties, it would look like:

os.environ["WEBDRIVER_GECKO_DRIVER"] = path_to_geckodriver

[pujagani]

This is a nit. But why is Java label added to this issue? I might be missing something.

[diemol]

The idea is to leave a path for users who want to avoid Selenium Manager completely. The decision was to implement an env var that the service would use. I guess we can keep the system properties in Java instead of implementing the env var.

[titusfortner]

I included it intentionally because perhaps Java should look for the System Property and the Environment Variable?
Is there a scenario where you have a VM where you want to run multiple bindings and only set things one way? /shrug

[titusfortner]

Actually, which convention do we want to match?

For instance in Java:
System Property: webdriver.gecko.driver
Java wrapper for property: GeckoDriverService.GECKO_DRIVER_EXE_PROPERTY

Options:
Match property convention: WEBDRIVER_GECKO_DRIVER
Match env convention: SE_GECKODRIVER

[pujagani]

I am in favour of having a consistent way across bindings, if that is possible.

[pujagani]

Match env convention: SE_GECKODRIVER I think this. But I don't have any strong opinions about this. I would prefer that this is the convention we use for other env variables example: SE_EDGE_PATH. It is might be easier for users to identify/set Selenium related environment variables.

[aguspe]

@pujagani @titusfortner I'm working on this hopefully I will put it for review this weekend :)

[p0deje]

#14287 added Ruby part and the following variables:

• SE_CHROMEDRIVER
• SE_EDGEDRIVER
• SE_GECKODRIVER
• SE_IEDRIVER
• SE_SAFARIDRIVER

[Delta456]

I can work on the Python functionality.

[Delta456]

The python part has also been implemented. In a2cacc1 and uses the same environment variables as Ruby.