Testing Desktop Apps with Thunders via Virtualization

Overview

Thunders currently supports Web Apps and API Apps as primary testing targets. However, desktop applications can also be tested by virtualizing them into web-accessible interfaces.

The concept is straightforward:

Use a virtualization or remote desktop solution to render the desktop app inside a browser
Once the desktop app is accessible via a URL in a Chromium-based browser, it is treated as a standard Web App in Thunders
Write test cases in natural language just like any other web application

This means Thunders can test virtually any desktop application — ERP systems, accounting software, legacy Windows apps, and more — as long as they can be streamed or rendered in a browser through a virtualization layer.

Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops

Enterprise-grade, widely adopted virtualization platform
Provides an HTML5-based Citrix Workspace (StoreFront) that renders desktop apps directly in a browser
Setup: Publish the desktop app in Citrix Studio, enable HTML5 Receiver/Workspace, expose via StoreFront URL
The URL to use in Thunders would be the Citrix StoreFront/Workspace URL that launches the specific app

Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) with RDP Web Client

Native Azure integration, supports Windows apps
Uses the RDP Web Client (https://client.wvd.microsoft.com) to render desktop sessions in a browser
Setup: Create a host pool in AVD, publish the desktop app as a RemoteApp, users access via the web client URL
The URL to use in Thunders would be the AVD web client URL

Apache Guacamole

Open-source, clientless remote desktop gateway
Renders RDP/VNC/SSH sessions as HTML5 in the browser
Setup: Deploy Guacamole server (Docker recommended), configure RDP/VNC connection to the machine running the desktop app
The URL to use in Thunders would be the Guacamole web interface URL (e.g., https://guacamole.company.com)

Amazon AppStream 2.0

AWS-managed app streaming service
Streams desktop apps to a browser with no plugins required
Setup: Create an AppStream fleet, upload the desktop app image, create a streaming URL
The URL to use in Thunders would be the AppStream streaming URL

Kasm Workspaces

Container-based browser-accessible desktops
Modern, Docker-native approach
Setup: Deploy Kasm server, create a workspace image with the desktop app installed
The URL to use in Thunders would be the Kasm workspace URL

Setup Guide (Generic Steps)

The following steps apply regardless of which virtualization solution you choose.

Step 1: Choose and Deploy a Virtualization Solution

Pick one of the recommended solutions based on your existing infrastructure
Deploy it following the vendor's official documentation
Ensure the desktop app is installed and published/available through the virtualization layer

Step 2: Verify Browser Accessibility

Open a Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Edge)
Navigate to the virtualization platform's web URL
Verify the desktop app renders and is interactive in the browser

⚠️ Important: Thunders uses a Browser. Test that all UI elements (buttons, inputs, menus) are clickable and typeable through the browser.

Step 3: Network Accessibility

The virtualization URL must be reachable from Thunders' browser infrastructure
If using Thunders' cloud: the URL must be publicly accessible (or with proper IP Filtering: https://help.thunders.ai/en/articles/12437961-ip-whitelisting-for-thunders)
If using self-hosted or hybrid Thunders: the URL must be reachable from the self-hosted Browserless container's network

Step 4: Handle Authentication

Most virtualization platforms require authentication before accessing the desktop app
In Thunders, use Environment Variables (Credentials) to store login credentials:
- [USERNAME] for the virtualization platform username
- [PASSWORD] for the virtualization platform password
The first test steps should handle logging into the virtualization platform before interacting with the desktop app

Adding the Virtualized App to Thunders

Once your desktop app is accessible through a browser via virtualization, follow these steps to set it up in Thunders.

Step 1: Create a Project

In Thunders, create a new Project for the desktop app

Step 2: Create an Environment

Add an Environment to the project
Set the Environment URL to the virtualization platform's web URL where the desktop app is accessible
- Example for Citrix: https://storefront.company.com/Citrix/StoreWeb/
- Example for Guacamole: https://guacamole.company.com/#/
- Example for AVD: https://client.wvd.microsoft.com/arm/webclient/

Step 3: Configure Environment Variables

Add credentials as Environment Variables:
- USERNAME — virtualization platform login
- PASSWORD — virtualization platform password
- Any other app-specific credentials

Step 4: (Optional) Configure Multi-App Setup

If the project involves testing both the virtualized desktop app AND a web app, use Thunders' multi-app feature
Add Apps to the project with descriptive names (e.g., DESKTOP_ERP, WEB_PORTAL)
Each app gets its own URL per environment, accessible via [APP.DESKTOP_ERP.URL] and [APP.WEB_PORTAL.URL] in test steps

Step 5: Write Test Cases

Write test scenarios in natural language as usual
The first step should navigate to the virtualization URL: Navigate to [ENVIRONMENT_URL]
Include steps to authenticate with the virtualization platform if needed
Then interact with the desktop app as rendered in the browser

Example scenario:

Navigate to [ENVIRONMENT_URL]
Enter [USERNAME] in the username field
Enter [PASSWORD] in the password field
Click Login
Wait for the desktop app to load
Click on the "New Invoice" button
Fill in the invoice form with test data
Click Save
Assert that the success message is displayed

Tips and Best Practices

Increase timeouts — Virtualized desktop apps may be slower to render than native web apps. Consider increasing the browser session timeout.
Screen resolution — Configure the virtualization session to use a resolution that matches Thunders' browser viewport (1280x720 or 1920x1080 for instance). This ensures UI elements are visible and clickable.
Disable animations — If possible, disable UI animations in the desktop app to improve test reliability.
Use explicit waits — Add Wait for X to be visible steps after navigation and interactions, as virtualized apps may have rendering delays.
Avoid detection — Some virtualization platforms may detect automated browsers. Thunders supports bot detection bypass via the Browserless Unblock API if needed.

Limitations

Area	Limitation	Details
Performance	Slower test execution	Virtualized apps render through an additional layer, so tests may run slower than native web app tests.
Element Detection	Varies by solution	Thunders' AI-powered selector finding works on the HTML/DOM rendered in the browser and on the Stream pixels. For virtualized apps that stream pixels (like pure RDP), element detection relies only vision models rather than DOM selectors. Which will be slower
Keyboard Shortcuts	May be intercepted	Some keyboard shortcuts may be intercepted by the virtualization layer rather than reaching the desktop app.
File Upload/Download	Different behavior	File operations may behave differently through virtualization layers.

In Summary

To begin testing desktop apps with Thunders:

Choose a virtualization solution based on your existing infrastructure
Deploy and configure the virtualization platform
Verify browser accessibility using a Chromium-based browser
Set up the project in Thunders with the virtualization URL as the environment URL
Write test cases in natural language, starting with authentication steps

For technical assistance or questions, please reach out to our support team at [email protected].

Solution	Type	Best For	Browser Rendering	URL for Thunders
Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops	Enterprise-grade, widely adopted	Organizations already using Citrix infrastructure	HTML5-based Citrix Workspace (StoreFront)	Citrix StoreFront/Workspace URL that launches the specific app
Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)	Native Azure integration	Organizations on Azure, Windows-only desktop apps	RDP Web Client (https://client.wvd.microsoft.com)	AVD web client URL
Apache Guacamole	Open-source, clientless remote desktop gateway	Cost-sensitive teams, self-hosted environments	HTML5 rendering of RDP/VNC/SSH sessions	Guacamole web interface URL (e.g., https://guacamole.company.com)
Amazon AppStream 2.0	AWS-managed app streaming service	AWS-native organizations	Streams desktop apps to browser with no plugins	AppStream streaming URL
Kasm Workspaces	Container-based browser-accessible desktops	DevOps-oriented teams	Modern, Docker-native approach	Kasm workspace URL