---

title: "Linux Desktop Testing Project" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["freedesktop.org", "free-software-programmed-in-python"] description: "Testing tool that uses computer assistive technology" topic_path: "general/freedesktop-org" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_Desktop_Testing_Project" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Testing tool that uses computer assistive technology ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox software"]

Field	Value
name	Linux Desktop Testing Project
developer	Emily Chen, Nagappan A., et al.
released
latest release version	3.5.0
latest release date
repo
programming language	Python, C#
operating system	Linux, macOS, Windows
genre	Automated testing
license	GNU LGPL
website
::

| name = Linux Desktop Testing Project | developer = Emily Chen, Nagappan A., et al. | released = | latest release version = 3.5.0 | latest release date = | repo = | programming language = Python, C# | operating system = Linux, macOS, Windows | genre = Automated testing | license = GNU LGPL | website =

The Linux Desktop Testing Project (LDTP) is a testing tool that uses computer assistive technology to automate graphical user interface (GUI) testing. The GUI functionality of an application can be tested in Linux, macOS, Windows, Solaris, FreeBSD, and embedded system environments. The macOS version is named PyATOM, and the Windows version is Cobra. The LDTP is released as free and open-source software under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL).

LDTP can test any accessibility-enabled GNOME application, Mozilla, OpenOffice.org, any Swing-based Java, Qt 4-based and KDE 4.x applications.

LDTP is/was used by the following companies and organizations:

• GNOME
• Mozilla
• Openoffice.org
• KDE
• Novell/SuSE
• Palm Source
• VMware

LDTP can be used to remotely test applications.

History

LDTP version 0.1.0 was released in January 2005 and then showcased and discussed at GNOME Users And Developers European Conference (GUADEC) 2005. It was then used at the Google Summer of Code in 2006 for Tinderbox integration, Evolution automation, and LDTP regression suite under GNOME organization. Then again in 2007, it was used by the Mozilla Foundation for Firefox automation and Tinderbox integration.

Example

This is an example of how LDTP would test writing in gedit:

::code[lang=python] #!/usr/bin/env python3

The standard import stuff.

from ldtp import * from ooldtp import context as locate from time import sleep

Here we open the app.

launchapp("gedit")

Now we find it and make sure it is open.

gedit_win = locate("*gedit") gedit_win.waittillguiexist()

Now we type into gedit.

text_field = gedit_win.getchild("txt1") text_field.enterstring("G'Day mate!")

Save a picture to prove we did it.

imagecapture("*gedit", "/tmp/foo.png")

Quit gedit.

quit = gedit_win.getchild("mnuQuit") quit.selectmenuitem()

Close without saving.

dont_save = locate("Question") dont_save.waittillguiexist()

button = dont_save.getchild("btnClosewithoutSaving") button.click()

Wait until gedit is gone.

gedit_win.waittillguinotexist() ::

Diagram of how LDTP works

References

References

1. "Team Members".
2. "FAQ".
3. [https://github.com/ldtp/ldtp2/releases LDTP2 Releases] - GitHub
4. "Linux Desktop Testing Project".
5. "ldtp 3.5.0: Python Pakage Index".
6. "Download".
7. "ldtp".
8. "LDTP 3.0 automates GUI testing on Linux - The H Open: News and Features".
9. "ldtp".
10. "pyatom/pyatom - GitHub".
11. "ldtp/cobra - GitHub".
12. "ldtp".
13. "FAQ".
14. "Executing scripts remotely".
15. "How to control GNOME apps remotely using LDTP - YouTube".
16. "SoC".
17. "SoC06".
18. "SoC".
19. "SoC07".
20. "ldtp-tutorial".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::