Frequently Asked Questions#

How Do I Choose Which Browser default_authenticate() Opens?#

When you use default_authenticate(), labapi tries to open a compatible local browser automatically. Set the LA_AUTH_BROWSER environment variable if you want to override that choice.

export LA_AUTH_BROWSER=chrome
export LA_AUTH_BROWSER=firefox
export LA_AUTH_BROWSER=edge
export LA_AUTH_BROWSER=terminal

Supported values are chrome, firefox, edge, and terminal; terminal prints the URL for manual copy/paste instead of opening a browser.

Example:

import os

from labapi import Client

os.environ["LA_AUTH_BROWSER"] = "firefox"

with Client() as client:
    user = client.default_authenticate()

How Do I Handle SSL/TLS Certificate Issues?#

By default, Client verifies TLS certificates on every HTTPS request.

Can I Disable Strict Certificate Verification?#

For short-lived tests against systems whose certificates fail strict validation, pass strict_cert=False:

from labapi import Client

client = Client(
    base_url="https://api.labarchives.com",
    akid="your_access_key_id",
    akpass="your_password",
    strict_cert=False,
)

Warning

Relaxing strict X.509 validation (strict_cert=False) can expose you to man-in-the-middle attacks. Do not use this for normal production API traffic or on networks you do not control.

How Do I Trust a Custom CA Bundle Instead?#

If your environment uses a private Certificate Authority, prefer adding that CA to a trusted bundle instead of relaxing strict certificate validation.

Find the active certifi bundle with:

python -c "import certifi; print(certifi.where())"

Then either append your CA certificate to that bundle or point REQUESTS_CA_BUNDLE at a custom bundle:

export REQUESTS_CA_BUNDLE=/path/to/your/ca-bundle.crt

from labapi import Client

client = Client()

What Should I Check When Authentication Fails?#

When the authentication flow fails or stalls, check these common causes:

  1. Verify that ACCESS_KEYID and ACCESS_PWD are set correctly.

  2. If the browser does not open, set LA_AUTH_BROWSER=terminal for manual authentication, or install the builtin-auth extra for browser launching.

  3. If you see certificate errors, use the guidance above to trust your CA bundle.

  4. If you use generate_auth_url(), make sure the redirect URL exactly matches the callback URL your app handles.

pip install "labapi[builtin-auth]"