Run and hold pytest fixtures until cancelled from commandline. Useful to manually debug/test a specific database state etc.

conftest.py

def pytest_addoption(parser):
    parser.addoption(
        "--only-fixtures",
        action="store",
        help=(
            "Execute the given fixture(s) and hold that state until "
            "manually cancelled (Ctrl+C)."
        ),
    )


def pytest_collection_modifyitems(items, config):
    only_fixtures = config.getoption("--only-fixtures")
    if only_fixtures is None:
        return
    try:
        test_idx = [
            i for i, item in enumerate(items) if item.keywords.get("only_fixtures")
        ][0]
    except IndexError:
        print(
            " ERROR: Cannot find blocking dummy test marked with "
            "@pytest.mark.only_fixtures: Make sure to add it where "
            "it can see the fixtures you are trying to run"
        )
        raise
    dummy_test = items.pop(test_idx)
    # Deselect all tests except the dummy.
    config.hook.pytest_deselected(items=items)
    fixture_names = [name.strip() for name in only_fixtures.split(",")]
    dummy_test.name = dummy_test.name + "__" + "_".join(fixture_names)
    dummy_test.fixturenames += fixture_names
    items[:] = [dummy_test]
    return

test_dummy.py

import time

import pytest


@pytest.mark.only_fixtures
def test_only_fixtures():
    """This test will be populated and run when '--only-fixtures' is given.

    Make sure to place it where it can see all fixtures you are trying to run.

    """
    print("Now holding fixture(s) state (ctrl+c to cancel) ...")
    while True:
        time.sleep(1)

usage.sh

#!/bin/bash

# Make sure you have added the blocking test with the 
# @pytest.mark.only_fixtures decorator. Then run:
pytest --only-fixtures=foo,bar,whatever
# Ctrl+C when done