write_gif uses suspended phantomjs as backend

[MartinMSPedersen]

asciicast::write_gif() requires phantomjs. However that project is disconncted. So I think that asciicast::write_gif() should change backend. Maybe it could be changed to jsdom

I tried to install the static build of phantomjs but it is broken.

$ phantomjs 
Auto configuration failed
140059491481536:error:25066067:DSO support routines:DLFCN_LOAD:could not load the shared library:dso_dlfcn.c:185:filename(libproviders.so): libproviders.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
140059491481536:error:25070067:DSO support routines:DSO_load:could not load the shared library:dso_lib.c:244:
140059491481536:error:0E07506E:configuration file routines:MODULE_LOAD_DSO:error loading dso:conf_mod.c:285:module=providers, path=providers
140059491481536:error:0E076071:configuration file routines:MODULE_RUN:unknown module name:conf_mod.c:222:module=providers

[gaborcsardi]

We'll switch to use R graphics device to generate the snapshots, instead of phantom.js. Probably in the next major release, whenever that happens.

AFAICT the phantom.js version installed by asciicast::install_phantomjs() works on all three major platforms, at least on the CI. If you have another platform, then yeah, you are out of luck, unfortunately.

[MartinMSPedersen]

AFAICT the phantom.js version installed by asciicast::install_phantomjs() works on all three major platforms, at least on the CI.

I guess and hope that Linux is one of the three "major" platforms.

If you have another platform, then yeah, you are out of luck, unfortunately. I am using the latest Ubuntu LTS and asciicast::install_phantomjs() is not working :-(

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID:	Ubuntu
Description:	Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
Release:	22.04
Codename:	jammy
$ R --version
R version 4.2.0 (2022-04-22) -- "Vigorous Calisthenics"
Copyright (C) 2022 The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu (64-bit)

R is free software and comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
You are welcome to redistribute it under the terms of the
GNU General Public License versions 2 or 3.
For more information about these matters see
https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.

$ R --vanilla

R version 4.2.0 (2022-04-22) -- "Vigorous Calisthenics"
Copyright (C) 2022 The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu (64-bit)

R is free software and comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
You are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions.
Type 'license()' or 'licence()' for distribution details.

  Natural language support but running in an English locale

R is a collaborative project with many contributors.
Type 'contributors()' for more information and
'citation()' on how to cite R or R packages in publications.

Type 'demo()' for some demos, 'help()' for on-line help, or
'help.start()' for an HTML browser interface to help.
Type 'q()' to quit R.

> library(asciicast)
> install_phantomjs()
trying URL 'https://github.com/wch/webshot/releases/download/v0.3.1/phantomjs-2.1.1-linux-x86_64.tar.bz2'
Content type 'application/octet-stream' length 23415665 bytes (22.3 MB)
==================================================
downloaded 22.3 MB

phantomjs has been installed to /home/mm/bin
> system("/home/mm/bin/phantomjs")
Auto configuration failed
139642864412608:error:25066067:DSO support routines:DLFCN_LOAD:could not load the shared library:dso_dlfcn.c:185:filename(libproviders.so): libproviders.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
139642864412608:error:25070067:DSO support routines:DSO_load:could not load the shared library:dso_lib.c:244:
139642864412608:error:0E07506E:configuration file routines:MODULE_LOAD_DSO:error loading dso:conf_mod.c:285:module=providers, path=providers
139642864412608:error:0E076071:configuration file routines:MODULE_RUN:unknown module name:conf_mod.c:222:module=providers

[gaborcsardi]

I guess and hope that Linux is one of the three "major" platforms.

It is indeed. OTOH the CI is bionic, so this is probably specific to newer distros. Which again means that you are out of luck, unfortunately. Until the next release only, hopefully.

[MartinMSPedersen]

OK. It works on Ubuntu 18.04 a.k.a. bionic if I install the Ubuntu package libfontconfig

[gaborcsardi]

If you don't mind, we can keep this open, until it is fixed.