Why does Mermaid CLI require a browser for image generation?

[JockeM]

I was surprised to encounter an error running the Mermaid CLI, stating that I need a browser to generate an image. I’m wondering why this is necessary. For a CLI tool, it feels counterintuitive to rely on a browser for something like image generation.

Is there a technical reason for this? I’d prefer the tool not require a browser at all. Are there any plans to make this dependency optional or to provide a pure Node.js solution for generating images without a browser?

I’d appreciate any insights or future plans around this.

Thanks!