Error with chromote R package when trying to render HTML like mermaid or ploty in PDF format

[Patrikios]

Bug description

==> quarto preview test.qmd --to pdf --no-watch-inputs --no-browse

- The project is out-of-sync -- use `renv::status()` for details.


processing file: test.rmarkdown
  |...       |  32% [Ursprung]                                                                    
Quitting from lines 653-704 [Ursprung] (test.rmarkdown)
Error in `startup()`:
! Chrome debugging port not open after 10 seconds.
Backtrace:
  1. global .main()
  2. execute(...)
  3. rmarkdown::render(...)
  4. knitr::knit(knit_input, knit_output, envir = envir, quiet = quiet)
  5. knitr:::process_file(text, output)
     ...
 34. Chrome$new()
 35. chromote (local) initialize(...)
 36. chromote:::launch_chrome(path, args)
 37. chromote:::with_random_port(...)
 42. chromote (local) startup(port = port, ...)
                                                                                                                                                                         
Ausführung angehalten

Unable to locate an installed version of R.
Install R from https://cloud.r-project.org/

Steps to reproduce

No response

Expected behavior

webshot and webdhor 2 is installed
quarto install chromium run Okay,
Seperate google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb installed.
I am on debian 10, R 4.3.2 quarto version CLI 1.4.454

Actual behavior

No response

Your environment

No response

Quarto check output

No response

[mcanouil]

Could you fill completely the template (in the appropriate sections) as we do really need to know "Steps to reproduce", "Your environment", and "Quarto check output"?

You can share a Quarto document using the following syntax, i.e., using more backticks than you have in your document (usually four ````).

````qmd
---
title: "Reproducible Quarto Document"
format: html
engine: knitr
---

This is a reproducible Quarto document using `format: html`.
It is written in Markdown and contains embedded R code.
When you run the code, it will produce a plot.

```{r}
plot(cars)
```

![A placeholder image](https://placehold.co/600x400.png)

The end.
````

[cderv]

Just some context.

When using some Plotly HTML output inside a document that will render to PDF, knitr will try to make a screenshot of the plotly graph using webshot or webshot2 (preferring websho2 as default if both are present).

From the error message I see, webshot2 is used, and for some reason it does not manage to connect to Chrome (it uses chromote for this) and so unable to make the screenshot.

This is a R issue - you should check that webshot2 is working on your environment.

I see you are using renv so you should check the version and see if updating would help.

[Patrikios]

That would explain it @cderv as the linux 10 is a gui-less server, hence no virtual chorme windows can be opened, if that is how it works??

[cderv]

chromote is a tool to communicate with chrome headless. So no need to open a visual within a browser window.

You can maybe try chromote directly to see if webshot2 would work on your environment See its doc at https://rstudio.github.io/chromote/

[Patrikios]

I think it has something to do with the proxy setting on the server.

[cderv]

I see report of this upstream - so could be related indeed

• Chrome debugging port not open using PC with proxy settings  rstudio/chromote#106
• Error in startup(): ! Chrome debugging port not open after 10 seconds. rstudio/chromote#124

[jannismain]

Find a minimal reproduction here: https://github.com/jannismain/quarto-mermaid-pdf-issue

[cderv]

@jannismain thanks for the example.

Is the issue you have directly related to this one ? It does not seem so as the error @Patrikios is getting is from R trying to connect to chrome.

In your case, you are using mermaid chunk which is a Quarto feature.

Also, if I follow the step to reproduce, I can produce the pdf file with mermaid graph

> quarto render example2.qmd
pandoc
  to: latex
  output-file: example2.tex
  standalone: true
  pdf-engine: xelatex
  variables:
    graphics: true
    tables: true
  default-image-extension: pdf

metadata
  documentclass: scrartcl
  classoption:
    - DIV=11
    - numbers=noendperiod
  papersize: letter
  header-includes:
    - '\KOMAoption{captions}{tableheading}'
  block-headings: true
  title: Example with mermaid diagram


Rendering PDF
running xelatex - 1
  This is XeTeX, Version 3.141592653-2.6-0.999995 (TeX Live 2023) (preloaded format=xelatex)
   restricted \write18 enabled.
  entering extended mode

running xelatex - 2
  This is XeTeX, Version 3.141592653-2.6-0.999995 (TeX Live 2023) (preloaded format=xelatex)
   restricted \write18 enabled.
  entering extended mode


Output created: example2.pdf

Please look for issues with Chrome and mermaid opened in the repo, and open a new one with your example and details about your environment. It will be best to get each issue in their own thread.

[jannismain]

@cderv thanks for checking out the example I provided. From the title of this issue, I thought they were related, but I will find a better place to discuss the issue I am experiencing 👍

[cderv]

From the title of this issue, I thought they were related,

yeah I guess it right. That is why I tweaked the title of this issue

[github-actions]

Thank you for using Quarto and reporting an issue!

Unfortunately, this issue is now considered stale because it has been opened since 14 days without providing a "working" reproducible example to help us investigate.
If you are still facing the issue, please review the "Bug Reports" guide on how to provide a fully reproducible example as a self-contained Quarto document or a link to a Git repository.
Without a reproducible example, it is unlikely that the issue will be addressed.

You can share a Quarto document using the following syntax, i.e., using more backticks than you have in your document (usually four ````).

````qmd
---
title: "Reproducible Quarto Document"
format: html
---

This is a reproducible Quarto document using `format: html`.
It is written in Markdown and contains embedded R code.
When you run the code, it will produce a plot.

```{r}
plot(cars)
```

The end.
````