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More useful error message if no writeable cache path #314

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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion src/fontloader/runtime/fontloader-basics-gen.lua
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ do
end

if not writable then
logs.report("system","no writeable cache path, quiting")
logs.report("system","no writeable cache path, quiting. Try setting TEXMFCACHE or TEXMFVAR and reading https://www.tug.org/texinfohtml/kpathsea.html#Safe-filenames")
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@gucci-on-fleek gucci-on-fleek Nov 10, 2025

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(Not a luaotfload developer, so feel free to ignore any of my comments here)

I don't think that logs.report wraps its output (assuming that it behaves like the version from ConTeXt), so it might be better to add the hint to a separate line:

Suggested change
logs.report("system","no writeable cache path, quiting. Try setting TEXMFCACHE or TEXMFVAR and reading https://www.tug.org/texinfohtml/kpathsea.html#Safe-filenames")
logs.report("system","no writeable cache path, quiting")
logs.report("system","Try setting TEXMFCACHE or TEXMFVAR and reading https://www.tug.org/texinfohtml/kpathsea.html#Safe-filenames")

In general though, adding a hint to this error message seems like a really good idea to me.

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@brprice brprice Nov 13, 2025

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I would like to be able to do this, but because of

luaotfload/src/luaotfload-init.lua

Lines 293 to 306 in ecfe7d0

do
local saved_reporter = texio.reporter
local saved_exit = os.exit
local errmsg
function texio.reporter(msg, ...)
errmsg = msg
end
function os.exit()
error(errmsg)
end
load_fontloader_module "basics-gen"
texio.reporter = saved_reporter
os.exit = saved_exit
end
only the last log is reported.

(I'm not a lua dev, so could easily be missing something here)

Trying to embed a newline in the string also makes the reporting a bit odd wrt indentation.

luaotfload | load : FATAL ERROR
luaotfload | load :   × Failed to load "fontloader" module "basics-gen".
luaotfload | load :   × Error message:
luaotfload | load :     × "./luaotfload-init.lua:301: system : no writeable cache path, quiting.\
Try setting TEXMFCACHE or TEXMFVAR and reading https://www.tug.org/texinfohtml/kpathsea.html#Safe-filenames".

...

./luaotfload-init.lua:301: system : no writeable cach
e path, quiting.
Try setting TEXMFCACHE or TEXMFVAR and reading https://www.tug.org/texinfohtml/
kpathsea.html#Safe-filenames

whereas just one long string gives

luaotfload | load : FATAL ERROR
luaotfload | load :   × Failed to load "fontloader" module "basics-gen".
luaotfload | load :   × Error message:
luaotfload | load :     × "./luaotfload-init.lua:301: system : no writeable cache path, quiting. Try setting TEXMFCACHE or TEXMFVAR and reading https://www.tug.org/texinfohtml/kpathsea.html#Safe-filenames".

...

./luaotfload-init.lua:301: system : no writeable cach
e path, quiting. Try setting TEXMFCACHE or TEXMFVAR and reading https://www.tug
.org/texinfohtml/kpathsea.html#Safe-filenames

I'm not particularly happy with either option here. Hopefully a maintainer can suggest a non-invasive change with nicer output.

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@zauguin zauguin Nov 23, 2025

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Either option is fine really. Currently the output looks weird but that shouldn't be worked around here but fixed in the output printer.

I think doing multiple calls to texio.reporter is the cleanest option for now.

os.exit()
elseif #readables == 0 then
logs.report("system","no readable cache path, quiting")
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