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authorcashmere <cashmere@autistici.org>2026-04-26 21:33:26 +0200
committercashmere <cashmere@autistici.org>2026-04-26 21:33:26 +0200
commit8d96906eda19ac94613323deac3c039f88d466e0 (patch)
tree274cb1d5131a4a0c815cb3adb6b58bc65a14a04c /AGENTS.md
parent15970781b5e3eafaac2fd7ed3730079fd4cfb451 (diff)
downloadkitty-graphics-8d96906eda19ac94613323deac3c039f88d466e0.tar.gz
docs(sixel): hard-state img2sixel as the recommended encoder + warn loudly when none is on PATH
Users hit a silent-failure mode where `kitty-gfx--sixel-detect' returned true (terminal supports Sixel) but no encoder was on `PATH', so every `sixel-place' logged `no encoder found' and produced no image. The echo-area `message' from `sixel-encode' was easy to miss inside tmux, which made the issue look like a refresh / tmux passthrough bug. - README.org: Requirements section now explicitly lists a Sixel encoder as required and recommends `img2sixel' (libsixel) over ImageMagick, with the concrete numbers from PR #10's bench (~2.2x smaller payload, ~10x faster) and a note that this matters most inside tmux because every refresh re-emits the full DCS payload. Known-Limitations reworded: missing encoder = silent failure surfaced via the debug log. - AGENTS.md: Dependencies block reorganised the same way; adds a pointer to `just sixel-encoder' as the first step when diagnosing Sixel rendering bugs. - kitty-graphics.el: when the active backend is Sixel and `kitty-gfx--sixel-resolve-encoder' returns nil at mode-enable time, fire a `display-warning' (`*Warnings*' buffer + visible message) pointing at img2sixel/ImageMagick, so the failure is no longer buried in /tmp/kitty-gfx.log.
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@@ -269,10 +269,20 @@ Key design differences from images:
- **Required**: Emacs >= 27.1, a supported terminal (Kitty/WezTerm/Ghostty
for Kitty backend; foot/Konsole/xterm/mlterm/mintty for Sixel)
-- **Required for Sixel**: a Sixel encoder on PATH -- `img2sixel`
- (libsixel, recommended) or ImageMagick (`magick`/`convert`).
- Override via `kitty-gfx-sixel-encoder-program'; bound by
- `kitty-gfx-sixel-encoder-timeout' (default 5s).
+- **Required for Sixel**: a Sixel encoder on `PATH`.
+ - **Strongly recommended**: `img2sixel` from libsixel (~2.2x smaller
+ payload, ~10x faster than ImageMagick on the same input). Critical
+ inside tmux, where every refresh re-emits the full DCS payload --
+ using ImageMagick there leads to visible flicker.
+ - **Fallback**: ImageMagick 7 (`magick`) or 6 (`convert`). Works,
+ just slower.
+ - Auto-detect order: `img2sixel` > `magick` > `convert`. Override
+ via `kitty-gfx-sixel-encoder-program' (nil = auto, string = pin).
+ - With **no** encoder on `PATH`, the Sixel backend silently produces
+ no output and logs `no encoder found` (set `kitty-gfx-debug' to
+ surface this). Always verify with `just sixel-encoder' before
+ diagnosing rendering bugs.
+ - Bounded by `kitty-gfx-sixel-encoder-timeout' (default 5s).
- **Optional for Kitty**: ImageMagick for non-PNG formats and pixel-accurate sizing
- **Optional for typst preview**: `typst` CLI on PATH (used by
`kitty-gfx-typst-preview`)