vmd-mode not installed with markdown layer

[jpfairbanks]

Description

vmd-mode not installed with markdown layer.

Reproduction guide 🪲

• Start Emacs
• find a markdown file
• M-: (vmd-mode)
• Read error message
• Check M-x list-packages to see that vmd-mode is "available" not "installed"

Observed behaviour: 👀 💔
You receive this error message:

  Debugger entered--Lisp error: (void-function vmd-mode)
  (vmd-mode)
  eval((vmd-mode) nil)
  eval-expression((vmd-mode) nil)
  call-interactively(eval-expression nil nil)
  command-execute(eval-expression)

Expected behaviour: ❤️ 😄
You should see the vmd-mode preview of the markdown file.

System Info 💻

• OS: gnu/linux
• Emacs: 24.5.1
• Spacemacs: 0.105.21
• Spacemacs branch: develop (rev. 6d5bca7)
• Graphic display: t
• Distribution: spacemacs
• Editing style: vim
• Completion: helm
• Layers:

(html javascript python helm auto-completion emacs-lisp git github markdown org pandoc mu4e spell-checking syntax-checking csv extra-langs docker xkcd search-engine)

Backtrace 🐾

  Debugger entered--Lisp error: (void-function vmd-mode)
  (vmd-mode)
  eval((vmd-mode) nil)
  eval-expression((vmd-mode) nil)
  call-interactively(eval-expression nil nil)
  command-execute(eval-expression)

[jpfairbanks]

This sexp from .emacs.d/layers/+lang/markdown/packages.el is relevant.

(setq markdown-packages
  '(
    company
    company-emoji
    emoji-cheat-sheet-plus
    gh-md
    markdown-mode
    markdown-toc
    mmm-mode
    smartparens
    (vmd-mode :toggle (and (eq 'vmd markdown-live-preview-engine)
                           (executable-find "vmd")))
    ))

[d12frosted]

Hey,

You should check following things:

1. That you have set markdown-live-preview-engine to vmd.
2. That you have installed vmd executable and it's available in your PATH.

Otherwise, vmd-mode is not activated.

[jpfairbanks]

I have just corrected those settings and the problem persists.
M-! vmd makes the preview popup. but M-: vmd-mode gives the same error.
(require 'vmd-mode) gives a no such file or directory error.

[d12frosted]

I can't reproduce. Are you sure that (and (eq 'vmd markdown-live-preview-engine) (executable-find "vmd")) returns t? Try evaluating it under M-:.

Check M-x list-packages to see that vmd-mode is "available" not "installed"

Makes me think that quoted expression return nil for you.

[jpfairbanks]

This command: (and (eq 'vmd markdown-live-preview-engine) (executable-find "vmd")) returns "$HOME/.npm-packages/bin/vmd" which is where I have installed my node packages.

• (eq 'vmd markdown-live-preview-engine) returns t
• (and (eq 'vmd markdown-live-preview-engine) (executable-find "vmd")) returns a valid path to the vmd executable

Is it possible that the variable is not set until after the markdown layer is activated?
I just restarted emacs and checked the value. By the time init is done, C-h v markdown-live-preview-engine shows:

markdown-live-preview-engine is a variable defined in `config.el'.
Its value is vmd

After investigating this, I ran f e R and emacs installed vmd-mode. It works now. 😅
I will post my debugging notes in order to make it easier for the next person.

[syl20bnr]

I reopen for further investigation, it looks like a bug to me.

[TheBB]

@jpfairbanks Can I see your dotfile? It sounds like you're setting markdown-live-preview-engine after initialization and not before.

[jpfairbanks]

I am probably using dotspacemacs-configuration-layers incorrectly. A reference to the appropriate section of the manual would be helpful. I had tried to configure the mu4e and shell packages this way and it didn't work, which explains some of the commented out bits.

It starts with:

;; -*- mode: emacs-lisp -*-
;; This file is loaded by Spacemacs at startup.
;; It must be stored in your home directory.

(defun dotspacemacs/layers ()
  "Configuration Layers declaration.
You should not put any user code in this function besides modifying the variable
values."
  (setq-default
   ;; Base distribution to use. This is a layer contained in the directory
   ;; `+distribution'. For now available distributions are `spacemacs-base'
   ;; or `spacemacs'. (default 'spacemacs)
   dotspacemacs-distribution 'spacemacs
   ;; Lazy installation of layers (i.e. layers are installed only when a file
   ;; with a supported type is opened). Possible values are `all', `unused'
   ;; and `nil'. `unused' will lazy install only unused layers (i.e. layers
   ;; not listed in variable `dotspacemacs-configuration-layers'), `all' will
   ;; lazy install any layer that support lazy installation even the layers
   ;; listed in `dotspacemacs-configuration-layers'. `nil' disable the lazy
   ;; installation feature and you have to explicitly list a layer in the
   ;; variable `dotspacemacs-configuration-layers' to install it.
   ;; (default 'unused)
   dotspacemacs-enable-lazy-installation 'unused
   ;; If non-nil then Spacemacs will ask for confirmation before installing
   ;; a layer lazily. (default t)
   dotspacemacs-ask-for-lazy-installation t
   ;; If non-nil layers with lazy install support are lazy installed.
   ;; List of additional paths where to look for configuration layers.
   ;; Paths must have a trailing slash (i.e. `~/.mycontribs/')
   dotspacemacs-configuration-layer-path '()
   ;; List of configuration layers to load. If it is the symbol `all' instead
   ;; of a list then all discovered layers will be installed.
   dotspacemacs-configuration-layers
   '(
     html
     javascript
     python
     ;; ----------------------------------------------------------------
     ;; Example of useful layers you may want to use right away.
     ;; Uncomment some layer names and press <SPC f e R> (Vim style) or
     ;; <M-m f e R> (Emacs style) to install them.
     ;; ----------------------------------------------------------------
     helm
     auto-completion
     ;; better-defaults
     emacs-lisp
     git
     github
     (markdown :variables markdown-live-preview-engine 'vmd) ;; INTERESTING PART
     org
     pandoc
     mu4e
     ;; '(mu4e :variables
     ;;        mu4e-installation-path "/usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/")
     ;; (shell :variables
     ;;        shell-default-height 30
     ;;        shell-default-position 'bottom)
     spell-checking
     syntax-checking
     ;; version-control
     csv
     extra-langs                        ;includes julia
     docker
     ;; for fun
     xkcd
     search-engine
     )
   ;; List of additional packages that will be installed without being
   ;; wrapped in a layer. If you need some configuration for these
   ;; packages, then consider creating a layer. You can also put the
   ;; configuration in `dotspacemacs/user-config'.
   dotspacemacs-additional-packages '()
   ;; A list of packages that will not be install and loaded.
   dotspacemacs-excluded-packages '(mu4e-maildirs-extension)
   ;; If non-nil spacemacs will delete any orphan packages, i.e. packages that
   ;; are declared in a layer which is not a member of
   ;; the list `dotspacemacs-configuration-layers'. (default t)
   dotspacemacs-delete-orphan-packages t))

(defun dotspacemacs/init ()
...

[TheBB]

Hm, no, that does look right.

[jpfairbanks]

In case anyone is thinking about this. I get a log message on startup but

--------------------------
Found 1 orphan package(s) to delete...
--> deleting vmd-mode... [1/1]

262 packages loaded in 3.323s (e:209 r:1 l:13 b:39)
-------------------------

In the messages buffer.

Loading /home/james/.emacs.d/layers/+distributions/spacemacs-base/keybindings.el (source)...done
(Spacemacs) --> deleting vmd-mode... [1/1]
Package `vmd-mode-20160531.1719' deleted.
Loading /home/james/.emacs.d/.cache/spacemacs-buffer.el (source)...done

vmd mode still works though.

[d12frosted]

Does it still happen, @jpfairbanks ? :)

[d12frosted]

Closing for inactivity.