pdfjs-dist: Jest failures with optional dependency canvas for ARM macs

[MattyBalaam]

Configuration:

• ARM MacBook
• Ventura
• pdfjs-dist v3.6.172

Steps to reproduce the problem:

1. Install pdfs-dist, notice a build failure on canvas dependency (there are no prebuilt binaries), but notice the install continues
2. Run any pre-existing browser jest tests which use jest-environment-jsdom. (no need to include pdfjs-dist anywhere)
3. See Jest errors relating to a missing Build folder in canvas.

This really feels like probably a jsdom and canvas issue, but in the absence of the canvas maintainer providing ARM binaries, is there a possible workaround anyone can suggest to stop this chain?

I have wondered if there is any way of uninstalling canvas programatically after install for example? Or perhaps there should be a browser-only fork of pdfjs-dist. The other option is quite drastic and would involve copying over the compiled build files.

[Snuffleupagus]

The canvas-package is listed in the optionalDependencies in the package.json file in the pdfjs-dist library, which should mean that it'll be skipped if unavailable. Unfortunately I don't think that we can do anything (more) about this issue here.

[MattyBalaam]

@Snuffleupagus I understand you have attempted to use the optionalDependencies object, unfortunately the package is still installed into node_modules, but the build folder is empty.

I'll poke the jsdom maintainers instead, perhaps they can make a more robust check.

[MattyBalaam]

In case anyone else comes across the same issue, I have a horrible little workaround which works in my case. Note that this will mean that if you need to use a canvas in a node environment this will not help you.

We are using yarn so we were able to add a new entry to the resolutions object in package.json: "canvas": "./__BLOCKED_MODULE" where __BLOCKED_MODULE is a local folder just with a basic package.json file. This means that node-canvas does not get pulled and therefore jsdom does not fail when trying to import/require expected files.

[blackbing]

@MattyBalaam's solution is horrible but work.

[MattyBalaam]

@MattyBalaam's solution is horrible but work.

Yep, it certainly is!

[msileo]

Came across this as well after installing pdfjs-dist
The solution works but for now just keeping it stashed for when running jest unit tests instead of committing as it is kind of gross :/