@bobfrankston/msger 0.1.411 → 0.1.412

package/msger-native/builder/postinstall.js

@@ -202,6 +202,36 @@ if (!isWindows) {
     }
 }
 
+// Step 5: Linux — warn now if the WebKitGTK runtime is missing.
+//
+// npm cannot install it for you: it's an OS package, apt needs root, and the
+// package name differs per distro — so all msger can do is check and tell you.
+// Without this the first run dies with a bare loader error ("libwebkit2gtk-4.1
+// .so.0: cannot open shared object file", exit 127) that reads like a broken
+// msger rather than a missing dependency (Bob 2026-07-31, fresh Pi 4 with a
+// Lite image; a Pi with the full desktop already has it via other packages).
+if (!isWindows && process.platform === "linux") {
+    const soNames = ["libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0", "libjavascriptcoregtk-4.1.so.0"];
+    const libDirs = [
+        "/usr/lib", "/usr/local/lib", "/lib",
+        `/usr/lib/${process.arch === "arm64" ? "aarch64" : "x86_64"}-linux-gnu`,
+    ];
+    const found = soNames.every(so =>
+        libDirs.some(dir => { try { return fs.existsSync(path.join(dir, so)); } catch { return false; } })
+    );
+    if (!found) {
+        console.log("");
+        console.log("  msger: WARNING — the WebKitGTK runtime was not found.");
+        console.log("         msger renders with the system webview and cannot");
+        console.log("         start without it. Install it with:");
+        console.log("");
+        console.log("           sudo apt install libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0");
+        console.log("");
+        console.log("         (runtime only; -dev is needed just to build msger)");
+        console.log("");
+    }
+}
+
 // Friendly message about the EPERM warnings npm itself emits during a
 // subsequent global upgrade. They come from npm trying to delete its own
 // staging directory while the previously-running msgernative.exe inside

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@bobfrankston/msger",
-  "version": "0.1.411",
+  "version": "0.1.412",
   "description": "Fast, lightweight, cross-platform message box - Rust-powered alternative to msgview",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./index.js",

package/shower.js

@@ -72,6 +72,18 @@ export function setAppName(name) { _appName = name; }
  *  provision so Rust's window icon search picks it up. Per-call `icon` in
  *  `MessageBoxOptions` still takes precedence. */
 export function setAppIcon(iconPath) { _appIcon = iconPath; }
+/** The Linux/Pi binary dynamically links WebKitGTK, which a Lite or trimmed
+ *  Raspberry Pi OS image doesn't ship — the loader then fails with a bare
+ *  "libwebkit2gtk-4.1.so.0: cannot open shared object file" and exit 127, which
+ *  reads like a broken msger rather than a missing dependency (Bob 2026-07-31,
+ *  fresh pi4d). Turn it into the apt line that fixes it. */
+function missingWebkitHint(stderr) {
+    if (!/libwebkit2gtk|libjavascriptcoregtk/.test(stderr))
+        return '';
+    return '\n\nmsger needs the WebKitGTK runtime, which this system does not have.\n' +
+        '  sudo apt install libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0\n' +
+        '(runtime only — the -dev package is needed just for building msger.)';
+}
 /** Raspberry Pi: WebKitGTK's DMABUF rendering path is broken on the vc4/v3d
  *  driver — the page comes up as interlaced shredded scanlines instead of
  *  content (verified on a Pi 5 / Debian 13 / WebKitGTK 2.50.6 Wayland session,
@@ -454,7 +466,7 @@ function createMessageBoxHandle(options) {
                 return;
             }
             if (code !== 0) {
-                reject(new Error(`msger exited with code ${code}: ${stderr}`));
+                reject(new Error(`msger exited with code ${code}: ${stderr}${missingWebkitHint(stderr)}`));
                 return;
             }
             try {
@@ -724,6 +736,11 @@ export function showService(options) {
     child.stderr?.on("data", (data) => {
         // Forward Rust stderr to parent stderr (debug messages)
         process.stderr.write(data);
+        // Service mode never inspects the exit code, so surface the
+        // missing-WebKitGTK case as it happens or it stays a bare loader error.
+        const hint = missingWebkitHint(data.toString());
+        if (hint)
+            process.stderr.write(hint + '\n');
     });
     child.stdin?.on("error", () => { });
     // Send options as first line of stdin (Rust reads one line for options, then keeps reading)