Automattic/node-canvas

doesn't work for node.js with pointer-compression

Open

#2228 opened on Apr 7, 2023

View on GitHub
 (0 comments) (1 reaction) (0 assignees)JavaScript (9,524 stars) (1,140 forks)batch import
Help wanted

Description

Issue

Using canvas with pointer compression node.js builds (from unofficial-builds) always leads to a segmentation fault.

Steps to Reproduce

console.log('before');
const Canvas = require('canvas');
console.log('after');

with pointer compression node.js we got:

before
Segmentation fault

It's probably not guranteed for node-canvas to work on any build, especially unofficial ones, yet the problem looks unexpected, because some other binary addons work well with the node version.

Environment

  • node-canvas 2.11.2
  • node js with pointer compression from unofficial-builds 18.12.1, 18.15.0
  • Debian Linux 11

Contributor guide

Tech stack
nodejsjavascript
Domain
backend
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
5
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
over 1 week
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
Understanding of Node.js native addonsKnowledge of V8 pointer compression concepts
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
10
Research direction
First, reproduce the segfault with both official and unofficial Node.js builds to confirm scope. Then, examine the node canvas native addon source code (likely in src/ directory) for any direct V8 API calls that may be affected by pointer compression. Look for patterns like using Local handles without proper HandleScope or expecting uncompressed pointers. Also check if there are any upstream issues in Node.js or V8 regarding pointer compression compatibility with native addons. Consider building node canvas from source with debug symbols to get a stack trace of the crash location.