Improved Pandoc handling on dev environments (#634)

app/MindWork AI Studio/Dialogs/PandocDialog.razor.cs

@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-using System.Reflection;
+using AIStudio.Components;
-
-using AIStudio.Components;
-using AIStudio.Tools.Metadata;
 using AIStudio.Tools.Services;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components;
 
@@ -11,9 +8,8 @@ namespace AIStudio.Dialogs;
 
 public partial class PandocDialog : MSGComponentBase
 {
-    private static readonly Assembly ASSEMBLY = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
+    // Use runtime detection instead of metadata to ensure correct RID on dev machines:
-    private static readonly MetaDataArchitectureAttribute META_DATA_ARCH = ASSEMBLY.GetCustomAttribute<MetaDataArchitectureAttribute>()!;
+    private static readonly RID CPU_ARCHITECTURE = RIDExtensions.GetCurrentRID();
-    private static readonly RID CPU_ARCHITECTURE = META_DATA_ARCH.Architecture.ToRID();
     
     [Parameter]
     public bool ShowInstallationPage { get; set; }

app/MindWork AI Studio/Tools/Pandoc.cs

@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ public static partial class Pandoc
 
     private static readonly Assembly ASSEMBLY = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
     private static readonly MetaDataArchitectureAttribute META_DATA_ARCH = ASSEMBLY.GetCustomAttribute<MetaDataArchitectureAttribute>()!;
-    private static readonly RID CPU_ARCHITECTURE = META_DATA_ARCH.Architecture.ToRID();
+
+    // Use runtime detection instead of metadata to ensure correct RID on dev machines:
+    private static readonly RID CPU_ARCHITECTURE = RIDExtensions.GetCurrentRID();
+    private static readonly RID METADATA_ARCHITECTURE = META_DATA_ARCH.Architecture.ToRID();
 
     private const string DOWNLOAD_URL = "https://github.com/jgm/pandoc/releases/download";
     private const string LATEST_URL = "https://github.com/jgm/pandoc/releases/latest";
@@ -26,6 +29,11 @@ public static partial class Pandoc
     private static readonly Version MINIMUM_REQUIRED_VERSION = new (3, 7, 0, 2);
     private static readonly Version FALLBACK_VERSION = new (3, 7, 0, 2);
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Tracks whether the first availability check log has been written to avoid log spam on repeated calls.
+    /// </summary>
+    private static bool HAS_LOGGED_AVAILABILITY_CHECK_ONCE;
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Prepares a Pandoc process by using the Pandoc process builder.
     /// </summary>
@@ -41,16 +49,39 @@ public static partial class Pandoc
     /// <returns>True, if pandoc is available and the minimum required version is met, else false.</returns>
     public static async Task<PandocInstallation> CheckAvailabilityAsync(RustService rustService, bool showMessages = true, bool showSuccessMessage = true)
     {
+        //
+        // Determine if we should log (only on the first call):
+        //
+        var shouldLog = !HAS_LOGGED_AVAILABILITY_CHECK_ONCE;
+
         try
         {
+            //
+            // Log a warning if the runtime-detected RID differs from the metadata RID.
+            // This can happen on dev machines where the metadata.txt contains stale values.
+            // We always use the runtime-detected RID for correct behavior.
+            //
+            if (shouldLog && CPU_ARCHITECTURE != METADATA_ARCHITECTURE)
+            {
+                LOG.LogWarning(
+                    "Runtime-detected RID '{RuntimeRID}' differs from metadata RID '{MetadataRID}'. Using runtime-detected RID. This is expected on dev machines where metadata.txt may be outdated.",
+                    CPU_ARCHITECTURE.ToUserFriendlyName(),
+                    METADATA_ARCHITECTURE.ToUserFriendlyName());
+            }
+
             var preparedProcess = await PreparePandocProcess().AddArgument("--version").BuildAsync(rustService);
+            if (shouldLog)
+                LOG.LogInformation("Checking Pandoc availability using executable: '{Executable}' (IsLocal: {IsLocal}).", preparedProcess.StartInfo.FileName, preparedProcess.IsLocal);
+
             using var process = Process.Start(preparedProcess.StartInfo);
             if (process == null)
             {
                 if (showMessages)
                     await MessageBus.INSTANCE.SendError(new(Icons.Material.Filled.Help, TB("Was not able to check the Pandoc installation.")));
 
-                LOG.LogInformation("The Pandoc process was not started, it was null");
+                if (shouldLog)
+                    LOG.LogError("The Pandoc process was not started, it was null. Executable path: '{Executable}'.", preparedProcess.StartInfo.FileName);
+                
                 return new(false, TB("Was not able to check the Pandoc installation."), false, string.Empty, preparedProcess.IsLocal);
             }
 
@@ -68,7 +99,9 @@ public static partial class Pandoc
                 if (showMessages)
                     await MessageBus.INSTANCE.SendError(new(Icons.Material.Filled.Error, TB("Pandoc is not available on the system or the process had issues.")));
 
+                if (shouldLog)
                     LOG.LogError("The Pandoc process exited with code {ProcessExitCode}. Error output: '{ErrorText}'", process.ExitCode, error);
+                
                 return new(false, TB("Pandoc is not available on the system or the process had issues."), false, string.Empty, preparedProcess.IsLocal);
             }
 
@@ -78,7 +111,9 @@ public static partial class Pandoc
                 if (showMessages)
                     await MessageBus.INSTANCE.SendError(new(Icons.Material.Filled.Terminal, TB("Was not able to validate the Pandoc installation.")));
 
-                LOG.LogError("Pandoc --version returned an invalid format: {Output}", output);
+                if (shouldLog)
+                    LOG.LogError("Pandoc --version returned an invalid format: '{Output}'.", output);
+                
                 return new(false, TB("Was not able to validate the Pandoc installation."), false, string.Empty, preparedProcess.IsLocal);
             }
 
@@ -91,14 +126,18 @@ public static partial class Pandoc
                 if (showMessages && showSuccessMessage)
                     await MessageBus.INSTANCE.SendSuccess(new(Icons.Material.Filled.CheckCircle, string.Format(TB("Pandoc v{0} is installed."), installedVersionString)));
 
-                LOG.LogInformation("Pandoc v{0} is installed and matches the required version (v{1})", installedVersionString, MINIMUM_REQUIRED_VERSION.ToString());
+                if (shouldLog)
+                    LOG.LogInformation("Pandoc v{0} is installed and matches the required version (v{1}).", installedVersionString, MINIMUM_REQUIRED_VERSION.ToString());
+
                 return new(true, string.Empty, true, installedVersionString, preparedProcess.IsLocal);
             }
 
             if (showMessages)
                 await MessageBus.INSTANCE.SendError(new(Icons.Material.Filled.Build, string.Format(TB("Pandoc v{0} is installed, but it doesn't match the required version (v{1})."), installedVersionString, MINIMUM_REQUIRED_VERSION.ToString())));
 
-            LOG.LogWarning("Pandoc v{0} is installed, but it does not match the required version (v{1})", installedVersionString, MINIMUM_REQUIRED_VERSION.ToString());
+            if (shouldLog)
+                LOG.LogWarning("Pandoc v{0} is installed, but it does not match the required version (v{1}).", installedVersionString, MINIMUM_REQUIRED_VERSION.ToString());
+            
             return new(true, string.Format(TB("Pandoc v{0} is installed, but it does not match the required version (v{1})."), installedVersionString, MINIMUM_REQUIRED_VERSION.ToString()), false, installedVersionString, preparedProcess.IsLocal);
         }
         catch (Exception e)
@@ -106,9 +145,15 @@ public static partial class Pandoc
             if (showMessages)
                 await MessageBus.INSTANCE.SendError(new(@Icons.Material.Filled.AppsOutage, TB("It seems that Pandoc is not installed.")));
 
-            LOG.LogError("Pandoc is not installed and threw an exception: {0}", e.Message);
+            if(shouldLog)
+                LOG.LogError(e, "Pandoc availability check failed. This usually means Pandoc is not installed or not in the system PATH.");
+            
             return new(false, TB("It seems that Pandoc is not installed."), false, string.Empty, false);
         }
+        finally
+        {
+            HAS_LOGGED_AVAILABILITY_CHECK_ONCE = true;
+        }
     }
 
     /// <summary>

app/MindWork AI Studio/Tools/PandocProcessBuilder.cs

@@ -13,7 +13,14 @@ public sealed class PandocProcessBuilder
 {
     private static readonly Assembly ASSEMBLY = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly();
     private static readonly MetaDataArchitectureAttribute META_DATA_ARCH = ASSEMBLY.GetCustomAttribute<MetaDataArchitectureAttribute>()!;
-    private static readonly RID CPU_ARCHITECTURE = META_DATA_ARCH.Architecture.ToRID();
+
+    // Use runtime detection instead of metadata to ensure correct RID on dev machines:
+    private static readonly RID CPU_ARCHITECTURE = RIDExtensions.GetCurrentRID();
+    private static readonly RID METADATA_ARCHITECTURE = META_DATA_ARCH.Architecture.ToRID();
+    private static readonly ILogger LOGGER = Program.LOGGER_FACTORY.CreateLogger(nameof(PandocProcessBuilder));
+
+    // Tracks whether the first log has been written to avoid log spam on repeated calls:
+    private static bool HAS_LOGGED_ONCE;
 
     private string? providedInputFile;
     private string? providedOutputFile;
@@ -111,32 +118,109 @@ public sealed class PandocProcessBuilder
     /// <returns>Path to the pandoc executable.</returns>
     private static async Task<PandocExecutable> PandocExecutablePath(RustService rustService)
     {
+        //
+        // Determine if we should log (only on the first call):
+        //
+        var shouldLog = !HAS_LOGGED_ONCE;
+
+        try
+        {
+            //
+            // Log a warning if the runtime-detected RID differs from the metadata RID.
+            // This can happen on dev machines where the metadata.txt contains stale values.
+            // We always use the runtime-detected RID for correct behavior.
+            //
+            if (shouldLog && CPU_ARCHITECTURE != METADATA_ARCHITECTURE)
+            {
+                LOGGER.LogWarning(
+                    "Runtime-detected RID '{RuntimeRID}' differs from metadata RID '{MetadataRID}'. Using runtime-detected RID. This is expected on dev machines where metadata.txt may be outdated.",
+                    CPU_ARCHITECTURE.ToUserFriendlyName(),
+                    METADATA_ARCHITECTURE.ToUserFriendlyName());
+            }
+
             //
             // First, we try to find the pandoc executable in the data directory.
             // Any local installation should be preferred over the system-wide installation.
             //
             var localInstallationRootDirectory = await Pandoc.GetPandocDataFolder(rustService);
+
+            //
+            // Check if the data directory path is valid:
+            //
+            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(localInstallationRootDirectory))
+            {
+                if (shouldLog)
+                    LOGGER.LogWarning("The local data directory path is empty or null. Cannot search for local Pandoc installation.");
+            }
+            else if (!Directory.Exists(localInstallationRootDirectory))
+            {
+                if (shouldLog)
+                    LOGGER.LogWarning("The local Pandoc installation directory does not exist: '{LocalInstallationRootDirectory}'.", localInstallationRootDirectory);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                //
+                // The directory exists, search for the pandoc executable:
+                //
+                var executableName = PandocExecutableName;
+                if (shouldLog)
+                    LOGGER.LogInformation("Searching for Pandoc executable '{ExecutableName}' in: '{LocalInstallationRootDirectory}'.", executableName, localInstallationRootDirectory);
+
                 try
                 {
-            var executableName = PandocExecutableName;
+                    //
+                    // First, check the root directory itself:
+                    //
+                    var rootExecutablePath = Path.Combine(localInstallationRootDirectory, executableName);
+                    if (File.Exists(rootExecutablePath))
+                    {
+                        if (shouldLog)
+                            LOGGER.LogInformation("Found local Pandoc installation at the root path: '{Path}'.", rootExecutablePath);
+
+                        HAS_LOGGED_ONCE = true;
+                        return new(rootExecutablePath, true);
+                    }
+
+                    //
+                    // Then, search all subdirectories:
+                    //
                     var subdirectories = Directory.GetDirectories(localInstallationRootDirectory, "*", SearchOption.AllDirectories);
                     foreach (var subdirectory in subdirectories)
                     {
                         var pandocPath = Path.Combine(subdirectory, executableName);
                         if (File.Exists(pandocPath))
+                        {
+                            if (shouldLog)
+                                LOGGER.LogInformation("Found local Pandoc installation at: '{Path}'.", pandocPath);
+
+                            HAS_LOGGED_ONCE = true;
                             return new(pandocPath, true);
                         }
                     }
-        catch
+
+                    if (shouldLog)
+                        LOGGER.LogWarning("No Pandoc executable found in local installation directory or its subdirectories.");
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
                 {
-            // ignored
+                    if (shouldLog)
+                        LOGGER.LogWarning(ex, "Error while searching for a local Pandoc installation in: '{LocalInstallationRootDirectory}'.", localInstallationRootDirectory);
+                }
             }
 
             //
-        // When no local installation was found, we assume that the pandoc executable is in the system PATH.
+            // When no local installation was found, we assume that the pandoc executable is in the system PATH:
             //
+            if (shouldLog)
+                LOGGER.LogWarning("Falling back to system PATH for the Pandoc executable: '{ExecutableName}'.", PandocExecutableName);
+            
             return new(PandocExecutableName, false);
         }
+        finally
+        {
+            HAS_LOGGED_ONCE = true;
+        }
+    }
     
     /// <summary>
     /// Reads the os platform to determine the used executable name.

app/MindWork AI Studio/wwwroot/changelog/v26.1.2.md

@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 # v26.1.2, build 232 (2026-01-xx xx:xx UTC)
 - Added the option to hide specific assistants by configuration plugins. This is useful for enterprise environments in organizations.
 - Added the current date and time to the system prompt for better context in conversations. Thanks Peer `peerschuett` for the contribution.
-- Added error handling for context window overflow, which can occur with huge file attachments in chats or the document analysis assistant.
+- Added error handling for the context window overflow, which can occur with huge file attachments in chats or the document analysis assistant.
 - Improved error handling for model loading in provider dialogs (LLMs, embeddings, transcriptions).
 - Improved the microphone handling (transcription preview) so that all sound effects and the voice recording are processed without interruption.
 - Improved the handling of self-hosted providers in the configuration dialogs (LLMs, embeddings, and transcriptions) when the host cannot provide a list of models.
 - Improved the document analysis assistant (in preview) by allowing users to send results to a new chat to ask follow-up questions. Thanks to Sabrina `Sabrina-devops` for this contribution.
+- Improved the developer experience by detecting incorrect CPU architecture metadata when checking and installing the Pandoc dependency.
 - Improved error messages for failed communication with AI servers.
 - Fixed a logging bug that prevented log events from being recorded in some cases.
 - Fixed a bug that allowed adding a provider (LLM, embedding, or transcription) without selecting a model.

app/SharedTools/RIDExtensions.cs

@@ -1,7 +1,39 @@
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+
 namespace SharedTools;
 
 public static class RIDExtensions
 {
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Detects the current Runtime Identifier (RID) at runtime based on OS and architecture.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>
+    /// This method should be preferred over reading the RID from metadata,
+    /// as the metadata may contain stale values in development environments.
+    /// </remarks>
+    /// <returns>The detected RID for the current platform.</returns>
+    public static RID GetCurrentRID()
+    {
+        var isWindows = RuntimeInformation.IsOSPlatform(OSPlatform.Windows);
+        var isLinux = RuntimeInformation.IsOSPlatform(OSPlatform.Linux);
+        var isMacOS = RuntimeInformation.IsOSPlatform(OSPlatform.OSX);
+        var arch = RuntimeInformation.OSArchitecture;
+
+        return (isWindows, isLinux, isMacOS, arch) switch
+        {
+            (true, _, _, Architecture.X64) => RID.WIN_X64,
+            (true, _, _, Architecture.Arm64) => RID.WIN_ARM64,
+
+            (_, true, _, Architecture.X64) => RID.LINUX_X64,
+            (_, true, _, Architecture.Arm64) => RID.LINUX_ARM64,
+
+            (_, _, true, Architecture.X64) => RID.OSX_X64,
+            (_, _, true, Architecture.Arm64) => RID.OSX_ARM64,
+
+            _ => RID.NONE,
+        };
+    }
+
     public static string AsMicrosoftRid(this RID rid) => rid switch
     {
         RID.WIN_X64 => "win-x64",

runtime/src/pandoc.rs

@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::fs;
+use std::sync::OnceLock;
+use log::warn;
 use tokio::process::Command;
 use crate::environment::DATA_DIRECTORY;
 use crate::metadata::META_DATA;
 
+/// Tracks whether the RID mismatch warning has been logged.
+static HAS_LOGGED_RID_MISMATCH: OnceLock<()> = OnceLock::new();
+
 pub struct PandocExecutable {
     pub executable: String,
     pub is_local_installation: bool,
@@ -156,13 +161,51 @@ impl PandocProcessBuilder {
         Err("Executable not found".into())
     }
 
-    /// Reads the os platform to determine the used executable name.
+    /// Determines the executable name based on the current OS at runtime.
+    ///
+    /// This uses runtime detection instead of metadata to ensure correct behavior
+    /// on dev machines where the metadata may contain stale values.
     fn pandoc_executable_name() -> String {
-        let metadata = META_DATA.lock().unwrap();
+        // Log a warning (once) if the runtime OS differs from the metadata architecture.
-        let metadata = metadata.as_ref().unwrap();
+        // This can happen on dev machines where the metadata.txt contains stale values.
+        HAS_LOGGED_RID_MISMATCH.get_or_init(|| {
+            let runtime_os = std::env::consts::OS;
+            let runtime_arch = std::env::consts::ARCH;
 
-        match metadata.architecture.as_str() {
+            if let Ok(metadata) = META_DATA.lock() {
-            "win-arm64" | "win-x64" => "pandoc.exe".to_string(),
+                if let Some(metadata) = metadata.as_ref() {
+                    let metadata_arch = &metadata.architecture;
+
+                    // Determine expected OS from metadata:
+                    let metadata_is_windows = metadata_arch.starts_with("win-");
+                    let metadata_is_macos = metadata_arch.starts_with("osx-");
+                    let metadata_is_linux = metadata_arch.starts_with("linux-");
+
+                    // Compare with runtime OS:
+                    let runtime_is_windows = runtime_os == "windows";
+                    let runtime_is_macos = runtime_os == "macos";
+                    let runtime_is_linux = runtime_os == "linux";
+
+                    let os_mismatch = (metadata_is_windows != runtime_is_windows)
+                        || (metadata_is_macos != runtime_is_macos)
+                        || (metadata_is_linux != runtime_is_linux);
+
+                    if os_mismatch {
+                        warn!(
+                            Source = "Pandoc";
+                            "Runtime-detected OS '{}-{}' differs from metadata architecture '{}'. Using runtime-detected OS. This is expected on dev machines where metadata.txt may be outdated.",
+                            runtime_os,
+                            runtime_arch,
+                            metadata_arch
+                        );
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        });
+
+        // Use std::env::consts::OS for runtime detection instead of metadata
+        match std::env::consts::OS {
+            "windows" => "pandoc.exe".to_string(),
             _ => "pandoc".to_string(),
         }
     }