Positron experimental graph / plot editor no longer available

Positron
1

I've been using Positron for a few weeks and its been working great. However recently my graphics have stopped showing up in the plot window. What I get instead is an Error:

plot(1:10)
Error in `dev.hold()`:
! no active device and default getOption("device") is invalid

If I select "Show Traceback" I get:

1.  base::plot(1:10)
2.  graphics::plot.default(1:10)
3.    grDevices::dev.hold()

Not sure why its no longer finding the graphics device which I think is .ark.graphics.device. The option to activate the experimental Positron graphics is no longer visible in "Preferences", "Plots".

I'm wondering how I can re-enable this functionality in Positron,

Thanks very much,
Joe

2

Thank you for this report! Can you share what version of Positron you are using (copy from "About Positron") and what OS you are using?

I suspect you may be running into this problem: Ark tries to use ragg even if it is broken, leading to inscrutable errors · Issue #917 · posit-dev/ark · GitHub

We have some workarounds outlined in Ark tries to use ragg even if it is broken, leading to inscrutable errors · Issue #917 · posit-dev/ark · GitHub, if you might try some of those.

3

Can you please call .ps.graphics.create_device() directly and report the error you see?

4

Hi Julia,
I'm using Positron 2025.09.0 build 139 Code - OSS Version: 1.103.0 on a Mac Mini M4 Pro Sequoia 15.6.1.
Thanks,
Joe

5

Hi,
When I run this in the console I get:

Error in loadNamespace():
! there is no package called ‘systemfonts’
Hide Traceback
▆

  1. ├─.ps.graphics.create_device()
  2. │ └─device_shadow()
  3. └─base::loadNamespace(x)
  4. ├─base::namespaceImportFrom(...)
  5. │ └─base::asNamespace(ns)
  6. └─base::loadNamespace(j <- i[[1L]], c(lib.loc, .libPaths()), versionCheck = vI[[j]])
  7. └─base::withRestarts(stop(cond), retry_loadNamespace = function() NULL)

  8.   └─base (local) withOneRestart(expr, restarts[[1L]])

  9.     └─base (local) doWithOneRestart(return(expr), restart)

Thanks,
Joe

6

If you run install.packages("systemfonts") and then restart your R version does it work?

7

Hi Julia
Removing ragg (remove.packages("ragg")) has solved the problem!
Thanks so much (again :))
Joe

8

Also note, when I re-install ragg, it installs a dependency "textshaping". The plot window still works!!!
Thanks again!!
Joe