Change default Asymptote method from server to local (#1127)

* Initial plan

* Change default Asymptote method from 'server' to 'local'

Co-authored-by: oscarlevin <6504596+oscarlevin@users.noreply.github.com>
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* Add tests for default asy_method and update CHANGELOG

Co-authored-by: oscarlevin <6504596+oscarlevin@users.noreply.github.com>
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* Skip asy-dependent tests when asy is not installed

Co-authored-by: oscarlevin <6504596+oscarlevin@users.noreply.github.com>
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---------

Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: oscarlevin <6504596+oscarlevin@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: Copilot

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ Instructions: Add a subsection under `[Unreleased]` for additions, fixes, change
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+
+- The default Asymptote generation method is now `local` (using the local `asy` binary) instead of `server`. This improves reliability since the server method has been subject to breakage whenever the Asymptote web interface is updated. Users who need the server method can still opt in via `asy-method="server"` in `project.ptx`.
+
 ## [2.37.1] - 2026-02-19
 
 Includes updates to core through commit: [4e4ff13](https://github.com/PreTeXtBook/pretext/commit/4e4ff13706654ca5eb4ff9936bc2acddbd4aa648)

pretext/project/__init__.py

@@ -1344,7 +1344,7 @@ def validate_path(cls, path: t.Union[Path, str]) -> Path:
     #
     # TODO: why is this optional, if there's a non-optional default? How would it ever be optional if loaded from an XML file?
     asy_method: t.Optional[AsyMethod] = pxml.attr(
-        name="asy-method", default=AsyMethod.SERVER
+        name="asy-method", default=AsyMethod.LOCAL
     )
 
     # See the docs on `Target.server`; they apply here as well.

pretext/project/xml.py

@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class LegacyTarget(pxml.BaseXmlModel, tag="target", search_mode=SearchMode.UNORD
     # The v1 file called this `deploy-dir`; the v2 file uses `site`.
     deploy_dir: t.Optional[str] = pxml.element(tag="deploy-dir", default=None)
     xsl: t.Optional[str] = pxml.element(default=None)
-    asy_method: t.Optional[str] = pxml.element(tag="asy-method", default="server")
+    asy_method: t.Optional[str] = pxml.element(tag="asy-method", default="local")
     stringparams: t.List[LegacyStringParam] = pxml.element(
         tag="stringparam", default=[]
     )

templates/course/project.ptx

@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
         site="site"
         stage="output/stage"
         xsl="xsl"
-        asy-method="server"
+        asy-method="local"
     >
       <targets>
           <target
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
             output-dir="web"
             deploy-dir="interactive"
             xsl="custom-html.xsl"
-            asy-method="server"
+            asy-method="local"
           />
           <target
             name="web-zipped"
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
             publication="publication.ptx"
             output-dir="web"
             compression="zip"
-            asy-method="server"
+            asy-method="local"
           />
           <target
             name="runestone"

templates/project.ptx

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
         site="site"
         stage="output/stage"
         xsl="xsl"
-        asy-method="server"
+        asy-method="local"
         generated-cache=".cache"
      >
        <targets>
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
             output-dir="web"
             deploy-dir="interactive"
             xsl="custom-html.xsl"
-            asy-method="server"
+            asy-method="local"
           />
           <target
             name="web-zipped"
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
             publication="publication.ptx"
             output-dir="web"
             compression="zip"
-            asy-method="server"
+            asy-method="local"
           />
           <target
             name="runestone"

tests/test_cli.py

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 PY_CMD = sys.executable
 
 HAS_XELATEX = check_installed(["xelatex", "--version"])
+HAS_ASY = check_installed(["asy", "--version"])
 
 
 @contextmanager
@@ -87,6 +88,10 @@ def test_devscript(script_runner: ScriptRunner) -> None:
     not HAS_XELATEX,
     reason="Skipped since xelatex isn't found.",
 )
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    not HAS_ASY,
+    reason="Skipped since asy isn't found.",
+)
 def test_build(tmp_path: Path, script_runner: ScriptRunner) -> None:
     path_with_spaces = "test path with spaces"
     project_path = tmp_path / path_with_spaces
@@ -237,6 +242,10 @@ def test_init_and_update_with_git(tmp_path: Path, script_runner: ScriptRunner) -
         assert f"pretext == {pretext.VERSION}\n" in lines[1]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    not HAS_ASY,
+    reason="Skipped since asy isn't found.",
+)
 def test_generate_graphics(tmp_path: Path, script_runner: ScriptRunner) -> None:
     graphics_path = tmp_path / "graphics"
     shutil.copytree(EXAMPLES_DIR / "projects" / "graphics", graphics_path)

tests/test_project.py

@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ def test_defaults(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
             assert target.xsl is None
             assert target.latex_engine == pr.LatexEngine.XELATEX
             assert target.stringparams == {}
+    # Default asy_method should be "local"
+    assert project.asy_method == pr.AsyMethod.LOCAL
+    for t in ts:
+        name, _ = t
+        assert project.get_target(name).asy_method == pr.AsyMethod.LOCAL
 
 
 def test_serve(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
@@ -106,6 +111,11 @@ def test_manifest_simple(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
 
         assert not project.has_target("foo")
 
+        # When asy-method is not specified, the default should be "local"
+        assert project.asy_method == pr.AsyMethod.LOCAL
+        assert t_web.asy_method == pr.AsyMethod.LOCAL
+        assert t_print.asy_method == pr.AsyMethod.LOCAL
+
         default_project = pr.Project(ptx_version="2")
         assert default_project.site == project.site
         assert default_project.output_dir == project.output_dir

tests/test_sample_article.py

@@ -6,11 +6,18 @@
 import pretext.utils
 from .common import check_installed, EXAMPLES_DIR
 
+HAS_XELATEX = check_installed(["xelatex", "--version"])
+HAS_ASY = check_installed(["asy", "--version"])
+
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
-    not check_installed(["xelatex", "--version"]),
+    not HAS_XELATEX,
     reason="Note: several tests are skipped, since xelatex wasn't installed.",
 )
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    not HAS_ASY,
+    reason="Skipped since asy isn't found.",
+)
 def test_sample_article(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     error_checker = errorhandler.ErrorHandler(logger="ptxlogger")
     prj_path = tmp_path / "sample"