"Received empty message from server" for Ctrl+h, Ctrl+j and Ctrl+l

[b0lle]

2. Issues with the Zellij UI / behavior / crash

Issue description

When binding Ctrl+h, Ctrl+j and Ctrl+l to the vim-zellij-navigator plugin with

keybinds {
    shared_except "locked" {
        bind "Ctrl h" {
            MessagePlugin "https://github.com/hiasr/vim-zellij-navigator/releases/latest/download/vim-zellij-navigator.wasm" {
                name "move_focus";
                payload "left";
            };
        }

        bind "Ctrl j" {
            MessagePlugin "https://github.com/hiasr/vim-zellij-navigator/releases/latest/download/vim-zellij-navigator.wasm" {
                name "move_focus";
                payload "down";
            };
        }

        bind "Ctrl k" {
            MessagePlugin "https://github.com/hiasr/vim-zellij-navigator/releases/latest/download/vim-zellij-navigator.wasm" {
                name "move_focus";
                payload "up";
            };
        }

        bind "Ctrl l" {
            MessagePlugin "https://github.com/hiasr/vim-zellij-navigator/releases/latest/download/vim-zellij-navigator.wasm" {
                name "move_focus";
                payload "right";
            };
        }
    }
}

I receive

Received empty message from server 

Minimal reproduction

Install the plugin, as mentioned above.

Other relevant information

zellij v0.40.1
MacOS Sonoma v14.0

zellij log

ERROR  |zellij::sessions         | 2024-05-03 11:37:49.337 [main      ] [src/sessions.rs:90]: Failed to read session_info cache folder: ""/Users/julianfrenzel/Library/Caches/org.Zellij-Contributors.Zellij/0.40.1/session_info"": Os { code: 2, kind: NotFound, message: "No such file or directory" } 
ERROR  |zellij::sessions         | 2024-05-03 11:37:49.338 [main      ] [src/sessions.rs:90]: Failed to read session_info cache folder: ""/Users/julianfrenzel/Library/Caches/org.Zellij-Contributors.Zellij/0.40.1/session_info"": Os { code: 2, kind: NotFound, message: "No such file or directory" } 
INFO   |zellij_client            | 2024-05-03 11:37:49.338 [main      ] [zellij-client/src/lib.rs:178]: Starting Zellij client! 
INFO   |zellij_server            | 2024-05-03 11:37:49.352 [main      ] [zellij-server/src/lib.rs:284]: Starting Zellij server! 
ERROR  |zellij_client::stdin_ansi| 2024-05-03 11:37:49.411 [stdin_handler] [zellij-client/src/stdin_ansi_parser.rs:124]: Failed to open STDIN cache file: Os { code: 2, kind: NotFound, message: "No such file or directory" } 
WARN   |zellij_server::route     | 2024-05-03 11:37:49.412 [server_router] [zellij-server/src/route.rs:1037]: Server not ready, trying to place instruction in retry queue... 
INFO   |zellij_server            | 2024-05-03 11:37:49.413 [main      ] [zellij-server/src/lib.rs:1068]: Compiling plugins using Cranelift 
INFO   |zellij_server::plugins   | 2024-05-03 11:37:49.413 [wasm      ] [zellij-server/src/plugins/mod.rs:203]: Wasm main thread starts 
WARN   |zellij_utils::input::layo| 2024-05-03 11:37:49.414 [wasm      ] [zellij-utils/src/input/layout.rs:105]: Overriding plugin alias 
WARN   |zellij_utils::input::layo| 2024-05-03 11:37:49.414 [wasm      ] [zellij-utils/src/input/layout.rs:105]: Overriding plugin alias 
INFO   |zellij_server::plugins::p| 2024-05-03 11:37:49.800 [async-std/runti] [zellij-server/src/plugins/plugin_loader.rs:574]: Compiled plugin 'tab-bar' in 376.400458ms 
INFO   |zellij_server            | 2024-05-03 11:37:49.800 [async-std/runti] [zellij-server/src/lib.rs:1068]: Compiling plugins using Cranelift 
WARN   |zellij_server::route     | 2024-05-03 11:37:49.926 [server_router] [zellij-server/src/route.rs:1138]: Server ready, retrying sending instruction. 
INFO   |zellij_server::plugins::p| 2024-05-03 11:37:50.239 [async-std/runti] [zellij-server/src/plugins/plugin_loader.rs:574]: Compiled plugin 'status-bar' in 444.584791ms 
INFO   |zellij_server            | 2024-05-03 11:37:50.239 [async-std/runti] [zellij-server/src/lib.rs:1068]: Compiling plugins using Cranelift 
WARN   |zellij_utils::ipc        | 2024-05-03 11:37:52.377 [router    ] [zellij-utils/src/ipc.rs:226]: Error in IpcReceiver.recv(): InvalidMarkerRead(Error { kind: UnexpectedEof, message: "failed to fill whole buffer" }) 
ERROR  |zellij_client            | 2024-05-03 11:37:52.377 [router    ] [zellij-client/src/lib.rs:375]: Received empty message from server 

There was already a discussion with the owner of the plugin here, which mentioned that this could be a zellij issue.

[imsnif]

Hey, I'm not reproducing this. Not saying it's not an issue, but saying I might need some more info. Have you tried in other terminals? Does this happen on startup? Just when you press the key?

[b0lle]

Hey, I tested with iTerm2 and warp. It happens when I press the mentioned keys. In fact it also happen with ctrl+k, but all other ctrl commands works as expected.

[imsnif]

Does it happen if you bind these keys to something else? Not a MessageToPlugin just anything else. Does it happen if you download the plugins and bind these keys to the same thing but with a file:/path/to/my/plugin.wasm url instead?

[b0lle]

Ok I binded the keys to other functions, which worked:
bind "Ctrl j" { SwitchToMode "Session"; }

I also downloaded the plugin and changed the reference to local

        bind "Ctrl l" { MessagePlugin "/Users/julianfrenzel/Downloads/vim-zellij-navigator.wasm" {
            name "move_focus";
            payload "right";
        }; 
        }
        bind "Ctrl h" { MessagePlugin "/Users/julianfrenzel/Downloads/vim-zellij-navigator.wasm" {
            name "move_focus";
            payload "left";
        }; 
        }

At least this didnt cause my error.
Seems to be related to the download of the plugin ...

[imsnif]

At least this didnt cause my error. Seems to be related to the download of the plugin ...

Didn't cause your error but I guess also didn't work? I think you need to prefix this with file:, as in file:/Users/...

[imsnif]

My guess btw is that it will work with the file: url and that this is a build issue, specifically: #3036 (comment)

If it works with the file: URL, you can follow the instructions in the issue or download the precompiled Zellij version from the release.

[b0lle]

True, it didn´t work. After adding the "file:" prefix, it worked as expected.
Thank you very much for your kind support. I will have a look into #3036 and going to sponsor your project. Zellij is just awesome and I appreciate your work!