server mode

[aloispichler]

I try to use languagetool for writing emails with mu4e.
For this, I prefer the server version, and I would like to
(languagetool-server-start) and
(languagetool-server-mode).
This gives the errors
“LanguageTool Server command is not set“ and “LanguageTool Server cannot communicate with server”.

However, if I first run languagetool-check or languagetool-correct-buffer (which are both from languagetool-console.el), then
(languagetool-server-start) and
(languagetool-server-mode)
start properly.

How can I launch languagetool-server-mode, without starting the console first?

Thank you very much indeed!

[PillFall]

@aloispichler

This issue is strange, Can you show me how you configured the package?

[wlkr]

Interestingly, I see the same thing. I'm using a macOS Emacs build and have followed almost the exact set-up from the README.md. The only difference was the directory name I've used for LanguageTool.

Through a bit of experimenting, what resolved this for me was lifting the commands outside of the use-package ... :config, i.e.:

(use-package languagetool
  :ensure t
  :defer t
  :commands (languagetool-check
             languagetool-clear-suggestions
             languagetool-correct-at-point
             languagetool-correct-buffer
             languagetool-set-language
             languagetool-server-mode
             languagetool-server-start
             languagetool-server-stop))

(setq languagetool-java-arguments '("-Dfile.encoding=UTF-8")
        languagetool-console-command "~/.languagetool/languagetool-commandline.jar"
        languagetool-server-command "~/.languagetool/languagetool-server.jar")

• LanguageTool version 6.6
• emacs-version: GNU Emacs 30.1 (build 1, aarch64-apple-darwin21.6.0, NS appkit-2113.65 Version 12.7.6 (Build 21H1320)) of 2025-02-24

[aloispichler]

Here, this workaround does not work neither.

[PillFall]

@aloispichler Assuming you have a similar setup as @wlkr, I will test this on a Mac machine.

[aloispichler]

This is how I got it working:

(use-package languagetool ; in Arch (AUR) install: languageool
  :ensure t
  :hook (mu4e-compose-mode . (lambda ()
				   (languagetool-server-start)
				   (languagetool-server-mode)))
  :config
    (setq languagetool-java-arguments '("-Dfile.encoding=UTF-8" "-cp" "/usr/share/languagetool:/usr/share/java/languagetool/*")
          languagetool-console-command "org.languagetool.commandline.Main"
          languagetool-server-command "org.languagetool.server.HTTPServer"))

However, I need to start compose-mode twice, as it takes the server some time to get started. languagetool-server-mode seems only possible with languagetool-server-start up and running.

This lag actually seems to cause the issue.

[PillFall]

@aloispichler, Don't you need LanguageTool anywhere else?

If so, you could execute (languagetool-server-start) on Emacs start. and only attach (languagetool-server-mode) when needed. This is the intended way to use.

(languagetool-server-mode) only activates if the server configured is reachable and running.