Install the browser tools¶
Install Playwright and Chromium so that you can run mkdeck check and mkdeck export.
Both commands drive headless Chromium through Playwright, and mkdeck does not install them by default. So you add the check extra and download Chromium yourself. The extra has that name because mkdeck check was the first command to need it, and mkdeck export uses the same install.
Choose your install¶
In a project, add the extra to a dependency group. Then download the browser:
uv add --group slides "mkdeck[check]"
uv run playwright install chromium
With pip, install the extra, then download the browser:
pip install "mkdeck[check]"
python -m playwright install chromium
If you installed the command with uv tool install mkdeck, install it again with the extra:
uv tool install "mkdeck[check]"
uvx playwright install chromium
To try the commands once without installing, run uvx --from "mkdeck[check]" mkdeck check talk.
Fix a Chromium start failure¶
Chromium fails to start when the machine lacks system libraries, such as NSS or ALSA. On Debian or Ubuntu, run playwright install-deps chromium. Alternatively, point LD_LIBRARY_PATH at a folder that holds the libraries. Playwright inherits your environment.
Limits¶
Warning
Run check and export only on decks that you trust. Raw HTML in a slide runs in the browser that these commands start. The commands stop the page from reading a local file outside the deck folder. However, the page can still reach the network.
Next: Check your slides.