[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #39262: Fall back to ImageMagick command line when the pecl imagic is not available on the server

[WordPress Trac]

#39262: Fall back to ImageMagick command line when the pecl imagic is not available
on the server
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 Reporter:  Hristo Sg           |       Owner:
     Type:  enhancement         |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal              |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  External Libraries  |     Version:  4.7
 Severity:  normal              |  Resolution:
 Keywords:                      |     Focuses:
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Comment (by mikeschroder):

 Replying to [comment:3 danielkanchev]:
 > Right now in the WP core ImageMagick is used just because it supports
 more file types then GD. That is why in WP 4.7 we can now generate
 thumbnails of PDF files.
 <snip>
 > - Better support for different environments. The user doesn't care of
 the host has ImageMagick or not. The user just wants to see the thumbnail
 generated and when ImageMagick is not available this will not happen.

 Hey there!

 Wanted to address these two notes. Imagick/ImageMagick is used by default
 not because it supports more types (although this does help with PDF, for
 sure) but because it is better at all of the operations that GD can do,
 and is more customizable as to how it does those operations.

 It enables smaller image creation at better qualities, and allows for
 maintaining EXIF/IPTC information, which includes color profiles.

 In general, it's much better at handling images than GD.

 In terms of expanding the support of PDF thumbnail creation, and the
 addition of an image editor that supports creation via the shell:
 First, thanks so much for writing this! It's something that was considered
 early on, but was decided against, both due to time constraints, and due
 to not wanting to shell out.

 I tend to agree with @dd32 on this point, and don't think that the
 increase in compatibility is worth adding something that shells out to
 core. This is mostly because at this point, I find that most hosts that
 put WordPress as a priority understand that Imagick is key for WordPress
 handing images as best as it can, and tend to include it with their plans.

 I see the performance benefit, but given that this is only affected while
 users are uploading images, the additional surface seems like a bigger
 issue than reducing this load.

 I would absolutely love to see this in plugin form! Part of the reason
 that PDF thumbnail creation, and, indeed, `WP_Image_Editor` was written as
 it is is so that plugins that add `WP_Image_Editors` like yours, or the
 one written by @gitlost can be included, and WordPress will choose to use
 it for image operations.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/39262#comment:5>
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