[ESS-bugs] ess-mode 5.2.11; Rterm won't load

[Michael Wolosin]

Following is the text of an e-mail exchange to ess-help and ess-bugs
describing a problem I'm having.

Initial description:
-----------------
I've been using Xemacs and ESS to run R for a while (2 yrs) in various 
version combinations, after trying to update to R 2.2.1, I couldn't get R 
to run from within e-macs.  After wiping the slate clean to start over, I 
re-installed everything in the following order:
1) R version 2.2.1
2) Xemacs 21.4.19
3) ess 5.2.11, by unzipping files and directory structure into the 
site-packages folder
4) John Fox's init.el into the appropriate directory, with changes as necessary

When I start up Xemacs (from a desktop shortcut pointing to "C:\Program 
Files\XEmacs\XEmacs-21.4.19\i586-pc-win32\xemacs.exe"), it goes through the 
normal steps, splitting up the window, collecting some garbage, loading 
stuff, telling me to type C-h m for help on ess, etc.

Then I get a Windows popup telling me there has been a Program Error: 
"Rterm.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows.  You will 
need to restart the program.  An error log is being created."

In Xemacs, I get the message "Error in init file.  Process R not running" 
in the mini-buffer, and the following buffers:
*Warnings* with:
"(1) (initialization/error) An error has occurred while loading 
c:\Documents and Settings\msw10\.xemacs\init.el:
Process R is not running.
To ensure normal operation, you should investigate the cause of the error
in your initialization file and remove it.  Use the `-debug-init' option
to XEmacs to view a complete error backtrace."

*R* with:
"R : Copyright 2005, The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
Version 2.2.1  (2005-12-20 r36812)
ISBN 3-900051-07-0
... snip ...
updating HTML package listing
Process R trace trap at Wed May 24 17:09:43 2006"

*ESS* with:
"[ess-site.el]: ess-customize-alist=nil
[ess-site.el _2_]: ess-customize-alist=nil
(Sqpe): ess-sqpe-versions-create making M-x defun splus62 for 
c:/progra~1/Insightful/splus62
(R): ess-rterm-versions-create making M-x defuns for
(R): ess-dialect=nil, buf=*scratch*, start-arg=nil
  current-prefix-arg=nil
(inferior-ess 0): ess-start-args=--ess
ess-setq-vars-default 0: ess-language=Initial, -dialect=nil, buf=nil, 
comint..echoes=nil, comint..sender=comint-simple-send
ess-setq-vars-default 1: ess-language=S, -dialect=R, buf=nil, 
comint..echoes=nil, comint..sender=comint-simple-send
(inf-ess 1): lang=S, dialect=R, tmp-dialect=R, buf=*scratch*
(inf-ess 1.1): procname=R temp-dialect=R, buf-name=*R*
(inferior-ess) Method #3 start=c:\mike\workspace\ buf=*R*
(ess-setq-vars-LOCAL): language=S, dialect=R, buf=nil, comint..echoes=nil, 
comint..sender=comint-simple-send
(inf-ess 2.1): ess-language=S, ess-dialect=R buf=*R*
(inf-ess 2.2): start args = --ess  , inf-ess-start-args=--ess
(inf-ess finish [S(R), C:/Program Files/R/R-2.2.1/bin/Rterm.exe(nil,nil)]
(ess-multi 0):  inf-ess-start-args=--ess  , comint-..echoes=nil
(i-ess 1): buf=*R*, lang=S, comint..echo=nil, 
comint..sender=comint-simple-send,
(i-ess 2): buf=*R*, lang=S, comint..echo=t, 
comint..sender=inferior-R-input-sender,
(ess-setq-vars-LOCAL): language=S, dialect=R, buf=nil, comint..echoes=t, 
comint..sender=inferior-R-input-sender
(i-ess 3): curr-buf=*R*, comint..echo=t, 
comint..sender=inferior-R-input-sender,
(ess-multi post inf-ess: start-args=--ess  , comint-echoes=t
(ess-multi 1):  start-args=--ess
Making Process...Buf *R*, Proc R, Prog C:/Program Files/R/R-2.2.1/bin/Rterm.exe
  Start File=nil, Args= --ess  ."

I really can't figure out what's going on.  I can't find the error log 
mentioned by the windows pop-up, and adding -debug-init to the Xemacs call 
doesn't seem to be giving me any clues.  Running rterm.exe from a command 
prompt works as expected.  R version 2.3.0 has the same problem, and so did 
version 2.2.0.  A few times, things ran fine once, directly after 
reinstalling R, but after quitting out of R and xemacs, and running it 
again, it had the same problem.

-------------------------------------
Reply to a Richard's suggestions:
-------------------------------------

At 06:08 PM 5/24/2006 -0400, Richard M. Heiberger wrote:
 >My first suggestion is to remove the init.el entirely.
When I do this, Xemacs starts correctly as expected.

 >Then manually load the ess/.../lisp/ess-site.el
 >and see what happens.
I open ess-site.el in a buffer, and evaluate the whole buffer.  It gives me 
the following error in the mini-buffer:
"ERROR:ess-site.el:ess-etc-directory"
then "loading regexp-opt" or something like that, and then "enabling 
speedbar support"

The ess-etc-directory on my installation is at one of the expected 
locations (a subdirectory called /etc from the same parent as the lisp 
directory in which ess-site.el resides.)

---------------------------------------
Reply to Richard's second set of suggestions:
---------------------------------------
At 07:36 PM 5/24/2006 -0400, Richard M. Heiberger wrote:
 >Please note that I have taken ess-help off this thread.
 >Just ess-bugs needs to see this.
 >
 >I need all the information about the error.  Were you really in the
 >right directory when you loaded ess-site?  I am puzzled about that etc 
problem.
 >
 >Please load ess-site.el this time,
 >not bring it into the editor.  Open up dired to the ess/.../lisp directory.
 >Put the cursor on the ess-site.el line and then enter uppercase  L

I followed these instructions and it gives me no error messages.  It 
flashes a few things (reg-exp opt, something else, then "load: 1 
file").  Then I killed the dired buffer, and used C-u M-x R to start an R 
session.  It worked _once_, but after quiting out of that R session, it 
wouldn't work again (even if I quite out of Xemacs, and did the whole 
sequence again from the start; I also tried re-booting).  Each time, it 
gave me the same type of program error as before.  But I never got an error 
message trying to run ess-site.el.

 >If you get an error message, then follow the instructions for
 >M-x ess-submit-bug-report

------------------------------------------

Emacs  : XEmacs 21.4 (patch 19) "Constant Variable" [Lucid] (i586-pc-win32) 
of Sat Jan 28 2006 on VSHELTON-PC2
Package: ess-mode 5.2.11

current state:
==============
(setq
  ess-language "Initial"
  ess-dialect nil
  ess-ask-for-ess-directory t
  ess-ask-about-transfile nil
  ess-directory nil
  ess-keep-dump-files "always"
  ess-source-directory "/tmp/"
  )
[ess-site.el]: ess-customize-alist=nil
[ess-site.el _2_]: ess-customize-alist=nil
(Sqpe): ess-sqpe-versions-create making M-x defun splus62 for 
c:/progra~1/Insightful/splus62
(R): ess-rterm-versions-create making M-x defuns for