[Rd] Re: [R] R on gentoo amd64 (gcc 3.3.3) is unstable --- no!

[Dirk Eddelbuettel]

On Sat, Aug 21, 2004 at 06:59:14AM -0700, ivo_welch-rstat8783 at mailblocks.com wrote:
> 
> peter/brian:  thank you for the help.  i can now report that gentoo 
> amd64 can compile R just fine, too; it requires the f77 USE flag and a

(Err, no such thing exists: either g77, f2c or the fort77 wrapper for f2c.)

> gcc compiler rebuild first, though.  I also went to gcc 3.4.1.  my 
> segfault troubles earlier were caused by my use of f2c.
> 
> suggestion: would it be possible to add a code snippet  that tests 
> whether the user is trying to compile with f2c---and if so, bombs the 
> installation?  (if "f77 --version == f2c" then die)  I know the 

Bad idea. 

My Debian configuration, driven from a single configuration, is used on
about a dozen different platforms. One of these, m68k, has a continually
been problematic with g77, which forces us to use f2c. 

And despite your fears, that is working swimmingly for R as well as the by
now 40 or so CRAN packages that are in the distro too, incl the ones like
VR, Hmisc/Design, tseries, ... that contain Fortran code.

> problems are not R's fault, but it can percolate into R and it can 
> protect people like myself.

I'd argue that it wasn't f2c's fault, but maybe an unlucky mix of parts of
your toolchain (gcc, binutils, libc, ...).

Anyway, glad to know you have it working. R on amd64 must be nice.

> PS: I am still looking for an R wizard who would be interested in 
> coauthoring an "R cookbook" ala the "perl cookbook" with me...

This must be the third or fourth time that you ask for that. Why don't you
just start the project with a few snippets on an editable wiki (or
collaborate with Detlef Steuer who already set up a wiki for R that is
unused).  The Python Cookbook at O'Reilly was community-driven. And as the
saying goes: those with the greatest itch ...

By the way, you may also enjoy the 'R in Finance' special-interest group we
have going for things closer to your and my financial economics /
econometrisc heart.

Dirk

-- 
Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.
                                                -- Groucho Marx