[Rd] robustness of install.packages/update.packages (was Re: bug in L-BFGS-B? (PR#8099))

[Berwin A Turlach]

G'day Brian,

>>>>> "BDR" == Prof Brian Ripley <ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk> writes:

    BDR> We've never encountered this lying mirror problem.
Indeed, that mirror is a worry, I guess that is the reason why it is
not on the official mirror list.

We had the problem with install.packages/update.packages under linux
too: source packages that supposedly should have been on the mirror
were not and the commands just terminated with an error message instead
of installing all those packages that could be found.  

Unfortunately, the way we are charged for internet traffic, it is much
cheaper for us to use mirror.aarnet.edu.au than any other mirror.  I
remember that last year around this time (give or take a some months)
when a new R version was released (2.0.0?) it took actually quite some
time before the sources appeared on the mirror, the directory
structure was mirrored, but not the files.  That was when I decided to
(temporarily) change mirrors.

    BDR> Perhaps you (or another user of the unreliable mirror) could
    BDR> contribute suitable fixes.
I will look into this when I find some time.

Cheers,

        Berwin