[Rd] Making CRAN memory access checks more accessible?

[Duncan Murdoch]

On 25/02/2022 11:31 a.m., Michał Bojanowski wrote:
> Dear colleagues,
> 
> Two days after successfully submitting a package to CRAN I received a
> message about "additional issues" with the package's C++ code
> (clang-UBSAN to be precise) with a two-week deadline to resolve. While
> attempting to somewhat blind-foldedly fix the problem I was wondering
> whether it is sensible and feasible for base R to:
> 
> 1. Implement/expose all these memory-related tests (c.f.
> https://cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/r-release/R-exts.html#Checking-memory-access)
> to package developers e.g. via options to R CMD check, much like
> --use-gct or --use-valgrind are already? Or via a script etc.?

Many users won't be able to run them.
> 
> or
> 
> 2. Expand the chapter
> https://cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/r-release/R-exts.html#Checking-memory-access
> with unequivocal and straightforward instructions how to setup and run
> these tests locally on different platforms? I believe that the current
> version of the manual is inaccessible to anybody but hardcore C/C++
> developers while there is a broader spectrum of ppl able to write some
> C without the deep understanding of the internals.

I doubt if the instructions in WRE could be simplified and still work.


> 
> While I noticed that a similar problem has triggered some heat on
> Twitter recently I independently decided to write to you all here to
> ask the question above. I believe it might be rather difficult for
> package contributors to adhere to tests which they are unable to
> execute locally (or by a CI service). Alas, in the end it will end-up
> with a developer playing package ping-pong with CRAN maintainers whose
> time is a valuable resource.

I think R-hub offers UBSAN services.  Have you tried those?

Duncan Murdoch