Hi,

Recently, I made an R package that used the C++ library Boost.Thread (http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_54_0/doc/html/thread.html) for multithreading.  Previously, I have posted a question at stackoverflow (http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19651954/is-it-possible-to-build-an-r-package-which-use-rcpp-and-boost-thread-on-http), and I also asked at rcpp-devel (http://lists.r-forge.r-project.org/pipermail/rcpp-devel/2013-November/006777.html).  Dirk Eddelbuettel suggested me ask here.  After some tries on win-builder and some research on CRAN, there are still some doubts:

1) For my package to be accepted by CRAN, I am not so sure if it is acceptable to let users to install Boost library themselves?  If not, are there any solutions? I found there are some third party external software or libraries used by other R packages, such as OpenMP and gtk, some of which have corresponding R packages, but there are little discuss about Boost.

(I now know there are some other ways to host my package, but I think CRAN is more straight forward, though it may be stricter.)

2) As I said in my question at stackoverflow (http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19651954/is-it-possible-to-build-an-r-package-which-use-rcpp-and-boost-thread-on-http), I have tried MAKE variable BOOSTLIB on win-builder (http://win-builder.r-project.org/), It is OK for header-only Boost libraries.  I am not sure whether it is OK for separately-compiled libraries such as Boost.Thread, after many fails.  Is it possible? Are there any special variables or path for Boost.Thread?  May I suppose that it is acceptable for 1) if there are, or at least for header-only Boost libraies?

(There are an R package called BH provides header-only Boost libraries, but BOOSTLIB make me imagine something else.)


Simon



PS: 
Below are the source files and results of my tries for exploring BOOSTLIB on win-builder, please forgive me use win-builder as a test machine, so I post my questions here.
The test package is derived from command Rscript -e "Rcpp.package.skeleton()", below just lists some modifications by me.
The outputs in 00install.out are too long to be pasted here.
-------------------------------
rcpp_hello_world.cpp
-------------------------------
#include "rcpp_hello_world.h"

#include "boost/lambda/lambda.hpp"
#include <iostream>
#include <iterator>
#include <algorithm>
#include <vector>

#include "boost/thread.hpp"

void wait(int seconds) {
  boost::this_thread::sleep(boost::posix_time::seconds(seconds));
}

void thread() {
  for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
    wait(1);
    std::cout << i << std::endl;
  }
}

SEXP rcpp_hello_world(){
    using namespace Rcpp ;
    using namespace boost::lambda;

    std::vector<int> a;
    a.push_back(1);
    a.push_back(2);
//    std::for_each( a.begin(), a.end(), _1 = 1);

    boost::thread t(thread);
    t.join();

    return wrap(a);
}

-------------------------------
Makevars.win (try 1: try to find if there is a file called libboost_thread*)
-------------------------------
## Use the R_HOME indirection to support installations of multiple R version
## PKG_CXXFLAGS = `$(R_HOME)/bin/Rscript -e "Rcpp:::CxxFlags()"`
PKG_CPPFLAGS = -I${BOOSTLIB}
PKG_LIBS = $(shell "${R_HOME}/bin${R_ARCH_BIN}/Rscript.exe" -e "Rcpp:::LdFlags()") ${BOOSTLIB}/lib/libboost_thread*

-------------------------------
Makevars.win (try 2: try to find something in lib)
-------------------------------
## Use the R_HOME indirection to support installations of multiple R version
## PKG_CXXFLAGS = `$(R_HOME)/bin/Rscript -e "Rcpp:::CxxFlags()"`
PKG_CPPFLAGS = -I${BOOSTLIB}
PKG_LIBS = $(shell "${R_HOME}/bin${R_ARCH_BIN}/Rscript.exe" -e "Rcpp:::LdFlags()") `ls ${BOOSTLIB}/lib/*`

-------------------------------
Makevars.win (try 3: try to find something in libs)
-------------------------------
## Use the R_HOME indirection to support installations of multiple R version
## PKG_CXXFLAGS = `$(R_HOME)/bin/Rscript -e "Rcpp:::CxxFlags()"`
PKG_CPPFLAGS = -I${BOOSTLIB}
PKG_LIBS = $(shell "${R_HOME}/bin${R_ARCH_BIN}/Rscript.exe" -e "Rcpp:::LdFlags()") `ls ${BOOSTLIB}/libs/*`

-------------------------------
Makevars.win (try 4: try to figure out what are in ${BOOSTLIB})
-------------------------------
## Use the R_HOME indirection to support installations of multiple R version
## PKG_CXXFLAGS = `$(R_HOME)/bin/Rscript -e "Rcpp:::CxxFlags()"`
PKG_CPPFLAGS = -I${BOOSTLIB}
PKG_LIBS = $(shell "${R_HOME}/bin${R_ARCH_BIN}/Rscript.exe" -e "Rcpp:::LdFlags()") `ls ${BOOSTLIB}/*`



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