[R] making R-1.6.0 on Linux Debian

[Douglas Bates]

Claudia Tebaldi <tebaldi at rap.ucar.edu> writes:

> I'm running R-1.4.1 on a linux debian (version 2.2) box. 
> I've tried to upgrade to R-1.6.0, and the execution of make halts with the
> following error messages:
> 
> make[4]: Entering directory `/home/tebaldi/R/R-1.6.0/src/library/methods'
> dumping R code in package 'methods'
> Error in testRversion(descfile) : This package has not been installed
> properly
>  See the Note in ?library
> Execution halted
> make[4]: *** [../../../library/methods/R/all.rda] Error 1
> make[4]: Leaving directory `/home/tebaldi/R/R-1.6.0/src/library/methods'
> make[3]: *** [all] Error 2
> make[3]: Leaving directory `/home/tebaldi/R/R-1.6.0/src/library/methods'
> make[2]: *** [R] Error 1
> make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/tebaldi/R/R-1.6.0/src/library'
> make[1]: *** [R] Error 1
> make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/tebaldi/R/R-1.6.0/src'
> make: *** [R] Error 1
> 161.280u 8.410s 2:52.68 98.2%   0+0k 0+0io 545013pf+0w
> 
> 
> Something similar happened a few months ago, when I tried to upgrade to
> R-1.5.1. At the time the solution suggested was to use the
> precompiled binary distribution, available on CRAN.
> Turns out, I do not have root privileges and I cannot touch the files in
> /etc. At the time I gave up, but now I'd really like to "step up" to the
> newer version of R.
> I've looked around but I cannot find any help for installing these
> precompiled  binary, if not by the 'apt-get' program, 
> to which I have no access as simple user of the machine (i.e I cannot add
> lines to the files in /etc like it is explained in the
> /bin/linux/debian/ReadMe file.
> 
> 
> Can someone please either help me with the error message or point
> me at instructions on how to install binaries without going through the
> apt-... program? I assume they are somewhere, but don't know where!

My suggestion would be to download the .deb files and run

 dpkg --inst=~ -i *.deb

The manual page for dpkg says

       --root=dir | --admindir=dir | --instdir=dir
              Change default directories.  admindir defaults to  /var/lib/dpkg
              and  contains  many  files that give information about status of
              installed or uninstalled packages, etc.  instdir defaults  to  /
              and  refers to the directory where packages are to be installed.
              instdir is also the directory passed to chroot(2) before running
              package's installation scripts, which means that the scripts see
              instdir as a root directory.  Changing root changes  instdir  to
              dir and admindir to dir/var/lib/dpkg.

I haven't tried this myself.  Debian experts such as Dirk Eddelbuettel
or Tony Rossini may be able to suggest an easier method.
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