[R] Perl on Windows XP for Rcmd build

[Marc Schwartz]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: r-help-admin at stat.math.ethz.ch 
>[mailto:r-help-admin at stat.math.ethz.ch] On Behalf Of Douglas Bates
>Sent: Saturday, February 15, 2003 12:52 PM
>To: r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch
>Subject: [R] Perl on Windows XP for Rcmd build
>
>
>Is there a recommended binary version of perl to use under 
>Windows XP for `Rcmd build'?  The R FAQ for Windows just 
>mentions "perl".  I think that Kevin Wang's document on R for 
>Windows suggests ActiveState perl but I have not been able to 
>install it.  
>
>I am running Windows XP Professional on a laptop.  The 
>operating system was originally Windows 98 then upgraded to 
>Windows ME then to XP Pro.  I have downloaded the MSI 
>installer version of ActiveState perl 5.8.0 and tried to 
>install it.  All that happens when I execute the installer is 
>that I get a command prompt window that exits a few moments 
>later, apparently with no effect.  I tried this a few times, 
>rebooted the computer and tried again and still no luck.  I 
>then removed the 5.8.0 installer and downloaded the 
>ActivePerl-5.6.1.635 MSI installer instead but the same thing
happened.
>
>Should I try Apache Perl or some other binary distribution instead?
>
>-- 
>Douglas Bates                            bates at stat.wisc.edu
>Statistics Department                    608/262-2598
>University of Wisconsin - Madison        
>http://www.stat.wisc.edu/~bates/


Doug,

I have ActiveState 5.6 installed on my XP Pro system, having used the
.msi version of the install program.

You might want to be sure that you have all XP updates installed,
which would include the SP1a update.  This is available at
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/pro/downloads/servicepacks/sp1/defa
ult.asp or you can use IE to go to Windows Update and get any required
updates there.  Mozilla (not surprisingly) will not work there.  

There are no updates to my knowledge for XP for the installer program,
though there are for Win9x/NT to upgrade to version 2. It is possible
of course that something has been compromised on your system, given
the OS updates.

Prompted by your e-mail, I just upgraded to 5.8 and had no problem
just double-clicking on the .msi install file.

If you continue to have a problem, you can download the .zip version
of the 5.8 (or 5.6) install file from the ActiveState download page at
http://www.activestate.com/Products/Download/Download.plex?id=ActivePe
rl.  This has a batch install file in the archive.

Hope that might provide some guidance.

Regards,

Marc Schwartz