[R] update.packages through proxy failing

[Duncan Mackay]

Hi all,

my uni has recently switched to using a proxy (with password) for accessing
Web pages outside the uni. I have since found that "update packages" etc no
longer seem to work from R.

I have tried to fix this problem in two ways:-

1) renaming internet2.dll to internet.dll in the "Modeules" folder and
proceeding as usual. When I tried "update packages" from the menu in R, I
got an "Rgui.exe has prodeced errors and is generating an error log" message
and crash.

2) I used the following code

 print(Sys.putenv("HTTP_PROXY"="http://www.flinders.edu.au/proxy.pac/",
password="mypassword"))
[1] TRUE TRUE
> Sys.getenv("HTTP_PROXY")
                             HTTP_PROXY
"http://www.flinders.edu.au/proxy.pac/"
> update.packages()
trying URL `http://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/contrib/PACKAGES'
unable to connect to 'cran.r-project.org'.
Error in download.file(url = paste(contriburl, "PACKAGES", sep = "/"),  :
        cannot open URL
`http://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/contrib/PACKAGES'


I am using R1.6.1 for Windows under Win2000 Professional and Internet
Explorer 6.0.

Any help gratefully appreciated,
Duncan

*******************************************
Dr. Duncan Mackay
Biology
Flinders University
GPO Box 2100
Adelaide
S.A.    5001
AUSTRALIA

Ph (08) 8201 2627    FAX (08) 8201 3015

http://www.bio.flinders.edu.au/dam/damres.htm