[R] Typical R installation problem

[Marc Schwartz]

On Tue, 2003-09-23 at 15:28, mahustonor at comcast.net wrote:
> Dear Peter, 
> 
> 	I don't know if this is the proper way to ask for help installing R, but if
> not, I presume you can pass this on to the appropriate place.  
> 
> 	I'm trying to install the latest binary on Redhat 9, and keep getting the same
> error message no matter what I try.  
> 
> [root at localhost mhu]# rpm -i R-1.7.1-1.i386.rpm
> warning: R-1.7.1-1.i386.rpm: V3 DSA signature: NOKEY, key ID 97d3544e
> error: Failed dependencies:
>         libtcl8.3.so is needed by R-1.7.1-1
>         libtk8.3.so is needed by R-1.7.1-1
> [root at localhost mhu]# exit
> 
> I actually found these two files in an obscure location on my computer, and
> copied them to /usr/lib/ I also set my path to include the obscure location.  SO
> they are actually available.  At least when I enter libtcl8.3.so it is
> apparently read and a segmentation fault occurs.  
> 
> So, do you have any suggestions about how to get around this problem.  I don't
> know what else to do to make these routines available to the R install.  
> 
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.  I had no problem installing R on my MAC
> OS 10.1.5.
> 
> 	Thank you very much, 
> 
> 				Michael Huston
> 				Oak Ridge, Tennessee


First, you have posted to r-help, which is an international e-mail list
and the primary source of assistance with R.

Since I now typically compile from source, I decided to remove my
present installation of R and freshly install the RPM that Martyn has
created on CRAN.  I run RH 9 and have a clean and fully updated
installation. The aforementioned tcl/tk files are in /usr/lib on my
system.

I installed the RPM without problem and then installed John Fox's Rcmdr
to test the tcltk functionality. It works without problem. I also tested
a tcl/tk function that I wrote and it works fine as well.

If your above listed files were not in /usr/lib to start with, that may
be (probably is) an indication that something is amiss in your tcl/tk
installation. You may need to remove and reinstall tcl/tk. 

Also, I am unsure as to what you mean by "At least when I enter
libtcl8.3.so it is apparently read and a segmentation fault occurs." Are
you trying to execute it directly from the command line? .so files are
shared libraries (akin to .DLLs in Windows).

HTH,

Marc Schwartz