[R] Problem updating the package "foreign"

[Prof Brian Ripley]

On Sun, 14 Nov 2004, Arin Basu wrote:

> Hi Group:
>
>> From an R session, I wanted to update packages, and issued the command:
> update.packages()

> R started to update the package "foreign" and proceeded. After 
> downloading, while it attempted to install the packages, it came up with 
> the following error message. I could not understand the error message. 
> Does it indicate that the problem lies with the gcc? How do I install 
> the current version of "foreign"?
>
> My operating system is MepisLinux, based on Debian, and the computer is 
> a compaq presario laptop with dual booting with Win XP(the linux 
> partition has 10 GB space, with 128 MB RAM). I have appended the R 
> message in this mail. I could not locate the config.log file.

You haven't told us the version of R, though, or how you installed it (do 
read the posting guide, as we ask).

To find the config.log you need to download and unpack the foreign 
tarball, then use R CMD INSTALL on the unpacked directory, which is where 
config.log will be put.

I suggest you wait until tomorrow and install R-2.0.1 (released then) from 
the sources.

> Would greatly appreciate  your advice in solving the problem.
>
> /Arin Basu
>
> <---Beginning of R command and error message--->
>> update.packages()
> trying URL `http://cran.r-project.org/src/contrib/PACKAGES'
> Content type `text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1' length 212630 bytes
> opened URL
> ==================================================
> downloaded 207Kb
>
> Update (y/N)?  y
> trying URL `http://cran.r-project.org/src/contrib/foreign_0.8-0.tar.gz'
> Content type `application/x-tar' length 259351 bytes
> opened URL
> ==================================================
> downloaded 253Kb
>
> * Installing *source* package 'foreign' ...
> checking for gcc... gcc
> checking for C compiler default output file name... configure: error: C compiler cannot create executables
> See `config.log' for more details.
> ERROR: configuration failed for package 'foreign'
> <---end of R command and error message--->

-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595