[R] update.packages() is broken?

[Ajay Narottam Shah]

Folks,

I am using R 2.1.1 on Apple OS X 10.3.

Earlier, I used to say

$ sudo R
> update.packages() 

and all the packages used to get installed. 

For several weeks, I noticed that nothing has been coming through. I
used the R-for-Mac graphics console and I find that there are many
packages where new versions have come out which I don't have. Is
something wrong with update.packages()?

I also noticed that the CRAN Task Views function update.ctv() 

> update.ctv <- function(view, force.bundles = FALSE) {
    f <- function(x) if (x[1] == view) x$packagelist$name
    ctv.pkgs <- unlist( sapply( CRAN.views(), f) )
    idx <- if (force.bundles) 1 else c(1,5)
    installed.pkgs <- c(installed.packages()[,idx])
    dnld.packages <- setdiff(ctv.pkgs, installed.pkgs)
    install.packages(dnld.packages, dependencies = TRUE)
    update.packages()
  }

misbehaves, perhaps because it's internally using update.packages()?

-- 
Ajay Shah                                                   Consultant
ajayshah at mayin.org                      Department of Economic Affairs
http://www.mayin.org/ajayshah           Ministry of Finance, New Delhi