[R] source-only package, but still: Error: package 'simple' was built for powerpc-apple-darwin7.9.0

[Prof Brian Ripley]

On Wed, 18 May 2005, Paul Shannon wrote:

> I have a number simple R functions written for the biologists I work
> with.  These functions will evolve, and the documentation will get
> steadily better.  I hope to put them in a package on a local
> webserver, along with lots of help files, so that the users can easily
> update their installation.

We encourage you to use a repository, as in the article in the current 
R-news.

> The functions are pure R, with no compiled code, but alias, I cannot 
> figure out how to build this package so that it is portable across 
> operating systems.
>
> It looks like 'R CMD build' inserts the following line into the 
> resulting package:
>
>     Built: R 2.1.0; powerpc-apple-darwin7.9.0; 2005-05-18 14:28:36; unix
>
> making it impossible for me to later load the package into R running 
> under another OS. I see this error when I execute library ('simple') 
> under linux:
>
>   Error: package 'simple' was built for powerpc-apple-darwin7.9.0
>
> I'll be grateful if anyone can help me work around this restriction  ... or
> let me know how I am misconstruing the evidence.

You are.  It is R CMD INSTALL that inserts such a line, and it does not do 
mention the platform if there is no src directory.  On my system there are 
281 such packages.  To pick one at random: try installing 'fda'.

I suspect your package has structure it is not using.

-- 
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