[R] source package linking problem under linux

[Antonio, Fabio Di Narzo]

02 Sep 2005 18:15:22 +0200, Peter Dalgaard <p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk>:
> "Antonio, Fabio Di Narzo" <antonio.fabio at gmail.com> writes:
> 
> > I'm having some problems in installing some source packages under linux.
> > As an example, MCMCpack. An error is raised when linking:
> >
> > > install.packages("MCMCpack")
> > [...]
> > * Installing *source* package 'MCMCpack' ...
> > checking for C++ compiler default output file name... a.out
> > checking whether the C++ compiler works... yes
> > checking whether we are cross compiling... no
> > checking for suffix of executables...
> > checking for suffix of object files... o
> > checking whether we are using the GNU C++ compiler... yes
> > checking whether g++ accepts -g... yes
> > checking for gcc... gcc
> > checking whether we are using the GNU C compiler... yes
> > checking whether gcc accepts -g... yes
> > checking for gcc option to accept ANSI C... none needed
> > checking how to run the C preprocessor... gcc -E
> > checking for egrep... grep -E
> > checking for ANSI C header files... yes
> > checking for sys/types.h... yes
> > checking for sys/stat.h... yes
> > checking for stdlib.h... yes
> > checking for string.h... yes
> > checking for memory.h... yes
> > checking for strings.h... yes
> > checking for inttypes.h... yes
> > checking for stdint.h... yes
> > checking for unistd.h... yes
> > checking ieeefp.h usability... no
> > checking ieeefp.h presence... no
> > checking for ieeefp.h... no
> > checking for trunc... no
> > configure: creating ./config.status
> > config.status: creating src/Makevars
> > ** libs
> > g++ -I/usr/lib/R/include    -DSCYTHE_COMPILE_DIRECT -DSCYTHE_NO_RANGE
> >     -c distributions.cc -o distributions.o
> > [...etc. etc. All compilations are ok]
> >
> > g++   -o MCMCpack.so distributions.o ide.o la.o lecuyer.o MCMCdistn.o
> > MCMCdynamicEI.o MCMCfactanal.o MCMCfcds.o MCMChierEI.o MCMCirt1d.o
> > MCMClogit.o MCMCmetrop1R.o MCMCmixfactanal.o MCMCmnlMH.o
> > MCMCmnlslice.o MCMCoprobit.o MCMCordfactanal.o MCMCpanel.o
> > MCMCpoisson.o MCMCprobit.o MCMCprobitres.o MCMCregress.o MCMCrng.o
> > MCMCtobit.o mersenne.o optimize.o rng.o smath.o stat.o
> > -L/usr/lib/R/lib -lR
> > /usr/lib/gcc-lib/i486-linux/3.3.5/../../../crt1.o(.text+0x18): In
> > function `_start':
> > ../sysdeps/i386/elf/start.S:98: undefined reference to `main'
> > collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
> > make: *** [MCMCpack.so] Error 1
> > ERROR: compilation failed for package 'MCMCpack'
> >
> > I don't know why it searches a reference to 'main'...
> >
> 
> Presumably because it thinks that MCMCpack.so is supposed to be a
> standalone binary. (Compilers don't read filname suffixes...)
> 
> There would seem to be something missing in that command line,
> "-shared" if my memory serves me. 
Yes, it is...

> Now *why* that happens is a bit hard
> to figure out. Your version info below is not quite sufficient; which
> linux distribution is it? Did you compile R itself from sources?

I'm using ubuntu 5.04 (debian based), and installed precompiled binary
version of R from an italian cran mirror ('woody' subdirectory).

Another package with the *same* problem: bayesm. Maybe the problem is
that ther's c++ code? What should I do?

> 
> 
>  Antonio, Fabio Di Narzo.
> >
> >
> > > version
> >          _
> > platform i386-pc-linux-gnu
> > arch     i386
> > os       linux-gnu
> > system   i386, linux-gnu
> > status
> > major    2
> > minor    1.1
> > year     2005
> > month    06
> > day      20
> > language R
> >
> > ______________________________________________
> > R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
> > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> > PLEASE do read the posting guide! http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> >
> 
> --
>    O__  ---- Peter Dalgaard             Øster Farimagsgade 5, Entr.B
>   c/ /'_ --- Dept. of Biostatistics     PO Box 2099, 1014 Cph. K
>  (*) \(*) -- University of Copenhagen   Denmark          Ph:  (+45) 35327918
> ~~~~~~~~~~ - (p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk)                  FAX: (+45) 35327907
>