[R] Error building R 2-5.2.1 on Sun Solaris 8

[Prof Brian Ripley]

What is 'R 2-5.2.1'?  AFAIK there is no such version.

I can tell you the most likely issue: is your Perl is pre 5.6.1 (very old 
indeed)?

The current R-patched (2.5.1 patched) requires Perl 5.6.1, and we do 
suggest that you install that rather than 2.5.1.

(Interestingly, all versions of R since 2.4.0 have needed Perl >= 5.6.1 
but this was not reported until after R 2.5.1 was released, and this is 
the third instance in a month or so.  Perl 5.8, already over 5 years' 
old, will be required for future versions of R.)


On Thu, 23 Aug 2007, Mike Box wrote:

>
> As shown below, the build process fails with only vague messages,
> leaving me clueless as to how to resolve.
>
> Thanks, in advance, for any help that you may offer.
>
> Mike
>
> --------------------------------------
>
> # ./configure --prefix=/SOURCES/R-2.5.1 --with-iconv=no
> ...
> ...
> ...
> R is now configured for sparc-sun-solaris2.8
>
> Source directory: .
> Installation directory: /SOURCES/R-2.5.1
>
> C compiler: gcc -std=gnu99 -g -O2
> Fortran 77 compiler: g77 -g -O2
>
> C++ compiler: g++ -g -O2
> Fortran 90/95 compiler: f95 -g
> Obj-C compiler: -g -O2
>
> Interfaces supported: X11
> External libraries: readline
> Additional capabilities: NLS
> Options enabled: shared BLAS, R profiling, Java
>
> Recommended packages: yes
>
> configure: WARNING: you cannot build info or HTML versions of the R manuals
>
> # make
> ...
> ...
> ...
> * Installing *source* package 'MASS' ...
> ** libs
> gcc -std=gnu99 -I/reserve/R-2.5.1/include -I/reserve/R-2.5.1/include
> -I/usr/local/include -fPIC -g -O2 -c MASS.c -o MASS.o
> gcc -std=gnu99 -I/reserve/R-2.5.1/include -I/reserve/R-2.5.1/include
> -I/usr/local/include -fPIC -g -O2 -c lqs.c -o lqs.o
> gcc -std=gnu99 -G -L/usr/local/lib -o MASS.so MASS.o lqs.o
> ** R
> ** data
> ** moving datasets to lazyload DB
> ** inst
> ** preparing package for lazy loading
> ** help
> Can't use an undefined value as filehandle reference at
> /reserve/R-2.5.1/share/perl/R/Rdconv.pm line 78.
>>>> Building/Updating help pages for package 'MASS'
> Formats: text html latex example
> ERROR: building help failed for package 'MASS'
> ** Removing '/reserve/R-2.5.1/library/MASS'
> ** Removing '/reserve/R-2.5.1/library/class'
> ** Removing '/reserve/R-2.5.1/library/nnet'
> ** Removing '/reserve/R-2.5.1/library/spatial'
> *** Error code 1
> make: Fatal error: Command failed for target `VR.ts'
> Current working directory /reserve/R-2.5.1/src/library/Recommended
> *** Error code 1
> make: Fatal error: Command failed for target `recommended-packages'
> Current working directory /reserve/R-2.5.1/src/library/Recommended
> *** Error code 1
> make: Fatal error: Command failed for target `stamp-recommended'
> #
>
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>

-- 
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