[R] Setting site-wide default CRAN repository?

[Barry Rowlingson]

Prof Brian Ripley wrote:
> On Sun, 18 Mar 2007, Tim Keitt wrote:
> 
>> I can't seem to find this anywhere. How do I set the default CRAN
>> repository _site wide_ on a linux box? What I want to do is eliminate
>> the pop-up list of repository locations when using
>> 'install.packages()'. I know how to do this for a single account.
>> Modifying files in /etc/R does not seem to work. (cc me please - I
>> think I'm not subscribed).
> 
> Modifying files in R_HOME/etc works, but I have no idea why you think 
> /etc/R is relevant.
> 

  Looks like some distributions package R with that as a configuration 
directory, for example on my Ubuntu Edgy box:

$ ls -l /etc/R
total 12
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2561 2006-06-20 07:32 Makeconf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1422 2006-12-05 16:30 Renviron
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  605 2006-06-20 07:32 repositories

This is from an R-base-core package maintained by Dirk Eddelbuettel from 
the 'Universe' repository (according to the package meta-data).

  I've since gone from the R 2.3.1 installed by this package to a 
compiled 2.4.x, so /etc/R/ is no use to me now - perhaps you've done 
this too (Tim)?

  Barry