[R] Pros and Cons of R

[DavidM.UK]

I don't think it's an issue with Linux functionality at all, it's a case of
having your linux machine configured correctly -- which isn't a straight
forward issue. 

On XP I load R and like you point out I'd do:
>install.packages("my package")
And great my library is installed and ready to use.

Comparatively the number of times I've had that fail on Linux systems is
high. Of course that depends on what flavour of Linux you have installed and
more... but in fairness it's an indicator that R is more difficult to
install than some of it's commercial competitors to install on Linux. For R,
I can't honestly say I know anyone who uses it without installing extra
libraries, thus the ease library installation is critical. If this is MORE
difficult on Linux systems, for me saying that "Linux installation is / can
be difficult" is justified.

Cheers

Davd




Patrick Connolly-4 wrote:
> 
> On Sat, 24-May-2008 at 10:26AM -0700, DavidM.UK wrote:
> 
> [....]
> 
> |> I think your comments on "hard to install on linux" is a fair one
> |> -- in terms of installing the base system that's fine, but when it
> |> comes to install packages, I still get tripped up on compilation
> |> problems (I just posted a topic on one such problem). It is
> |> certainly harder than say installing a MATLAB tool box.
> 
> That would be a problem with insufficient Linux functionality, not a
> failing of R.  You can use Linux to run OpenOffice and the like with a
> lot of functionality missing.  If you wish to compile things, you need
> extra stuff.  I've found install.packages incredibly easy.
> 
> 
> -- 
> ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.   
>    ___    Patrick Connolly   
>  {~._.~}          		 Great minds discuss ideas    
>  _( Y )_  	  	        Middle minds discuss events 
> (:_~*~_:) 	       		 Small minds discuss people  
>  (_)-(_)  	                           ..... Anon
> 	  
> ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.
> 
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