[R] Dep setting for install of packages...

[Brian Lunergan]

Gabor Grothendieck wrote:
> Your .libPaths() has a single component.  The number
> of characters in it is not relevant so it should be bringing
> in the dependenies.  Suggest you try this:
> 
> debug(utils:::menuInstallPkgs)
> 
> and try using the menu now and see what
> comes up.

 > chooseCRANmirror()
 > debug(utils:::menuInstallPkgs)
 > utils:::menuInstallPkgs()
debugging in: utils:::menuInstallPkgs()
debug: {
     install.packages(NULL, .libPaths()[1], dependencies = NA,
         type = type)
}
Browse[1]>

Cursor waiting quietly at that prompt, but nothing else happened after 
entering the debug command and clicking the menu option.

Keep in mind I am not a programmer and this sort of deep dive into the 
inner workings of a software tool I make use of is way outside my range of 
experience.

Was there a next step I should have made, or is this what was supposed to 
happen? No list of packages appeared. The program simply paused waiting for 
something else to be done by the human looking at the screen.

> 
> On Sat, Oct 18, 2008 at 9:37 PM, Brian Lunergan <ff809 at ncf.ca> wrote:
>> Gabor Grothendieck wrote:
>>> dependencies = NA is only identical to dependencies = FALSE if
>>>  .libPaths()
>>> has multiple components.  If it has a single component then its the
>>> same as dependencies = c("Depends", "Imports").   Read the
>>> dependencies= entry on the ?install.packages page.  Also read
>>> ?.libPaths
>> Ok, ran .libPaths() and got:
>>
>>> .libPaths()
>> [1] "C:/R-2.7.0/library"
>> That, as I understand the notes, is a valid path entry of > 1 character.
>> What am I missing about this? I already know, using the install.packages
>> example below, that explicitly stating dep = TRUE sends R off on a hunt for
>> the dependencies of a particular package during installation. What I would
>> like to know and understand is whether that is the only way to do so since
>> dep = TRUE has been turned off for the Install package(s) menu option or is
>> there a 'tweak' of the menu possible to turn the ability back on without
>> having to recompile the whole blessed program??
>>
>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Oct 18, 2008 at 8:30 PM, Brian Lunergan <ff809 at ncf.ca> wrote:
>>>> Evening again folks:
>>>>
>>>> Bear with me while crow is consumed. I had asserted that 2.7.2 had dep =
>>>> NA
>>>> while prior installations had it turned on. Incorrect on my part. Dumped
>>>> that version and stepped back two iterations to 2.7.0. Tried it with that
>>>> one and the setting is indeed off for installing by menu. My apologies
>>>> for
>>>> the lack of information in my original post and for what has clearly
>>>> turned
>>>> out to be a misconception on my part.
>>>>
>>>> My question now... Is there a modification I can make to turn dep back on
>>>> when using the menu without recompiling, or is install.packages() the
>>>> only
>>>> way to install and have the program chase the needed dependencies for a
>>>> package?
>>>>
>>>> BTW, here is a more detailed look at the current run with 2.7.0.
>>>>
>>>> R version 2.7.0 (2008-04-22)
>>>> i386-pc-mingw32
>>>>
>>>> locale:
>>>>
>>>> LC_COLLATE=English_Canada.1252;LC_CTYPE=English_Canada.1252;LC_MONETARY=English_Canada.1252;LC_NUMERIC=C;LC_TIME=English_Canada.1252
>>>>
>>>> attached base packages:
>>>> [1] stats     graphics  grDevices utils     datasets  methods   base
>>>>
>>>> loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
>>>> [1] tools_2.7.0
>>>>
>>>> OS is Windows XP SP2
>>>>
>>>> Chose Ontario, Canada using Packages>Set CRAN mirror
>>>>
>>>> Chose ctv using Packages>Install package(s). ctv was all that was pulled
>>>> in.
>>>>
>>>> Retried using install.packages("ctv", dep = TRUE) at the prompt and
>>>> pulled
>>>> in XML and ctv.

-- 

Brian Lunergan
Nepean, Ontario
Canada


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