[R] Include local files when running R remotely

[Barry Rowlingson]

On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 5:29 PM, Erik Shilts <erik.shilts at opower.com> wrote:
> I run R on a remote UNIX server where the data are stored that I ssh into
> through Emacs, while I store my R scripts on local Windows network drives.
> So far this arrangement hasn't been a problem, though now I'd like to use
> source() or a similar function to include other R scripts to get a better
> handle on my process management. Is this possible when running R remotely?
> When I try to use source() it tells me that the file doesn't exist since
> it's looking for it on the UNIX servers.
>
> Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!

 Sounds like a file sharing problem rather than an R problem - ideas
that pop into my head include:

 * mounting the Windows drives on the Unix box - this requires sharing
them out in Windows, and being able to run smbmount on the unix box.

 * get rsync for Windows (maybe install cygwin and get a bunch of
useful Unixy tools for Windows) and use that to efficiently copy from
one machine to the other. But that relies on you remembering to sync
and making sure you dont sync the wrong way. Because then you'll be
sunk.

 * there may be implementations of NFS on Windows, which mean you
could NFS-mount the Unix drives on your Windows box - but I've always
found those things to be a bit flaky.

 The two options involving mounting will require cooperation of your
superuser...

Barry