[R] update.packages() and install.packages() does not work more because of "Error in read.dcf"

[Prof Brian Ripley]

A hint: I have seen this exact error message with a build configured 
to use the system's zlib 1.2.4 (which has been out for about 2 weeks), 
and this incompatibility is noted in the current R 2.11.0 alpha's 
manuals.

We do recommend *not* using the system zlib, but if you do insist on 
doing so do be aware that R may not work with future versions of 
external software.


On Tue, 30 Mar 2010, Uwe Ligges wrote:

>
>
> On 30.03.2010 16:55, Juergen Rose wrote:
>> Hi,
>> 
>> on all my systems update.packages() and install.packages() fails now. I
>> get the following message:
>> 
>> root at orca:/root(28)# R
>> 
>> R version 2.10.1 (2009-12-14)
>> Copyright (C) 2009 The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
>> ISBN 3-900051-07-0
>> 
>> R is free software and comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
>> You are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions.
>> Type 'license()' or 'licence()' for distribution details.
>> 
>> R is a collaborative project with many contributors.
>> Type 'contributors()' for more information and
>> 'citation()' on how to cite R or R packages in publications.
>> 
>> Type 'demo()' for some demos, 'help()' for on-line help, or
>> 'help.start()' for an HTML browser interface to help.
>> Type 'q()' to quit R.
>> 
>>> update.packages(checkBuilt=T)
>> --- Please select a CRAN mirror for use in this session ---
>> Loading Tcl/Tk interface ... done
>> Error in read.dcf(file = tmpf) : Line starting 'Li ...' is malformed!
>>> update.packages()
>> Error in read.dcf(file = tmpf) : Line starting 'Li ...' is malformed!
>>> install.packages("e1071")
>> Error in read.dcf(file = tmpf) : Line starting 'Li ...' is malformed!
>> 
>
>
> Which repositories are used? If only CRAN: Which CRAN mirror?
>
> Best,
> Uwe Ligges
>
>
>
>> All systems are gentoo systems with R-2.10.1.
>> Also reinstalling of R from sources did not solve the problem.
>> Any hint is appreciated.
>> 
>> Regards
>> Juergen
>> 
>
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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)
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