[R] a UNIX vs. Windows package question, please

[Duncan Murdoch]

On 09/01/2015 5:32 PM, Erin Hodgess wrote:
> Hello again.
> 
> Here is another question that I am puzzled about:  I had the (incorrect)
> impression that if I had Rtools on a Windows machine that I could use any
> tar.gz package.  However, that is not true.
> 
> In particular, I was looking at the rPython package.  I do indeed have
> Python on this machine. But when I did R CMD INSTALL rPython, I got an
> error message that said, "this is a Unix package".  Interesting.
> 
> Should I just stay with my Ubuntu laptop and behave?

No, but you should not use packages that misbehave.  The ideal R package
will run on all platforms where R runs.  Some require effort from the
user to provide prerequisites, but no good R package runs only on one
platform.

Duncan Murdoch