[R] Ubuntu sources file for R packages

[Dirk Eddelbuettel]

Robert,

Thanks for piping in. Much appreciated. Michael and I will still see that the
README gets updated.

On 29 August 2026 at 07:01, Robert Dorazio wrote:
| Naresh,
| 
| The instructions given at https://cran.r-project.org/bin/linux/ubuntu/  for
| installing R on Ubuntu work well.
| 
| However, for installing R packages I recommend the following approach.
| 
| 1. Download the shell script for your version of Ubuntu (e.g.,
| add_cranapt_resolute.sh for Ubuntu 26.04) from
| the r2u website:  https://github.com/eddelbuettel/r2u
| 
| 2. Run the shell script from the terminal as follows:
| sudo su
| bash add_cranapt_resolute.sh
| exit
| 
| Then you have two options for installing R packages from the fast,
| well-connected mirror  r2u.stat.illinois.edu
| 
| As an example, you can install the R package "sp" using either of the
| following options:
| 
| 1. From the terminal:  sudo apt install r-cran-sp

My favourite here is to also install a few of the scripts from the littler
package as the the r2u containers do because then you can say at the terminal

   install.r sp         # littler script, calls install.packages

because under an r2u setup with bspm (or rapt) this does the same. But is
shorter, and uses the R package name internally switching to the binary.

And yes, 'sf' is a great example due to the geospatial stack and its
dependencies. It is so lovely to see this 'just' work, as it does for the
other r2u payload.

Dirk

PS For example in the r2u container, after installing littler, I do

        [ initial steps skipped ]
        ## Install a number littler scripts
  	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/build.r /usr/local/bin/build.r \
  	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/check.r /usr/local/bin/check.r \
  	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/install.r /usr/local/bin/install.r \
 	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/install2.r /usr/local/bin/install2.r \
	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/installBioc.r /usr/local/bin/installBioc.r \
 	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/installDeps.r /usr/local/bin/installDeps.r \
 	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/installGithub.r /usr/local/bin/installGithub.r \
 	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/installRub.r /usr/local/bin/installRub.r \
 	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/testInstalled.r /usr/local/bin/testInstalled.r \
 	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/tt.r /usr/local/bin/tt.r \
 	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/tttf.r /usr/local/bin/tttf.r \
 	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/tttl.r /usr/local/bin/tttl.r \
  	&& ln -s /usr/lib/R/site-library/littler/examples/update.r /usr/local/bin/update.r \
        [ more skipped ]

See https://github.com/rocker-org/r2u/blob/master/resolute/Dockerfile#L70-L83

| 
| 2. From R:  install.packages("sp")
| 
| A big advantage of using r2u is that all dependencies of each package are
| downloaded properly.
| 
| Robert Dorazio
| 
| 
| 
| On Sat, Aug 29, 2026 at 5:50 AM Naresh Gurbuxani <
| naresh_gurbuxani using hotmail.com> wrote:
| 
| > I followed these instructions to install R on my new Ubuntu desktop.
| >
| > https://cran.r-project.org/bin/linux/ubuntu/
| >
| >
| > To install additional packages, I am following these instructions:
| >
| > https://cran.r-project.org/bin/linux/ubuntu/fullREADME.html
| >
| >
| > For Ubuntu 26.04 (Resolute Racoon), /etc/apt/sources.list is
| > deprecated.  It seems I need to create a file in
| > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/.  I started a file "r-package.sources" and need
| > entries for the last two fields.  My file:
| >
| > ## R package repository
| > Types: deb
| > URIs: https://cloud.r-project.org/bin/linux/ubuntu
| > Suites: resolute-cran40
| > Components:
| > Signed-By:
| >
| > It will also benefit other users if you can update the instructions in
| > fullREADME.html
| >
| >
| > Thanks,
| >
| > Naresh
| >
| > ______________________________________________
| > R-help using r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
| > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
| > PLEASE do read the posting guide
| > https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
| > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
| >
| 
| 	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]
| 
| ______________________________________________
| R-help using r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
| https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
| PLEASE do read the posting guide https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
| and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.

-- 
dirk.eddelbuettel.com | @eddelbuettel | edd using debian.org