[R-pkg-devel] Downloading software as part of package installation

[David B. Dahl]

Uwe:  Oh, right, I wasn't thinking about binary packages.  Thanks!  -- David
On Tue, Sep 4, 2018 at 9:02 AM Uwe Ligges
<ligges using statistik.tu-dortmund.de> wrote:
>
>
>
> On 04.09.2018 04:18, David B. Dahl wrote:
> > I would like advise and help in interpreting a part of the CRAN
> > Repository Policy.  It states, "Downloads of additional software or
> > data as part of package installation or startup should only use secure
> > download mechanisms (e.g., ‘https’ or ‘ftps’)."
> >
> >  From this, I take that it is permissible for a package to use its
> > .onLoad function to download and install files in the package's
> > subdirectory.  E.g., for the package 'foo', the .onLoad function could
> > place items in a subdirectory of 'system.file(package="foo")'.  Since
> > package installation called the .onLoad function when "testing if
> > installed package can be loaded," this would work (assuming the
> > computer has internet access at the time, otherwise the download could
> > be skipped).  Once downloaded, the package wouldn't need to download
> > it ever again.
> >
> > The benefit of this approach is that the additional software is
> > automatically downloaded when the package is installed, rather than
> > the user knowing they having to manually call a special function to
> > download the software (to another location) after package
> > installation.
> >
> > Does this seem like a valid approach for CRAN?
> >
> > And, does the answer change when I get R CMD check says:
> >
> > checking installed package size ... NOTE
> >    installed size is 182.1Mb
>
> Think about license issues:
> A binary CRAN package (e.g. for Mac or Windows) will contain that other
> software while the source package does not. Hence it may be a license
> violation depoending on the license of the software you download.
>
> Best,
> Uwe Ligges
>
>
> > This is just a NOTE, so my understanding is that is permissible.
> >
> > Any thoughts?  Thanks!!
> >
> > -- David
> >
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> >