[R-pkg-devel] How to run R CMD CHECK with the installation directory set to read-only ?

[Craig Gower-Page]

Hi,

A package of ours had its test code throw an error during its R CMD
CHECK on CRAN due to it attempting to write files to the installation
directory. We were wondering how best to replicate this test on our
local machines as we are unable to see any direct options / flags /
hooks within R CMD CHECK that allows you to specify that the
installation directory should be set to read-only ?

>From the "Writing R extensions" manual there appears to be an option
that allows you to run R CMD CHECK on an installed package (I think
technically it is running on the source package but it suppresses the
installation step and uses the pre-installed version for running the
tests). Quoting the manual below:

> It is possible to install a package and then check the installed package. To do so first install the package and keep a log of the installation:
> R CMD INSTALL -l libdir pkg > pkg.log 2>&1
> and then use
> Rdev CMD check -l libdir --install=check:pkg.log pkg

This appears to do what we need in that we can first install the
package locally, set the directory to read-only with `chmod 500` and
then run R CMD CHECK using the arguments as specified above from the
manual.

HOWEVER - this approach appears to have a bug in that if the source
code doesn't have an explicit `Author` and `Maintainer` field then the
check will fail; that is to say it doesn't appear to be able to expand
the `Author using R` field when running in this mode.

So to summarise my questions are:

* Is my described use of Rdev CMD check -l libdir
--install=check:pkg.log pkg the correct way of using R CMD CHECK to
test if the installed package is writing to the installation directory
?
* If not, what is the recommended way of using R CMD CHECK to catch
this (e.g. how to replicate how CRAN runs R CMD CHECK to catch this) ?
* If yes, is it regarded as a bug or not that R CMD CHECK on installed
packages only works for packages that have an explicit Author /
Maintainer field and not just a Author using R field?

With regards to the potential bug with R CMD CHECK; I tested this on R
4.4.2 on Mac OS Sonoma and have uploaded a small test script to GitHub
that demonstrates it:
https://gist.github.com/gowerc/248f398f421750f7673019d1989cbe6f#file-simple_script-sh


Kind Regards

Craig Gower-Page