[R-pkg-devel] apparent infinite loop in GitHub Action on a tiny package

[Duncan Murdoch]

On 2025-09-07 3:10 p.m., Spencer Graves wrote:
> Hello, All:
> 
> 
> GitHub Action has been running on 5 platforms for over a half hour on a
> tiny package:
> 
> 
> https://github.com/sbgraves237/SS4Maddison
> 
> 
> I'm trying to follow the current recommendation in Wickham and Bryan, R
> Packages.[1] I just added ~R/MaddisonProjectData.R, documenting data
> objects I have yet to add to the package, attempting to follow the
> instructions in R Packages, section 7.1.2 Documenting datasets.[2]
> 
> 
> Then "devtools::load_all()" on my local computer put R into an apparent
> infinite loop.[3] After breaking out of that, I managed to replicate the
> behavior on 5 platforms on GitHub Action.
> 
> 
> What do you suggest?

You can cancel Github actions.  I'd recommend cancelling 4 of the 5, and 
letting the 5th run for longer.

Several of them are stuck just after "* checking for sufficient/correct 
file permissions ... OK".  I think the next test should be "checking 
whether package ‘foo’ can be installed ...", so it looks like there are 
installation problems.  Whether those are problems in the package or 
problems at Github I couldn't tell you.

Duncan Murdoch

> Thanks,
> Spencer Graves
> 
> 
> [1] Wickham and Bryan, R Packages:
> 
> 
> https://r-pkgs.org/
> 
> 
> [2] Wickham and Bryan, R Packages, section 7.1.2 Documenting datasets:
> 
> 
> https://r-pkgs.org/data.html
> 
> 
> [3] Sys.info()
>    
>                             sysname
>    
>                            "Darwin"
>    
>                             release
>    
>                            "24.6.0"
>    
>                             version
> "Darwin Kernel Version 24.6.0: Mon Jul 14 11:30:30 PDT 2025;
> root:xnu-11417.140.69~1/RELEASE_ARM64_T6020"
>    
>                            nodename
>    
>                               "Mac"
>    
>                             machine
>    
>                             "arm64"
>    
>                               login
>    
>                              "root"
>    
>                                user
>    
>                                "sg"
>    
>                      effective_user
>    
>                                "sg"
> 
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