[R-pkgs] [ANNOUNCE] mod_R: The R/Apache Integration Project

[Jeffrey Horner]

   What is it?
   -----------
   mod_R is a project dedicated to embedding the R interpreter inside
   the Apache 2.0 (and beyond) web server for the purpose of writing web
   applications in R. It's composed of three parts:

   mod_R: the Apache 2.0 module that implements the glue to load the
   R interpreter.

   RApache: the R package that provides the API for programming web
   applications in R.

   libapreq 2.0.4: an Apache sponsored project for parsing request input.
   If you don't want to compile and install this version, then you can
   specify which libapreq2 library to use during configuration.

   The Latest Version
   ------------------

   Details of the latest version can be found at the mod_R
   project page:

http://biostat.mc.vanderbilt.edu/twiki/bin/view/Main/ApacheRproject

   (mind the wrap)


   Prerequisites
   -------------
   This release has been tested under Debian Linux with Apache 2.0.54,
   R 2.1.1, and libapreq 2.0.4.  Apache2 _MUST_ be compiled with the
   prefork MPM to compile mod_R. Also, R must have been compiled with
   the --enable-R-shlib configure flag.

   Installation
   ------------
   The following is the preferred way to compile and install mod_R:

     $ ./configure --with-apache2-apxs=/path/to/apxs --with-R=/path/to/R
     $ make
     $ make install

   Both --with-apache2-apxs and --with-R _MUST_ be specified.  Otherwise,
   trying to figure out the dependencies between the sources and headers
   and library paths becomes quite complex.

   If you don't want to compile and install the bundled libapreq2 version,
   then add --with-apreq2-config=/path/to/apreq2-config. The version _MUST_
   be equal to or greater than 2.0.4.

   Configuration
   -------------
   In order to use mod_R and RApache, you must configure apache to find
   it. Type help("directives",package="RApache") once mod_R is installed
   for a little more detail. Add something similar to this to the apache
   config file:

     LoadModule R_Module /path/to/mod_R.so

     <Location /URL>
        SetHandler r-handler
        Rsource /path/to/R/code.R
        RreqHandler function-name
        Rlibrary library-name
     </Location>

   Also, libR.so _MUST_ be found in the shared library path as it is
   linked to by mod_R, RApache and the rest of the packages containing
   shared libraries. You can either set LD_LIBRARY_PATH like this:

      $ export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=`/path/to/R RHOME`/lib

   or add that path to /etc/ld.so.conf and then run ldconfig.

   NOTE: the latest apache2 debian packages cause the web server to run
   in a very reduced environment, thus one is unable to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH
   before calling /etc/init.d/apache2. One option is to actually edit that
   file and add the LD_LIBRARY_PATH explicitly. Another is to use the 
apache2ctl
   scripts which are also bundled with the debian packages. Or you can 
add it
   to /etc/ld.so.conf.

   Documentation
   -------------
   All of the documentation is currently in the RApache package. Once
   you install mod_R, start R and load the RApache package. You'll get
   a warning that you're currently not running the R interpreter within
   Apache; just don't try to run any of the code. Sample session:
    > library(RApache)
    Warning message:

    RApache is only useful within the Apache web server.
    It is loaded now for informational purposes only

     in: firstlib(which.lib.loc, package)
    > help(package="RApache")

                    Information on package 'RApache'

    Description:

    Package:       RApache
    Version:       0.1-0
    Date:          2005-08-02
    Title:         An R interface to the Apache 2.0 web server
    Author:        Jeffrey Horner
    Maintainer:    Jeffrey Horner <jeff.horner at vanderbilt.edu>
    License:       Apache License, Version 2.0
    Description:   RApache allows web applications to be written in R and
    executed within the Apache 2.0 web server.
    Built:         R 2.1.0; i386-pc-linux-gnu; 2005-08-02 01:06:26; unix

    Index:

    IO                      IO in RApache
    apache.add_cookie       Adding Cookies to Outgoing Headers
    apache.add_header       Adding HTTP headers
    apache.allow_methods    RApache Methods
    apache.log_error        Logging Errors to the Apache error log
    apache.set_content_type
    Setting the Content Type header
    apr_table               Structure of the apr_table type in RApache
    as.html                 Converting RApache objects to HTML
    directives              RApache directives used in Apace config file
    intro                   Introduction to RApache
    request_rec             Structure of the RApache request record
    return_codes            RApache handler return codes


   Licensing
   ---------

   Please see the file called LICENSE.

-- 
Jeffrey Horner       Computer Systems Analyst         School of Medicine
615-322-8606         Department of Biostatistics   Vanderbilt University