[R-sig-Debian] Compilation of R packages

[Vincent Goulet]

Le Mercredi 5 Juillet 2006 09:41, Dirk Eddelbuettel a écrit :
> Salut Vincent,
>
> On 4 July 2006 at 23:27, Vincent Goulet wrote:
> | I'm currently following your procedure suggested on R-SIG-Debian
> | (https://stat.ethz.ch/pipermail/r-sig-debian/2006-June/000095.html) to
> | compile and install the latest version of R on Kubuntu. It is my
> | understanding that I can't just use Debian unstable's binary packages
> | (which is too bad).
>
> It may be worth trying. Debian unstable may well be ahead in terms of
> certain libraries but you can try.

Just tried installing r-base from Debian unstable. It requires updating libc6 
(from 2.3.6-0ubuntu20 to 2.3.6-15). I cancelled the operation in fear of 
wrecking my newly installed system havoc.

> I run Kubuntu at home on the `terminal/workstation' machine that has my
> screen and keyboard, but I tend not to run R on that one but rather on a
> Debian testing server I also keep around.  At work, I run Ubuntu and just
> downloaded the sources from Debian unstable onto Ubuntu 5.10 and rebuilt
> (which required one change in debian/control to remove the Depends and
> Build-Depends on gfortran from a versioned Depends to an unversioned
> Depends).

This is exactly what I did (except the modifications to debian/control) and 
triggered my question. Building r-base builds r-recommended, but not the 
r-cran-* packages r-recommended depends on. Then it seems that building of 
the r-cran-* packages must be done in a specific order.

> | All went well for the r-base* packages. Compiling the packages
> | r-recommended depends on seems to be another piece of cake. First, I had
> | to download the source packages one by one (boot, cluster, ..., vr).
> | Second, it looks like the packages have to be compiled and installed in a
> | very specific order to solve dependency problems.
> |
> | Would you be kind enough to outline the specific procedure you follow to
> | compile all the R packages for debian? Perhaps do you even have a script
> | I might use.
>
> The r-sig-debian message you reference is 'defensive' in the sense that it
> works on Debian stable and other other releases with compilers, libraries,
> ... that may be a few months and releases old.  You didn't say which
> Kubuntu you are running 

The latest, Dapper Drake (6.06).

> -- but you may not have to follow Christian's way 
> as implemeneted in the stable port (and hence his way of dealing with
> r-recommended as a big 'sumo' package). You could just install the CRAN
> packages directly, or build from my Debian unstable sources (instead of
> rebuilding on CRAN) -- a more 'offensive' approach.
>
> Anyway, as to why that particular way failed and what you may do about it
> ... let me CC this to Christian who is probably in a better position to
> answer this.
>
> And as a general rule, may be better to ask this on r-sig-debian as other
> may have $0.02 (Canadian :) to chip in as well.

This reply is CCed to the list.

> Lastly, we should probably update the README on the CRAN site with some
> recommendations for Ubuntu users. Something to discuss on r-sig-debian?

As (K)Ubuntu seem to become increasingly popular flavours of Debian, it would 
certainly be worth adding a note. Or perhaps someone might be interested to 
maintain up-to-date Ubuntu packages of R?

...

Look, 

1) I have no experience whatsoever in maintaining Debian/Ubuntu packages;
2) I do not know exactly how more recent versions of packages are distributed 
for Ubuntu;

however, if nobody else with more experience than I is interested to maintain 
such packages, I might try to do my part. I'll just need a mentor. ;-)

Bye!   Vincent

> Dirk
>
> | Thanks a lot in advance!
> |
> | Cordialement,
> |
> | --
> |   Vincent Goulet, Professeur agrégé
> |   École d'actuariat
> |   Université Laval, Québec
> |   Vincent.Goulet at act.ulaval.ca   http://vgoulet.act.ulaval.ca

-- 
  Vincent Goulet, Associate Professor
  École d'actuariat
  Université Laval, Québec 
  Vincent.Goulet at act.ulaval.ca   http://vgoulet.act.ulaval.ca