[R-sig-Debian] OT: Problems updating OS to deal with fading R support for Ubuntu Hardy Heron...

[Dirk Eddelbuettel]

On 4 July 2010 at 19:33, Brian Lunergan wrote:
| Evening folks:
| 
| Not sure where this fits into the picture so bear with me for a few
| moments while I think out loud to lay out the particulars of my problem.
| 
| -would love to be employed using R for a living but so far I have just
| worked with it on my home machine to develop a basic level of skill with
| it.
| -I run Ubuntu linux 8.04 LTS on a machine with a 2.5GHz Celeron
| processor and 1.2GB of memory. The Heron runs sprightly enough to suit
| on that combination.
| -noted on Cran that with the intro of the newest LTS edition, Lucid
| Lynx, support for the Heron is continued on suffrage only.
| -So, I tried to upgrade. Tried both Kubuntu and Ubuntu. Kubuntu dialled
| out and connected to my ISP but failed to get anywhere after
| authentication, Ubuntu failed to recognize my 3.5" A drive, and they
| were both unbelievably sluggish on my system so out they both go and I'm
| in the process of getting things set back up the way I had them with
| 8.04.
| 
| I realize this more OS than R, but I thought someone in the group might
| have some ideas or suggestions they'd care to share, off-list of course.
| Is there a way around this situation that doesn't involve huge outlays
| in new hardware? Is there another flavour of Linux that would work with
| my system and allow me to maintain a toe hold in the R camp so that I've
| got it as a marketable skill somewhere down the road? Any thoughts would
| be appreciated.

While this is really somewhat off-topic here, I think you would profit from
some local help and hand-holding for the Unix / Ubuntu aspect of your
upgrade.  Fellow Ottawa R (and on Ubuntu) users John Nash and Paul Gilbert
may be able to direct you to some friendly people.

-- 
  Regards, Dirk