[R-sig-Debian] python-rpy DEB broken - but hopefully easy to fix

[Tim Booth]

Hi CRAN people,

There is an issue with python-rpy on Ubuntu, when installed from the
CRAN repository. (I read the info on
http://cran.r-project.org/bin/linux/ubuntu/ and saw the note that this
package is experimental but you are happy to receive feedback on it.)
After adding the appropriate CRAN repo:

% sudo apt-get install python-rpy
[ ... installs various dependencies ... ]
% echo import rpy | python
RuntimeError: No module named _rpy2151

      RPy module can not be imported. Please check if your rpy
      installation supports R 2.15.1. If you have multiple R versions
      installed, you may need to set RHOME before importing rpy. For
      example:
  
      >>> from rpy_options import set_options
      >>> set_options(RHOME='c:/progra~1/r/rw2011/')
      >>> from rpy import *
      

This is simply because the module needs recompiling with each new R release:

% apt-get -b source python-rpy
% sudo dpkg -i *.deb

And it all works fine.

Would it be possible to get this module rebuilt automatically in line
with new releases of r-base-core?  Right now I have to hold back updates
of R on my server until I can do the rebuild manually, but it would be
nice not to have this job as it's yet one more bit of server admin for me.

I'm aware that python-rpy is superseded, but as the software I'm needing
to run is the Galaxy server (galaxy.psu.edu) it's not trivial to get it
using the new python-rpy2.  (I'm working on it!)

Cheers,

TIM

-- 
Tim Booth <tbooth at ceh.ac.uk>
NERC Environmental Bioinformatics Centre 

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Maclean Bldg, Benson Lane
Crowmarsh Gifford
Wallingford, England
OX10 8BB 

http://nebc.nerc.ac.uk
+44 1491 69 2705

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