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

[Michael Rutter]

On 07/17/2012 09:16 AM, Dirk Eddelbuettel wrote:
>
> On 17 July 2012 at 12:37, Tim Booth wrote:
> | 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
>
> Yes, there is code in the package which hardcodes the then-current
> version. It is a pretty brain-dead scheme as it forces a rebuild on
> major.minor changes.
>
> | 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
>
> Your maintainer is guilty as charged. This time I simply forgot to rebuild rpy.
>
> Dirk
>

I went ahead an rebuilt the rpy packages on my PPA 
(https://launchpad.net/~marutter/+archive/rrutter), so updates for 
Ubuntu should soon be appearing on CRAN as well.  Confirmed that the new 
builds work fine, at least on 12.04.

Michael


-- 
Dr. Michael A. Rutter
School of Science
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
4205 College Drive
Erie, PA 16563
http://math.bd.psu.edu/faculty/rutter
mar36 at psu.edu