[R-sig-Debian] R 3.5.0 binaries for Debian and Ubuntu

[Dirk Eddelbuettel]

To clarify:

- We have known since last summer when ALTREP was merged in r-devel that you
  CANNOT mix and match BINARY BUILDS between R 3.5.0 and prior versions. And
  R 3.5.0 is very clear about this in the NEWS file (albeit many lines down,
  and in somewhat vague language):

  C-LEVEL FACILITIES:

    [...]

    * The object header layout has been changed to support merging the
      ALTREP branch. This requires re-installing packages that use
      compiled code.

- To repeat: You *must* reinstall every binary package.

- This means eg that the vast and superbly useful collection in Michael's
  c2d4u repo continues to work with R 3.4.* (for which it was built) but will
  not work with the new R 3.5.*.  Do not mix and match.

- Debian is even more adamant about this, and fellow maintainers made me add
  a binary tag to every package: r-api-3.4 for the old ones, r-api-3.5 for
  the new ones. Hence the need for a COMPLETE rebuild, which is filed, but
  has not yet started. You can monitor it here as previously mentioned:
    https://release.debian.org/transitions/html/r-base-3.5.html

- This is the same for the 'official' Ubuntu packages from the distro as they
  are built the same way. See eg https://packages.ubuntu.com/artful/r-cran-rcpp

- Our contributed Ubuntu repos have NOT enforced the tag so they allow you to
  co-install.  But per the above things will still break. So they will also
  get a complete rebuild.

- For Ubuntu, Michael has started a new repo:
    https://launchpad.net/~marutter/+archive/ubuntu/rrutter3.5/+packages
  I added a small one of mine too:
    https://launchpad.net/~edd/+archive/ubuntu/r-3.5
  and with that (and by reducing installed r-cran-packages down to a minimum)
  was able to install R 3.5.* packages on my 17.10 laptop. But let me repeat
  that for clarity: I involved removing r-api-3.4 packages and reinstalling
  in /usr/local

- For Debian, I started a similar 'minimal' R 3.5.0 repo here
    https://github.com/eddelbuettel/drr35
  which allowed me eg to update the 'base' Rocker image for R 3.5.0
    https://github.com/rocker-org/rocker/blob/master/r-base/Dockerfile
    https://hub.docker.com/r/rocker/r-base/
  and I will send the usual PR to the offical library for the r-base image
  mirroring this.

- Travis remains an issue if and when you mix with preinstalled packages. We
  probably want to wait there.

- Michael uses the excellent Ubuntu PPA infrastructure, but uploads are
  in fact manual. Please be patient.


This was just a quick braindump to put some facts out there while the noise
level keeps escalating on Twitter.  It is not efficient for me to try to
follow each conversation there.  If we could, let's please keep the meat of
the discussion HERE and feel free to distribute some common knowledge
established over whichever social media strategy you feel you must use.

Thanks,  Dirk

-- 
http://dirk.eddelbuettel.com | @eddelbuettel | edd at debian.org