[R-SIG-Mac] R.app intractable history problem

[David Winsemius]

Even if you do not want to update to 10.0, there can be no reason not  
to update to 2.9.2. I cannot promise that will fix your problems but  
it certainly top on the list of  maneuvers to try.

-- 
David
On Nov 3, 2009, at 9:20 PM, vi wrote:

> I have seen this asked before and read the threads but cannot find a
> clear answer to this problem.
>
> I cannot manage to get the history to work from R.app. I am running R
> version 2.9.0 on an iMac OSX 10.5.8 (Leopard). I've tried
>
> 1. Using default paths and names for startup (~) and history file
> (.Rhistory). Run R.app by clicking on the dock, run a few commands. If
> I save workspace, it writes ~/.Rhistory but that file is always blank.
> Next session of R.app there is no history available of course. (If I
> don't save workspace on exit, it does not write a ~/.Rhistory file at
> all. Is this normal?)
>
> 2. Changing startup path but using the same name for history file (~/
> xxx/yyy/.Rhistory). I read my problem could be that R writes to the
> default location after R.app exits, so it could therefore be empty. I
> change the path in the Preferences->Startup-> Initial working
> directory (~/xxx/yyy/) and then the R history file in pref. to /Users/
> myname/xxx/yyy/.Rhistory and hit return before clicking anywhere else.
> It automatically changes it to ~/xxx/yyy/.Rhistory so it apparently
> recognizes my change. Then I enter a few commands in R and quit.
> Again, if I save workspace, it creates ~/xxx/yyy/.Rhistory but it's
> always empty. If I don't save workspace, the specified history file is
> not even created.
>
> 3. Changing startup path and trying to use a different name for
> history file (~/xxx/yyy/.Rhistory_me).  I change the path in the
> Preferences->Startup-> Initial working directory (~/xxx/yyy/) and then
> the R history file in pref. to either /Users/myname/xxx/
> yyy/.Rhistory_me or /Users/myname/xxx/yyy/me_Rhistory and hit return
> before clicking anywhere else. Then I enter a few commands in R and
> quit. I save workspace, it creates ~/xxx/yyy/.Rhistory (note it
> ignores the file name I gave it) but it's always empty. If I go back
> to preferences, the history file box shows ".Rhistory" regardless of
> what name I told it to save it as.
>
> 4. d&d folder onto R.app icon, .Rhistory is written to that folder as
> expected, but it remains empty no matter what.

That is unclear. What folder?
>
> Tried deleting preference file multiple times, no help. I cannot
> manage to get anything into the .Rhistory file from R.app. R from
> terminal seems okay in this regard.
>
> So what is the way to make R.app actually save its history somewhere?
> I don't want to use the history slide out button on the console and
> have to save a file with each session, I'd like it to be automatic.


> Thanks!
> vi
>
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David Winsemius, MD
Heritage Laboratories
West Hartford, CT