[R-SIG-Mac] Can't get help.start() to work.

[Rolf Turner]

On 29/10/2009, at 2:39 PM, Duncan Murdoch wrote:

> On 28/10/2009 9:04 PM, Rolf Turner wrote:
>> Under my newly installed version of R, 2.10.0, help.start() refuses
>> to perform.  When I issue the command I get a ``Host is unreachable''
>> message from the browser (which is Firefox, version 3.5.3).
>>
>> I have seen things about funnies with help under 2.10.0 but have
>> not properly comprehended them.  I am not sure if they apply to my
>> situation.  I did a bit of scrounging through recent postings to
>> R-help and could not find anything relevant. Can someone tell me
>> ***in monosyllables*** ( :-) ) how to get help.start() to work?
>>
>> Session info:
>>
>>> R version 2.10.0 Patched (2009-10-27 r50222)
>>> i386-apple-darwin8.11.1
>>>
>>> locale:
>>> [1] C
>>>
>>> attached base packages:
>>> [1] datasets  utils     stats     graphics  grDevices methods   base
>>>
>>> other attached packages:
>>> [1] misc_0.0-11    fortunes_1.3-6 MASS_7.3-3
>>>
>>> loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
>>> [1] tools_2.10.0
>>
>> I have attached, in pdf form, a screen shot of the message I get
>> in the Firefox window when help.start() fails.
>
> The problem appears to be with "WebMarshal Proxy".  I don't know if  
> you
> have any control over this, or it comes from your IT department,  
> but you
> need to tell it to let Firefox connect to R on your own machine  
> (address
> 127.0.0.1) if you want help.start() to work.  If that requires you to
> set a particular port number (or range) for R to use, see the
> ?tools::startDynamicHelp page for details.

	This did not/does not happen with R version 2.9.2.  Why has
	version 2.10.0 introduced a difficulty?
>
> You may find that the GUI works better.  It doesn't use Firefox, it  
> has
> its own built in browser, and it's conceivable that it will avoid  
> going
> through the proxy.

Yes, the GUI works in respect of providing html help.  But

	(a) I ***HATE*** using the GUI.

	(b) Funny things happen when I try loading spatstat from the GUI.

	If I click on Packages & Data --> Package Manager, I get an error:

> Error in package.manager(is.loaded, pkgs, pkgs.desc, pkgs.url) :
>   invalid arguments (length mismatch)
> In addition: Warning messages:
> 1: In .find.package(pkgs) : there is no package called 'BACCO'
> 2: In .find.package(pkgs) : there is no package called 'forecasting'


	There ***are*** packages BACCO and forecasting in my local
	library (~/Rlib).  But ne'er mind.

	So I try

	library(spatstat)

	from the command line (in the window opened by the GUI).  I get an  
error:

> Loading required package: mgcv
> Error in dyn.load(file, DLLpath = DLLpath, ...) :
>   unable to load shared library '/Users/rturner/Rlib/lattice/libs/ 
> i386/lattice.so':
>   dlopen(/Users/rturner/Rlib/lattice/libs/i386/lattice.so, 6):  
> Library not loaded: /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/2.7/ 
> Resources/lib/libR.dylib
>   Referenced from: /Users/rturner/Rlib/lattice/libs/i386/lattice.so
>   Reason: image not found
> In addition: Warning message:
> package 'spatstat' was built under R version 2.9.2 and help may not  
> work correctly
> Error: package 'mgcv' could not be loaded

	However if I abandon the (expletive deleted) GUI, start R from the  
command
	line and then load spatstat, all is well.  (Modulo some warnings  
about packages
	being built under earlier versions of R whence the help might not  
work correctly.
	Which it doesn't anyway.)

	So why should mgcv load when R is started from the command line, but  
not
	when it is started from the GUI?

	This is getting ridiculous.  Everything I try engenders another  
error and
	another fiasco.  Things have become too complex and intricate.  IMHO  
too
	much effort has been expended on implementing gee-whiz facilities  
for the
	super-clever or GUI facilities for the retarded at the expense of  
simple
	usability for the ordinary middle of the road user.

		cheers,

			Rolf

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