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

[Duncan Murdoch]

On 28/10/2009 11:39 PM, Rolf Turner wrote:
> 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?

Previous versions use static web pages; in 2.10.0 the help is generated 
when you ask for it.  The advantages of this are that links work better 
(very few package authors knew how to get them to work before), man 
pages can be customized to the state of your system or generated 
automatically, etc.

>> 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.)

If you can figure out how to build it yourself, there's a configure 
option to build static help.
> 
> 	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.

You get what you pay for.

Duncan

> 
> 		cheers,
> 
> 			Rolf
> 
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