[R-SIG-Mac] Blank help window

Ben Tupper btupper @ending from bigelow@org
Thu Oct 18 01:20:57 CEST 2018 

Ahoy!

> ?data.frame
starting httpd help server ... done
> (tools::startDynamicHelp(NA))
[1] 31048

Connecting to http://127.0.0.1:31048/NEWS <http://127.0.0.1:31048/NEWS> brings up NEWS as expected.

If I understand the MacOS preferences the firewall is OFF.  

I'll try the clean-then-reinstall that Marc suggests and report back.

Ben

> On Oct 17, 2018, at 5:42 PM, Peter Dalgaard <pdalgd using gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hmm, when trying from R.app, do you see the following?
> 
>> ?data.frame
> starting httpd help server ... done
>> (tools::startDynamicHelp(NA))
> [1] 26163
> 
> (The last bit is the port number of the HTTP server and will differ between invokations. I think you get 0 if the server isn't running and -1 if it failed to start.)
> 
> If the server is there, you could try connecting from your favourite browser at (say) http://127.0.0.1:26163/NEWS
> 
> If the server is there, but you cannot talk to it, then I suspect that a firewall is getting in the way.
> 
> -pd
> 
> 
>> On 17 Oct 2018, at 20:53 , Ben Tupper <btupper using bigelow.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> The behavior I see is identical to what you describe regardless of the function (I used ?data.frame as an example).  The help commands
>> 
>>> ?<something>
>> 
>> and
>> 
>>> help("something")
>> 
>> both bring up a blank help window.  All of the other steps you have taken yield the same result on my system.
>> 
>> 
>> R version 3.5.1 (2018-07-02) -- "Feather Spray"
>> Copyright (C) 2018 The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
>> Platform: x86_64-apple-darwin15.6.0 (64-bit)
>> 
>> R is free software and comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
>> You are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions.
>> Type 'license()' or 'licence()' for distribution details.
>> 
>>  Natural language support but running in an English locale
>> 
>> R is a collaborative project with many contributors.
>> Type 'contributors()' for more information and
>> 'citation()' on how to cite R or R packages in publications.
>> 
>> Type 'demo()' for some demos, 'help()' for on-line help, or
>> 'help.start()' for an HTML browser interface to help.
>> Type 'q()' to quit R.
>> 
>> [R.app GUI 1.70 (7543) x86_64-apple-darwin15.6.0]
>> 
>>> sessionInfo()
>> R version 3.5.1 (2018-07-02)
>> Platform: x86_64-apple-darwin15.6.0 (64-bit)
>> Running under: macOS Sierra 10.12.6
>> 
>> Matrix products: default
>> BLAS: /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/3.5/Resources/lib/libRblas.0.dylib
>> LAPACK: /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/3.5/Resources/lib/libRlapack.dylib
>> 
>> locale:
>> [1] en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8/C/en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8
>> 
>> attached base packages:
>> [1] stats     graphics  grDevices utils     datasets  methods   base     
>> 
>> loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
>> [1] compiler_3.5.1
>> 
>> 
>>> capabilities()
>>       jpeg         png        tiff       tcltk         X11        aqua    http/ftp     sockets      libxml        fifo 
>>       TRUE        TRUE        TRUE        TRUE        TRUE        TRUE        TRUE        TRUE        TRUE        TRUE 
>>     cledit       iconv         NLS     profmem       cairo         ICU long.double     libcurl 
>>       TRUE        TRUE        TRUE        TRUE        TRUE        TRUE        TRUE        TRUE 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Oct 17, 2018, at 1:48 PM, zListserv <zlistserv using gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Many thanks for your suggestions.  Not sure whether Ben’s issue is the same as mine.  Ben has problems with ?data.frame.  My issue is a blank help window when typing ?mean (or any other function).
>>> 
>>> Peter suggested checking capabilities().  They are all TRUE.
>>> 
>>> You both suggested checking configuration files.  Removing .Rprofile, .Rdata, and .Rapp.history made no difference.
>>> 
>>> Simon suggested:
>>> 
>>>> On 2018-10 -17, at 08:57, Simon Urbanek <simon.urbanek using r-project.org> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Few things to try:
>>>> 
>>>> - do you see anything in the error console?
>>> 
>>> Nothing noticeable in the error console, though I’m inexpert at reading it.
>>>> 
>>>> - remove (rename) any and all customization files like ~/.Rprofle ~/.RData etc.
>>> 
>>> No effect
>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> - try running R from the console and starting the html help by hand to see if it works at all:
>>>> tools::startDynamicHelp()
>>>> help.start(browser="/usr/bin/open”)
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> Help works when running R from console
>>> 
>>>> - if that works try the same from the R.app gui *before* using help:
>>>> help.start(browser="/usr/bin/open”)
>>> 
>>> No effect in R (except it opens my default browser).
>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Cheers,
>>>> Simon
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> On Oct 16, 2018, at 7:11 PM, zListserv <zlistserv using gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> I recently migrated to a MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018) using the Migration Assistant.  Everything went well, though there are always a few things that don't transfer such as applications installed by Brew which I installed manually.
>>>>> 
>>>>> An issue with R arose I can't solve.  The help systen opens with a blank window.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Help works when I run R from the terminal so I know the files are installed.  Help works fine on the Macintosh I used a the source for the migration so it isn't a problem I inherited.  Re-installing R (see sessionInfo below) didn't solve the problem.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Anyone have any suggestions how I can get help to work?
>>>>> 
>>>>> R version 3.5.1 (2018-07-02)
>>>>> Platform: x86_64-apple-darwin15.6.0 (64-bit)
>>>>> Running under: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
>>>>> 
>>>>> Matrix products: default
>>>>> BLAS: /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/3.5/Resources/lib/libRblas.0.dylib
>>>>> LAPACK: /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/3.5/Resources/lib/libRlapack.dylib
>>>>> 
>>>>> locale:
>>>>> [1] en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8/C/en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8
>>>>> 
>>>>> attached base packages:
>>>>> [1] stats     graphics  grDevices utils     datasets  methods  
>>>>> [7] base     
>>>>> 
>>>>> other attached packages:
>>>>> [1] HANDLS_0.34 zUtil_0.121
>>>>> 
>>>>> loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
>>>>> [1] Rcpp_0.12.17    lattice_0.20-35 digest_0.6.15   MASS_7.3-50    
>>>>> [5] chron_2.3-52    grid_3.5.1      plyr_1.8.4      xtable_1.8-2   
>>>>> [9] DBI_1.0.0       RSQLite_2.1.1   sqldf_0.4-11    blob_1.1.1     
>>>>> [13] sp_1.3-1        gsubfn_0.7      proto_1.0.0     tools_3.5.1    
>>>>> [17] Matching_4.9-3  bit64_0.9-7     foreign_0.8-70  bit_1.1-14     
>>>>> [21] compiler_3.5.1  maptools_0.9-2  memoise_1.1.0  
>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> R-SIG-Mac mailing list
>>>>> R-SIG-Mac using r-project.org
>>>>> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-sig-mac
>>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> Ben Tupper
>> Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
>> 60 Bigelow Drive, P.O. Box 380
>> East Boothbay, Maine 04544
>> http://www.bigelow.org
>> 
>> Ecological Forecasting: https://eco.bigelow.org/
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> -- 
> Peter Dalgaard, Professor,
> Center for Statistics, Copenhagen Business School
> Solbjerg Plads 3, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
> Phone: (+45)38153501
> Office: A 4.23
> Email: pd.mes using cbs.dk  Priv: PDalgd using gmail.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

Ben Tupper
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
60 Bigelow Drive, P.O. Box 380
East Boothbay, Maine 04544
http://www.bigelow.org

Ecological Forecasting: https://eco.bigelow.org/






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