[Rd] Install packages to non-default lib on Windows

[Uwe Ligges]

Duncan Murdoch wrote:

> Seth Falcon wrote:
> 
>>We are trying to setup a Windows server that will allow any of our
>>users to build a binary R package given a source package.
>>
>>The idea is to have a central R installation and allow users to
>>install packages to their own package library for the purposes of
>>binary package building.
>>
>>It seems, however, that write access to $R_HOME is required as part of
>>the install step even when -l is used to specify an alternate package
>>library.
>>
>>here's an example of what we're seeing:
>>
>>C:\rlibdir\hpages>set R_LIBS=c:\rlibdir\hpages
>>
>>C:\rlibdir\hpages>d:\biocbld\R-devel\bin\R CMD INSTALL -l=%R_LIBS% --build Biobase_1.6.7.tar.gz
>>
>>Using auto-selected zip options 'Biobase-ZIPDATA=zip Biobase-HELP=ziponly'
>>
>>---------- Making package Biobase ------------
>>  adding build stamp to DESCRIPTION
>>  installing NAMESPACE file and metadata
>>  making DLL ...
>>  ... DLL made
>>  installing DLL
>>  installing R files
>>  save image
>>Loading required package: tools
>>Creating a new generic function for 'ncol' in 'Biobase'
>>
>>  installing inst files
>>  installing data files
>>  installing man source files
>>  installing indices
>>cannot create d:/biocbld/R-devel/doc/html/search/index.txt: permission denied

I was also annoyed about this point a couple of times. But what are 
possible solutions?

- not updating indices at all?
- provide a switch such as --no-indices for the R CMD tools?
- ...?

short time workaround: simply give users write access to the few files 
that have to write to.


Uwe Ligges



>>make[2]: *** [indices] Error 2
>>make[1]: *** [all] Error 2
>>make: *** [pkg-Biobase] Error 2
>>*** Installation of Biobase failed ***
>>
>>Removing 'c:/rlibdir/hpages/Biobase'
>>
>>
>>Questions:
>>
>>- Is it possible to build a binary package on Windows without write
>>  access to the $R_HOME tree?
>>
>>- Is it still the case that a side-effect of building a binary package
>>  is having that package be installed?  My understanding is that R CMD
>>  INSTALL --build is the way to get zips on Windows, but maybe this
>>  changed?
> 
> 
> There are two ways:  R CMD INSTALL --build, and R CMD build --binary. 
> The latter doesn't do an install, so the links in help pages don't get 
> generated properly, but it may do a good enough job for what you need.
> 
> Duncan Murdoch
> 
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