[Rd] Is it possible to make install.packages compile source code on Unix but use shipped binary on Windows?

[Prof Brian Ripley]

On 18/06/2014 09:11, Renaud Gaujoux wrote:
> Thank you for the replies and hints.
>
>> A 'pre-built windows binary' of what?
>
> Sorry this was not clear, src/ contains source code for a binary
> executable, which produces no .lib or .dll.
> It is all fine in a R development environment:
>    * On Linux, the executable is compiled and copied to
> R_PACKAGE_DIR/binR_ARCH using a custom install.libs.R script.
>    * Same thing on Windows, if Rtools is installed, install.packages
> compiles and installs both 32 and 64 bits .exe.
>
>> You can easily ship a DLL or .exe for use on Windows: just make use of
>> configure.win and/or Makefile.win.  If you have a Makefile.win it will
>> override the normal procedures for directory src.
>
> I have tried using Makevars.win, but this requires make to be
> installed (as by Rtools). So I guess using Makefile.win would also not
> work, on a classic non-development geared Windows host.
> Would using configure.win work without Rtools?

Maybe.  Read the documentation and sources for yourself (see below).

>> OTOH, shipping something in exec will be installed everywhere.
>
> True, although it seems that sub-directories of exec/ are actually not
> installed though. Is this intentional?

Yes, *and documented* (including that it should not be used for Windows 
executables).

Neither I nor R-devel is a documentation-reading service: do read 
http://www.r-project.org/posting-guide.html very carefully.


>> Watch out for sub-architectures: 'Windows' is in fact two platforms.  We
>> have over the years seen a lot of problem with people shipping 64-bit
>> Windows binaries: 32-bit Windows does not recognize those.
>
> Indeed, and I think I properly take care of this in install.libs.R.
>
> @Grabriel: the package is provided as a source package. This one is
> installable locally from file, although in may case users actually get
> it through a personal CRAN-like repository, using argument
> type='both'.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Bests,
> Renaud
>


-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
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