[Rd] Installing/updating packages on a lab network

[Uwe Ligges]

On 29.07.2015 17:11, Michael Friendly wrote:
> On 7/28/2015 1:32 PM, Uwe Ligges wrote:
>> Just add the line
>>
>> R_LIBS_SITE=F:/R/library
>>
>> to the file R_HOME/etc/x64/Renviron.site
> Thanks, Uwe
>
> I have no way to test this and our IT people who do the installation
> know nothing of R, so follow-up questions:
>
> *  There is no R_HOME/etc/x64/Renviron.site file, b

Just create it.

> ut there is a
> R_HOME/etc/Rprofile.site I can modify and
> ask them to install.  Would the equivalent in Rprofile.site be
> Sys.setenv(R_LIBS_SITE="F:/R/library")

It maybe too late there, not sure.


>
> * Does this require that the R_LIBS_SITE folder exist and be writable by
> the user?

Well, you cann add several paths there separated by ";", I'd put a 
stnadrd bapth for a per user library first that is writeble by the user.

>
>   Here is what I see in the current version:
>
>    .libPaths(), the library trees where R looks for packages gives:
>    [1] "G:/uitapps/HEBB_R_LIB2/library"
>    [2] "C:/Program Files/R/R/R-3.1.1/library"
>
>    If I try to install a new package, e.g.,
>    install.packages("rockchalk")
>
>    I get "G:/uitapps/HEBB_R_LIB2/library is not writeable.  Use a
> personal library instead?", followed by a popup window,
>    "Create ~R/library? (y/n)"

Unless you have a writeable library in the first place as mentioned above.


>
>    This then installs the package, but to
> "C:/Users/friendly/Desktop/~R/library".  In the current login session,
> .libPaths() will
>    then have this path, so in a new R session, load(rockchalk) will work.
>
>    However, once I logout, all that disappears, so I have to start over
> again to install or update a package.

That depends oin your setup. On a non-tweaked Windows machie that 
directory should be persistent.

Best,
Uwe