[R] problem installing 2.6.1 on OSX Leopard (after failed MacPorts install)

[dankelley]

This message reports a problem, and its solution.  I found the solution while
posting.  Since others may have the same problem, I am continuing with the
post.

PROBLEM
I am having a different problem than the one that others have reported (e.g.
http://www.nabble.com/Problem-Installing-2.6.0-on-Mac-tf4778736.html#a13674247).

Whether I try to install R as a whole, or individual packages, the installer
has a problem near the end.  The message is as follows.

<pre>Install Failed

The Installer could not install some files in "/".
Contact the software manager for assistance.</pre>

I looked at the installer script and found the error message as follows.
<pre>
Dec  2 16:14:40 Macintosh pkgExtractor[5356]: BomFileError 62: Too many
levels of symbolic links - ///usr/local/lib
</pre>

SOLUTION

A quick check shows that, indeed,

/usr/local/lib

is messed up.  It is an infinite link to itself.  But, another directory

/usr/local/lib 1

seems to be the original directory, that was moved aside by something.  (I
think that something was a failed installation of MacPorts, based on the
directory creation time, but that's onlly a guess.)

So, the workaround is to 

sudo rm /usr/local/lib

followed by 

sudo mv /usr/local/lib\ 1 /usr/local/lib

(Note the use of backslash to protect the space in the directory name.)

After this, I found that I can install the individual packages (gfortran
etc) or the whole R application, without problem.

Other information: I've recently upgraded from Tiger to Leopard.  There was
a pre-existing R on the system.
-- 
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