[R] Porting Custom Packages from Linux to Windows

[Marc Schwartz]

On Oct 27, 2009, at 6:20 PM, David Lubbers wrote:

> On my linux workstation I have a nice, very little project in a
> directory called "mystuff"
>
> I installed "mystuff" into site-library with R CMD build, R CMD check
> and R CMD install.  This was all with the file mystuff.tar.gz.
>
> Now I want to install "mystuff" on my windows workstation.  Can I use
> the same file mystuff.tar.gz.  Do I need to do something different  
> with
> R CMD build?
>
> Ideally somebody has a tutorial for porting from linux to windows this
> way.
>
>
> Thanks for your time.



The package source tar file is not directly installable on Windows.  
You need to create a .zip 'binary' package file.

There is a cross-building document here by Rossini and Yan:

   http://cran.r-project.org/doc/contrib/cross-build.pdf

and the associated makefile here:

   http://cran.r-project.org/doc/contrib/Makefile-rcb


I have not looked at them in detail relative to their applicability to  
current versions of R, as they are a rather dated (circa 2003). So  
caveat emptor.

If you might consider just directly building the packages on your  
Windows system, Duncan provides an easy Windows installation that  
contains the requisite tools (C and FORTRAN compilers, vanilla Perl,  
etc.) here:

   http://www.murdoch-sutherland.com/Rtools/

along with others that are referenced in the R-Admin Manual Windows  
Toolset Appendix:

   http://cran.r-project.org/doc/manuals/R-admin.html#The-Windows- 
toolset

would enable you to build your package on Windows, including any C or  
FORTRAN code that you might have in the package.

HTH,

Marc Schwartz