[R] Need online version of R help pages

[Paul Domaskis]

With all due respect, Duncan, I can't find the message advising
against using the Cygwin port.  I did find a message about the
mishandling of line endings, and I've asked on the cygwin forum
(as advised).
As I mentioned, I'm in an environment where updates are not possible,
and I'm clarifying now that this means installations are even more
impossible, at least not without extensive adminstrative delay.
Basically, this is what I have to work with.  If anyone can suggest
good ideas for the challenges as-is, that would be much appreciated.
However, given your posts, I fully understand if the answer is "no".
On the other hand, simply demanding a solution consisting of a course
of action which is impossible at present...well, it's just impossible.
Having said that, I'll just say that I've managed to exort the powers
that be to install a Windows based version of R, but I have to work
with what I currently have for at least a week.  I should also mention
that I've submitted an update to the mailing list on a workaround for
the R help problem on cygwin.  It might not have propagated to
recipients yet.
I appreciate the further info on the extent of the bugginess of the
cygwin port.
On Fri, Apr 17, 2015 at 9:04 PM, Duncan Murdoch
<murdoch.duncan at gmail.com> wrote:
>On 16/04/2015 5:02 PM, paul wrote:
>> The help for the cygwin port of R is buggy and hides random lines
>> of text.
>
> You've already been told not to use the Cygwin port.  It's buggy in
> the help pages, and probably in many other respects as well.  It
> doesn't pass the R self-tests.  Don't use it.
>
>>  Consquently, I've been relying on Google, but it is often not
>>  clear how directly relevant the info is for the specific command
>>  that I'm using.  For example, reshape is complicated, and has more
>>  than 1 version.
>>
>> Is there an online version of the help pages?
>>
>> I tried looking for html versions of the help pages by ferruting
>> through the R.home() subtree.  Haven't found them so far.  There
>> are package pages in subdirectories <package>/html/00Index.html,
>> but they just contain links to html files that don't reside in my
>> R.home() subtree.  There are also subdirectories <package>/help,
>> but they contain pages that I don't recognize (*.rds, *.rdb,
>> *.rdx).
>>
>> Getting desparate here, and realizing how the web is not in any way
>> a substituted for locally available help pages that you can be
>> confident is right for your installation.