R devel - Jan 2024 - tools::startDynamicHelp(): Randomly prevents R from exiting (on MS Windows)

ISSUE:

On MS Windows, running cmd.exe, calling

Rscript --vanilla -e "port <- tools::startDynamicHelp(); port; port
<-
tools::startDynamicHelp(FALSE); port"

will sometimes stall R at the end, preventing it from existing.  This
also happens when running R in interactive mode.  It seems to stem
from calling tools::startDynamicHelp(FALSE).

Before filing a formal bug report, can someone please confirm this
behavior? You might have to call it multiple times to hit the bug.

DETAILS:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19045.3803]
(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\hb>R --version
R version 4.3.2 (2023-10-31 ucrt) -- "Eye Holes"
Copyright (C) 2023 The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
Platform: x86_64-w64-mingw32/x64 (64-bit)

R is free software and comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
You are welcome to redistribute it under the terms of the
GNU General Public License versions 2 or 3.
For more information about these matters see
https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.

C:\Users\hb> Rscript --vanilla -e "port <- tools::startDynamicHelp();
port; port <- tools::startDynamicHelp(FALSE); port"
starting httpd help server ... done
[1] 18897
[1] 0

[WORKED]

C:\Users\hb> Rscript --vanilla -e "port <- tools::startDynamicHelp();
port; port <- tools::startDynamicHelp(FALSE); port"
starting httpd help server ... done
[1] 17840
[1] 0

[STALLED]

Bugwhisperer Bengtsson

Henrik,

I was able to reproduce this both with Rscript and interactively using the same
version of R you're using (fresh install) and Windows 10.0.22621.2715. It
took about a dozen tries.

Steve

-------- Original Message --------
On Jan 6, 2024, 12:38, Henrik Bengtsson wrote:
> ISSUE: On MS Windows, running cmd.exe, calling Rscript --vanilla -e
"port R --version R version 4.3.2 (2023-10-31 ucrt) -- "Eye
Holes" Copyright (C) 2023 The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
Platform: x86_64-w64-mingw32/x64 (64-bit) R is free software and comes with
ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY. You are welcome to redistribute it under the terms of
the GNU General Public License versions 2 or 3. For more information about these
matters see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/. C:\Users\hb> Rscript --vanilla -e
"port Rscript --vanilla -e "port
	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]

Thank you for confirming this. I just filed PR#18650
(https://bugs.r-project.org/show_bug.cgi?id=18650).

FWIW, I've found two other issues with startDynamicHelp() prior to this:

* https://bugs.r-project.org/show_bug.cgi?id=18645
* https://bugs.r-project.org/show_bug.cgi?id=18648

/Henrik

On Sat, Jan 6, 2024 at 5:53?PM Steve Martin <marberts at protonmail.com>
wrote:
>
> Henrik,
>
> I was able to reproduce this both with Rscript and interactively using the
same version of R you're using (fresh install) and Windows 10.0.22621.2715.
It took about a dozen tries.
>
> Steve
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> On Jan 6, 2024, 12:38, Henrik Bengtsson < henrik.bengtsson at
gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> ISSUE: On MS Windows, running cmd.exe, calling Rscript --vanilla -e
"port <- tools::startDynamicHelp(); port; port <-
tools::startDynamicHelp(FALSE); port" will sometimes stall R at the end,
preventing it from existing. This also happens when running R in interactive
mode. It seems to stem from calling tools::startDynamicHelp(FALSE). Before
filing a formal bug report, can someone please confirm this behavior? You might
have to call it multiple times to hit the bug. DETAILS: Microsoft Windows
[Version 10.0.19045.3803] (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Users\hb>R --version R version 4.3.2 (2023-10-31 ucrt) -- "Eye
Holes" Copyright (C) 2023 The R Foundation for Statistical Computing
Platform: x86_64-w64-mingw32/x64 (64-bit) R is free software and comes with
ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY. You are welcome to redistribute it under the terms of
the GNU General Public License versions 2 or 3. For more information about these
matters see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/. C:\Users\hb> Rscript --vanilla -e
"port <- tools::startDynamicHelp(); port; port <-
tools::startDynamicHelp(FALSE); port" starting httpd help server ... done
[1] 18897 [1] 0 [WORKED] C:\Users\hb> Rscript --vanilla -e "port <-
tools::startDynamicHelp(); port; port <- tools::startDynamicHelp(FALSE);
port" starting httpd help server ... done [1] 17840 [1] 0 [STALLED]
Bugwhisperer Bengtsson ______________________________________________ R-devel at
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