I have been using R under Linux for more than a year and
I think that it is great.
Last week, I downloaded the binary Ms Windows version. I wanted
to test it for my students. Our labs are under Bill Gates.
I am not happy but I can do nothing.
R worked. But, I could not use the dyn.load command
with some dll built with one of the ports of
gcc for windows 95/nt (I used the ecgs-mingw32 ports
http://www.xraylith.wisc.edu/~khan/software/gnu-win32).
The same dll's work with Xlisp-Stat. Then, I rebember something posted
by Luke Tierney somewhere about dll's and the Watcom compiler.
I took a look to his pages and found out that perhaps the problem is not
ecgs but Watcom
( http://stat.umn.edu/~luke/xls/projects/dlbasics/dlbasics.html).
No dyn.load means no additional packages. Since I don't want
to buy a commercial compiler to support free software, this
morning I tried to recompile the 0.61.1 distribution with
egcs. Now, after more than 10000 grep's to understand
the differences between the windows sources and the unix ones,
I have a version of R-0.61.1 under Win95. It works. It seems
also a little faster than the october binary version
(perhaps since I compiled the fortran sources directly
using g77).
But I have some questions:
(a) The windows sources in R-0.61.1 are not the ones used
to build the last windows distribution in CRAN. For example,
the menus are different and also the src/library/base/R/system.win has no
support for library. Where can I find the new sources?
(b) I prepared a Makefile that build the system using the
directory structure of R-0.61.1 under unix. But I don't known
the differences between the the 0.61 version and the 0.50.xxx
for which src/library/base/R/system.win. has been wrote.
Where can I find a description of the differences?
(c) Is someone interested in this port? If yes, I can make it available.
I tried to make rebuilding easy. Essentially, you untar a small archive
in src/ (essentially the makefiles and the pacthed windows sources).
Then
make RHOME=??? firstofall
make RHOME=??? HAVEG77=[YES,NO]
make RHOME=??? HAVEG77=[YES,NO] packages
should build and install the system with all the packages in src/library;
make RHOME=??? HAVEG77=[YES,NO] pkg-???
will make the package ???. You need gnu-make+sed+rm+cp+ls.
( perhaps also a sh-like shell (I used bash)).
I have not tried but this should work also with the Cygnus and
the gcc-mingw32 port of gcc. Indeed, for this reason, I used the
HAVEG77 flag.
I believe that is not appropriate to make a binary distribution available
before (i) the base/R/system.win file has been fixed (or at least
before I, or better, someone else understand, what is going);
(ii) more testing.
(d) I tried to recompile the regex library in the src/regex
directory. But there is no regex.h file. So, I gave up.
(d1) Are the source there to let people without regex
to build the library? If yes, how?
Where can I find the regex.h file for that
version of the library which is not the gnu rl one?
(d2) Have someone tried to use some free regex library
under mingw32?
(e) The last point is a proposal for a medium term project.
The modifications that I made were necessary to update the
windows sources to the changes made in the system interface
(R_ReadConsole, R_WriteConsole,....). Now, the gnuplot people
has developed a layer between stdio and a windows console
(a graphics not a ms-dos one). In this way, for example,
just doing some #undef and some #define, you can printf
on the console. They also have a version of readline.
If we borrow the layer we can hope to use the unix/system.c
file without changes (or with few changes). And hence,
it will be easier for the developers to bring the MsWindows
version update with the main unix one.
I know. I wrote too much and people do not survive too much
when I write or speak in English. Hence, please, forgive me.
Thanks,
guido masarotto
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[I had to hand-approve this mail, since it contains "subscribe" in the first few lines. Martin Maechler, list administrator] 1) This is very interesting stuff. 2) But it really belongs on R-devel, not R-help. R-help is for helping users with installing and using R, not debating its future or discussing technical issues. Could I ask you to subscribe and then we move the discussion there? (Don't worry, R-devel is not a very high volume list.) guido@sirio.stat.unipd.it writes:> I have been using R under Linux for more than a year and > I think that it is great. > Last week, I downloaded the binary Ms Windows version. I wanted > to test it for my students. Our labs are under Bill Gates. > I am not happy but I can do nothing.Same thing here.> R worked. But, I could not use the dyn.load command...> No dyn.load means no additional packages. Since I don't want > to buy a commercial compiler to support free software, this > morning I tried to recompile the 0.61.1 distribution with > egcs. Now, after more than 10000 grep's to understand > the differences between the windows sources and the unix ones, > I have a version of R-0.61.1 under Win95. It works.I tried essentially the same stunt, but couldn't figure out how to get the Windows console and graphics going, "Multiple Document Interface" and all that. In particular, there's trouble with the gnuwin header files versus the MS Platform SDK used in the sources. Does this mean that you have a version running just like the "official" one? And could it run under Win3 too?> It seems > also a little faster than the october binary version > (perhaps since I compiled the fortran sources directly > using g77).I wouldn't be surprised, although Watcon does some register-passing tricks, which one would think made it faster, (as well as incompatible with other C compilers...!)> But I have some questions: > (a) The windows sources in R-0.61.1 are not the ones used > to build the last windows distribution in CRAN. For example, > the menus are different and also the src/library/base/R/system.win has no > support for library. Where can I find the new sources?In the R-snapshot at CRAN (src/devel), I think. The very latest versions are on Roberts computer...> (b) I prepared a Makefile that build the system using the > directory structure of R-0.61.1 under unix. But I don't known > the differences between the the 0.61 version and the 0.50.xxx > for which src/library/base/R/system.win. has been wrote. > Where can I find a description of the differences?Hmm. I don't know exactly what you mean here. I don't think that there is a true writeup documenting any of this.> (c) Is someone interested in this port?Definitely! If yes, I can make it available.> I tried to make rebuilding easy. Essentially, you untar a small archive > in src/ (essentially the makefiles and the pacthed windows sources). > Then > make RHOME=??? firstofall > make RHOME=??? HAVEG77=[YES,NO] > make RHOME=??? HAVEG77=[YES,NO] packages > should build and install the system with all the packages in src/library; > make RHOME=??? HAVEG77=[YES,NO] pkg-??? > will make the package ???. You need gnu-make+sed+rm+cp+ls. > ( perhaps also a sh-like shell (I used bash)). > I have not tried but this should work also with the Cygnus and > the gcc-mingw32 port of gcc. Indeed, for this reason, I used the > HAVEG77 flag.How about the cross-compilers?> I believe that is not appropriate to make a binary distribution available > before (i) the base/R/system.win file has been fixed (or at least > before I, or better, someone else understand, what is going); > (ii) more testing.Agreed, but binaries (of R *and* all the packages) will in a not-so-long perspective be needed for practical people.> (d) I tried to recompile the regex library in the src/regex > directory. But there is no regex.h file. So, I gave up. > (d1) Are the source there to let people without regex > to build the library? If yes, how? > Where can I find the regex.h file for that > version of the library which is not the gnu rl one? > (d2) Have someone tried to use some free regex library > under mingw32?Hmm. Does this line in src/regex/WHATSNEW ring a bell? (Not that I know what I'm talking about, I just use grep...) you have to build regex.h explicitly by "make h". The two known bugs> (e) The last point is a proposal for a medium term project. > The modifications that I made were necessary to update the > windows sources to the changes made in the system interface > (R_ReadConsole, R_WriteConsole,....). Now, the gnuplot people > has developed a layer between stdio and a windows console > (a graphics not a ms-dos one). In this way, for example, > just doing some #undef and some #define, you can printf > on the console. They also have a version of readline. > If we borrow the layer we can hope to use the unix/system.c > file without changes (or with few changes). And hence, > it will be easier for the developers to bring the MsWindows > version update with the main unix one.This sounds interesting. An alternative that I have been playing with is to use Tcl/Tk, with a longer term perspective of developing R/Tk language bindings like in STk (Scheme/Tk). This could have the benefit of automatic (hah!) *Mac* portability. Note, BTW, that some substantial changes have been made in the nonreleased 0.62 version (see aforementioned snapshot) to the parser and I/O parts, specifically to cater for windowing systems. -- O__ ---- Peter Dalgaard Blegdamsvej 3 c/ /'_ --- Dept. of Biostatistics 2200 Cph. N (*) \(*) -- University of Copenhagen Denmark Ph: (+45) 35327918 ~~~~~~~~~~ - (p.dalgaard@biostat.ku.dk) FAX: (+45) 35327907 -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- r-devel mailing list -- Read http://www.ci.tuwien.ac.at/~hornik/R/R-FAQ.html Send "info", "help", or "[un]subscribe" (in the "body", not the subject !) 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Peter Dalgaard BSA writes:> ......... > 2) But it really belongs on R-devel, not R-help. R-help is for helping > users with installing and using R, not debating its future or > discussing technical issues. Could I ask you to do_subscribe and then we > move the discussion there? (Don't worry, R-devel is not a very high > volume list.) >Ok. I am here.> > ....... > I tried essentially the same stunt, but couldn't figure out how to get > the Windows console and graphics going, "Multiple Document Interface" > and all that. In particular, there's trouble with the gnuwin header > files versus the MS Platform SDK used in the sources. Does this mean > that you have a version running just like the "official" one? And > could it run under Win3 too? >(a) The gnuwin header miss some definition used by R. I hand copied them (they are long but not too much) from the header of a old Borland compiler (16 bit; so I also crossed my finger). I do not know if hand copy is correct but I mean "a copy made by my finger not using the cut and paste". Since now the header are freely available but non redistribuible I suppose that this is legal. (b) So I have a version of R that "works". "works": - I could run all the demos but the dynload one (I didn't tried; - I played with it for an hour preparing the slides for my lesson of this afternoon (poisson regression + graph) - I make use of the functions in the eda library (dynloaded). and I tried some silly homemade dll. (c) Running as the "official" one? No. The basic problem are with the R sources that load data/library... The system.win file, the one that I used from R-0.61.1, has a not working "library" (also but perhaps I make some mistake a broken "data") For example to run the demos I used a silly ad hoc data function of the type data<-function(a) source(paste(basedata,a),sep="") On the contrary, some of the command under unix are implemented by shell commands. So the src/library/base/system.unix can't be used. Hence this part must be fixed. This is why, yesterday, I asked for documentation of what must go in src/library/base/system. Perhaps, it was an inappropriate request since I can look to the unix one. But, you know. After, some hours I had the system running but I could not do "data(iris)" and with "no iris data there is no statistics". (d) About Win30. I don't know.> > It seems > > also a little faster than the october binary version > > (perhaps since I compiled the fortran sources directly > > using g77). > > I wouldn't be surprised, although Watcon does some register-passing > tricks, which one would think made it faster, (as well as incompatible > with other C compilers...!)I just compare the time of for (i in 1:1000) a<-solve(matrix(rnorm(100),10,10)) matrix and the gnuwin32 version was 20% faster. I suppose that this is not a fair test since is biased towards the comparison of the fortran code (and I used g77).> > (c) Is someone interested in this port? > > Definitely! >If you want, I can make the patch available in a couple of days. I just want to recompile from the scratch so that you have not to bother about the fact that I have forgotten a file o something like this. But I have now time today and tomorrow (teaching, teaching,...)> > How about the cross-compilers? >I suppose that if you have gcc running somewhere and configured to support win32 as target you can cross-compile. But, I have not tried.> > I believe that is not appropriate to make a binary distribution available > > before (i) the base/R/system.win file has been fixed (or at least > > before I, or better, someone else understand, what is going); > > (ii) more testing. > > Agreed, but binaries (of R *and* all the packages) will in a > not-so-long perspective be needed for practical people. >Ok. But with a stable distribution.> > (d) I tried to recompile the regex library in the src/regex > > Hmm. Does this line in src/regex/WHATSNEW ring a bell? (Not that I > know what I'm talking about, I just use grep...) > > you have to build regex.h explicitly by "make h". The two known bugs >Thanks. So regex.h must be built. The line before the one that you quoted say that regex.h is generated by mkh. What kind of monster mkh is? guido masarotto -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- r-devel mailing list -- Read http://www.ci.tuwien.ac.at/~hornik/R/R-FAQ.html Send "info", "help", or "[un]subscribe" (in the "body", not the subject !) To: r-devel-request@stat.math.ethz.ch _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._
There has been some talk about missing header files for compiling the windows stuff under gcc . A company called Willows (www.willows.com) produces a set of tools for porting Windows programs to other platforms, including the necessary header files, all under the GNU LGPL. This might have the files we need (I don't know enough about the problem to tell for sure). -thomas -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- r-devel mailing list -- Read http://www.ci.tuwien.ac.at/~hornik/R/R-FAQ.html Send "info", "help", or "[un]subscribe" (in the "body", not the subject !) To: r-devel-request@stat.math.ethz.ch _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._
I am sorry but, on sunday, I putted on the ftp server not the last
version of my work.
There are two bugs that I had already discovered:
(a) to run all the demos, at least on my machine, you have
to eliminate the max.parse.length=10000 at the end
of the demo function (in the call to source).
(b) the menu item which sources a file sometimes doesn't
work. The source(...) command should work. I had already
correct the C source.
Of course, there are some other zillion of bugs unknown.
I apologize for the problems.
guido m.
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Jan Kutylowski writes:> > > > > I picked up your execs of R. First impression is that R apears faster. > But running a demo does not stop the screen after it fills up, so > it is unpleasant. Is there anything I can do about this?The same happens also under unix (at least under linux). If I understand the point, but someone else can give you better advice, you have to look to the source function, try to compute the number of line printed, and stop when .... I will give a look to the function.> > I would very much welcome if you could update the binaries as you > discover bugs etc. > > I believe gcc on Windows is THE way to go. Your work brings the light > to the issues of the coexistence of updated Windows/Linux versions.When I will have time, I want to prepare a version for my student with many of the packages available. I can also try to fix bugs when these will be discovered but my attempt was only an experiment. guido m. -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- r-devel mailing list -- Read http://www.ci.tuwien.ac.at/~hornik/R/R-FAQ.html Send "info", "help", or "[un]subscribe" (in the "body", not the subject !) To: r-devel-request@stat.math.ethz.ch _._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._