Seth Falcon wrote:> We are trying to setup a Windows server that will allow any of our
> users to build a binary R package given a source package.
>
> The idea is to have a central R installation and allow users to
> install packages to their own package library for the purposes of
> binary package building.
>
> It seems, however, that write access to $R_HOME is required as part of
> the install step even when -l is used to specify an alternate package
> library.
>
> here's an example of what we're seeing:
>
> C:\rlibdir\hpages>set R_LIBS=c:\rlibdir\hpages
>
> C:\rlibdir\hpages>d:\biocbld\R-devel\bin\R CMD INSTALL -l=%R_LIBS%
--build Biobase_1.6.7.tar.gz
>
> Using auto-selected zip options 'Biobase-ZIPDATA=zip
Biobase-HELP=ziponly'
>
> ---------- Making package Biobase ------------
> adding build stamp to DESCRIPTION
> installing NAMESPACE file and metadata
> making DLL ...
> ... DLL made
> installing DLL
> installing R files
> save image
> Loading required package: tools
> Creating a new generic function for 'ncol' in 'Biobase'
>
> installing inst files
> installing data files
> installing man source files
> installing indices
> cannot create d:/biocbld/R-devel/doc/html/search/index.txt: permission
denied
> make[2]: *** [indices] Error 2
> make[1]: *** [all] Error 2
> make: *** [pkg-Biobase] Error 2
> *** Installation of Biobase failed ***
>
> Removing 'c:/rlibdir/hpages/Biobase'
>
>
> Questions:
>
> - Is it possible to build a binary package on Windows without write
> access to the $R_HOME tree?
>
> - Is it still the case that a side-effect of building a binary package
> is having that package be installed? My understanding is that R CMD
> INSTALL --build is the way to get zips on Windows, but maybe this
> changed?
There are two ways: R CMD INSTALL --build, and R CMD build --binary.
The latter doesn't do an install, so the links in help pages don't get
generated properly, but it may do a good enough job for what you need.
Duncan Murdoch