R devel - Jan 2006 - R 2.1.1 installation fails under Suse 10.0 (PR#8533)

Full_Name: Sigbert Klinke
Version: 2.1.1
OS: Suse Linux 10.0 (Full DVD)
Submission from: (NULL) (141.20.100.252)


Suse 10.0 installs only a Fortran 95 compiler with g77 compability mode. Using
this leads in "configure" to an abortion with problems about
"FPICFLAGS".
Deinstalling g77 compatiblity mode, using f2c, compiles R. But after calling R()
the program shows its entrance message and then hangs up, using 100% of the
processor capacity.

What finally works on my computer was setting a softlink from /usr/bin/g77 to
gfortran such that the fortran 95 compiler was used directly during the R
compilation.

I am afraid

1) This is a message about an outdated version of R, and

2) The problem is most likely the compiler and the way it (mis)compiles 
src/modules/lapack/dlamc.f.  This is covered in the R-admin manual (which 
INSTALL asked you to read).  This said in 2.1.1

   It seems that @samp{gcc 3.4.x} and later on @samp{ix86} Linux defeat
   attempts by the LAPACK code to avoid computations entirely in
   extended-precision registers, so file @file{src/modules/lapack/dlamc.f}
   may need to be compiled without optimization.  If configure detects
   @acronym{GNU} Fortran it adds flag @option{-ffloat-store} which
   suffices, but it is possible that @file{src/modules/lapack/Makefile}
   will need to be edited to remove optimization on other platforms.

and the NEWS for 2.2.0 says

     o	src/modules/lapack/dlamc.f is now compiled with -ffloat-store
 	if f2c/gcc are used, as well as if g77 is used.


If the current version of R does not work for you, please ask a question 
on R-devel describing exactly what you are using (you have not mentioned 
your cpu type or your compilers, for example) and what the error messages 
are.


On Sun, 29 Jan 2006 sigbert at wiwi.hu-berlin.de wrote:
> Full_Name: Sigbert Klinke
> Version: 2.1.1
> OS: Suse Linux 10.0 (Full DVD)
> Submission from: (NULL) (141.20.100.252)
>
>
> Suse 10.0 installs only a Fortran 95 compiler
Which compiler is this?  According to its man page, gfortran is *not* a 
Fortran 95 compiler, and you have not mentioned what you think is.
(I don't believe there is a free F95 compiler for Linux.)
> with g77 compability mode. Using this leads in "configure" to an 
> abortion with problems about "FPICFLAGS".
Which were?  What happened when you set FPICFLAGS in config.site?

> Deinstalling g77 compatiblity 
> mode, using f2c, compiles R. But after calling R() the program shows its 
> entrance message and then hangs up, using 100% of the processor 
> capacity.
>
> What finally works on my computer was setting a softlink from /usr/bin/g77
to
> gfortran such that the fortran 95 compiler was used directly during the R
> compilation.

-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595

sigbert at wiwi.hu-berlin.de writes:
> Suse 10.0 installs only a Fortran 95 compiler with g77 compability mode.
Using
> this leads in "configure" to an abortion with problems about
"FPICFLAGS".
> Deinstalling g77 compatiblity mode, using f2c, compiles R. But after
calling R()
> the program shows its entrance message and then hangs up, using 100% of the
> processor capacity.
> 
> What finally works on my computer was setting a softlink from /usr/bin/g77
to
> gfortran such that the fortran 95 compiler was used directly during the R
> compilation.
All alpha and beta versions, as well as the final release of 2.2.1
were done on (32bit) SuSE 10.0! 

Just remember to install *all* the tools, including the gcc-fortran
RPM. And install a recent R - older versions may need help to pick up
the right Fortran, and as you have noticed gcc4 and gcc3 does not mix
and match (so if you insist on using compat-g77, also use compat-gcc). 

And: It is not considered a bug that versions of R do not work/build
with OS releases which didn't exist at the time....

-- 
   O__  ---- Peter Dalgaard             ?ster Farimagsgade 5, Entr.B
  c/ /'_ --- Dept. of Biostatistics     PO Box 2099, 1014 Cph. K
 (*) \(*) -- University of Copenhagen   Denmark          Ph:  (+45) 35327918
~~~~~~~~~~ - (p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk)                  FAX: (+45) 35327907