R devel - Oct 2008 - R CMD config doesn't export JAVA_LD_LIBRARY_PATH (PR#13165)

R CMD config exports the following variables:

   JAR           Java archive tool command
   JAVA          Java interpreter command
   JAVAC         Java compiler command
   JAVAH         Java header and stub generator command
   JAVA_HOME     path to the home of Java distribution
   JAVA_LIBS     flags needed for linking against Java libraries
   JAVA_CPPFLAGS C preprocessor flags needed for compiling JNI programs

JAVA_LD_LIBRARY_PATH is defined in Makeconf, but not exported. 
Specifically, src/scripts/config includes the following line:
ok_java_vars="JAVA JAVAC JAVAH JAR JAVA_HOME JAVA_LIBS JAVA_CPPFLAGS"

This list does not include JAVA_LD_LIBRARY_PATH, with no explanation of 
why not. Providing this env variable would allow developers to use RPATH 
instead of setting the LD_LIBRARY_PATH variable by hand before running R 
extensions that use Java.

--please do not edit the information below--

Version:
  platform = x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
  arch = x86_64
  os = linux-gnu
  system = x86_64, linux-gnu
  status   major = 2
  minor = 7.1
  year = 2008
  month = 06
  day = 23
  svn rev = 45970
  language = R
  version.string = R version 2.7.1 (2008-06-23)

Locale:
LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8;LC_NUMERIC=C;LC_TIME=en_US.UTF-8;LC_COLLATE=en_US.UTF-8;LC_MONETARY=C;LC_MESSAGES=en_US.UTF-8;LC_PAPER=en_US.UTF-8;LC_NAME=C;LC_ADDRESS=C;LC_TELEPHONE=C;LC_MEASUREMENT=en_US.UTF-8;LC_IDENTIFICATION=C

Search Path:
  .GlobalEnv, package:stats, package:graphics, package:grDevices, 
package:utils, package:datasets, package:methods, Autoloads, package:base

The subject line is true, and as documented hence not a bug.

If this was meant to be an enhancement request, please note that the R FAQ 
said

   There is a section of the bug repository for suggestions for
   enhancements for R labelled `wishlist'.  Suggestions can be submitted
   in the same ways as bugs, but please ensure that the subject line makes
   clear that this is for the wishlist and not a bug report, for example by
   starting with `Wishlist:'.

On Wed, 15 Oct 2008, chakj at stanford.edu wrote:
> R CMD config exports the following variables:
>
>   JAR           Java archive tool command
>   JAVA          Java interpreter command
>   JAVAC         Java compiler command
>   JAVAH         Java header and stub generator command
>   JAVA_HOME     path to the home of Java distribution
>   JAVA_LIBS     flags needed for linking against Java libraries
>   JAVA_CPPFLAGS C preprocessor flags needed for compiling JNI programs
>
> JAVA_LD_LIBRARY_PATH is defined in Makeconf, but not exported.
> Specifically, src/scripts/config includes the following line:
> ok_java_vars="JAVA JAVAC JAVAH JAR JAVA_HOME JAVA_LIBS
JAVA_CPPFLAGS"
>
> This list does not include JAVA_LD_LIBRARY_PATH, with no explanation of
> why not. Providing this env variable would allow developers to use RPATH
> instead of setting the LD_LIBRARY_PATH variable by hand before running R
> extensions that use Java.
What is RPATH?  Since R and R CMD set a LD_LIBRARY_PATH that includes 
JAVA_LD_LIBRARY_PATH, this makes no sense to me: the documented way is to 
run extensions via loading into R or via R CMD.

If you can make a good case for changing this, please re-submit an 
enhancement request containing that case in the form described in the FAQ, 
giving your credentials (this email is from an unnamed account and 
unsigned: we have no idea who you are).
> --please do not edit the information below--
>
> Version:
>  platform = x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
>  arch = x86_64
>  os = linux-gnu
>  system = x86_64, linux-gnu
>  status >  major = 2
>  minor = 7.1
>  year = 2008
>  month = 06
>  day = 23
>  svn rev = 45970
>  language = R
>  version.string = R version 2.7.1 (2008-06-23)
>
> Locale:
>
LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8;LC_NUMERIC=C;LC_TIME=en_US.UTF-8;LC_COLLATE=en_US.UTF-8;LC_MONETARY=C;LC_MESSAGES=en_US.UTF-8;LC_PAPER=en_US.UTF-8;LC_NAME=C;LC_ADDRESS=C;LC_TELEPHONE=C;LC_MEASUREMENT=en_US.UTF-8;LC_IDENTIFICATION=C
>
> Search Path:
>  .GlobalEnv, package:stats, package:graphics, package:grDevices,
> package:utils, package:datasets, package:methods, Autoloads, package:base
>
> ______________________________________________
> R-devel at r-project.org mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
>
-- 
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