R help - May 2003 - how to upgrade R/ linux/ mandrake/ readme suggestion

System info:
Mandrake 9.0
R Version 1.7.0
ESS 5.1.21
Emacs 21.2.1
-------------------

Colleagues

The R-team has done a great job of making it easy to upgrade to current 
versions of the R-language using the rpms for linux. I have a minor 
suggestion for the readme file <Mandrake-Readme.txt> where the mandrake 
linux binaries reside <http://www.cran.r-project.org/>.

The readme at the moment focusses on "BUILDING AN R RPM FOR EARLIER 
VERSIONS OF MANDRAKE" (sorry about the capitals). It would be very 
helpful to have a one liner near the top of the file that says something 
like what follows (I've left the LaTex makup in there from my own notes).
------------------------

\subsection{Upgrading R}
First copy the /usr/lib/R/library/ somehwere safe! After
installing the new version of R, check to make sure you still
have any former user contributed packages you may have
installed. if not copy them over from the former library
directory before deleting it.

Download the
new rpm for the appropriate mandrake distribution.  Change to
root. Use the upgrade option for rpmi to install the rpm.
\begin{verbatim}
[root at smc R]# rpmi -U R-1.7.0-1mdk.i586.rpm
\end{verbatim}

--------------------
This may save some users from trying <rpmi -i R-1.7.0-1mdk.i586.rpm> and 
then wondering why they get a lot of messages about conflicting file 
versions from an earlier version of R.

Thanks for making upgade so easy.

Best fishes

Sam


-- 
Sam McClatchie, Research scientist (fisheries acoustics))))))))))
NIWA (National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd)
PO Box 14 901, Kilbirnie, Wellington, New Zealand
s.mcclatchie at niwa.cri.nz
Research home page <http://www.smcc.150m.com/>
                       /\
            >><xX(&>
                    /// \\\
                   //// \\\\
                  ///  <%)Xx><<
                 /////  \\\\\\
           ><(((@>
     ><(((%>     ..>><xX(?>O<?)Xx><<

On Wed, 14 May 2003, Sam McClatchie wrote:
> It would be very 
> helpful to have a one liner near the top of the file that says something 
> like what follows 
<cut>

R 1.7.0 - for the first time - has "make check all" in the spec file
and
this has brought to the light a few problems.

I must still upload RPM packages for Mandrake 8.0 (which I've managed to
compile,
but only  with --shlib disabled, because with --shlib enabled a package 
fails the check) and 8.1 (which just will not compile if make check all is 
done ... whether or not R is compiled as --shlib: one of the packages 
systematically fails on make check).

In any case, as soon as I have a little time I will examine the issue more 
closely and upload - hopefully - either working rpms or a bug report
on the relevant packages.

But before I do this I shall certainly upload a revised readme with your 
indications included. Thank you !

-- 
Michele Alzetta