R help - Dec 2005 - copy contributed packages from R 2.2.0 to 2.2.1

hi R-users,

a few days ago R 2.2.1 came out. on my win xp i'installed R 2.2.0. along the
time i've installed a lot of contributed packages. my internet-connection is
not very fast.

 so my question:  is it possible after installing R 2.2.1 to do copy/paste the
contributed packages from the C:\Programme\R221 to the  C:\Programme\R2.2.1-
location in the files system?

or have i to download and install the packages new?


greetings from the snowy austria
merry christmas
helli

system
R.2.2.0
win xp

Hi Helli, this came up last week, Here are some of the replys posted

1.
In http://cran.r-project.org/contrib/extra/batchfiles/batchfiles_0.2-5.zip

are two Windows XP batch files:

movedir.bat
copydir.bat

which will move the packages (which is much faster and suitable if you don't
need the old version of R any more) or copy
the packages (which takes longer but preserves the old version).

2.
x <- installed.packages()[,1]
install.packages(x)


3.
This is one reason we normally recommend that you install into a separate
library.  Then update.packages(checkBuilt =
TRUE) is all that is needed. However,

foo <- installed.packages()
as.vector(foo[is.na(foo[, "Priority"]), 1])

will give you a character vector which you can feed to install.packages(), so
it's not complex to do manually.

4.
If the previous installation is still alive, fire it up and

pS <- packageStatus()
pkgs <- pS$inst$Package[!pS$inst$Priority %in% c("base",
"recommended")]
save(pkgs, file = "foo")

In the new installation,

load("foo")
install.packages(pkgs)


Helmut Kudrnovsky wrote:
> hi R-users,
> 
> a few days ago R 2.2.1 came out. on my win xp i'installed R 2.2.0.
along the time i've installed a lot of contributed packages. my
internet-connection is not very fast.
> 
>  so my question:  is it possible after installing R 2.2.1 to do copy/paste
the contributed packages from the C:\Programme\R221 to the  C:\Programme\R2.2.1-
location in the files system?
> 
> or have i to download and install the packages new?
> 
> 
> greetings from the snowy austria
> merry christmas
> helli
> 
> system
> R.2.2.0
> win xp
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide!
http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
>

Helmut Kudrnovsky wrote:
> hi R-users,
> 
> a few days ago R 2.2.1 came out. on my win xp i'installed R 2.2.0.
along the time i've installed a lot of contributed packages. my
internet-connection is not very fast.
> 
>  so my question:  is it possible after installing R 2.2.1 to do copy/paste
the contributed packages from the C:\Programme\R221 to the  C:\Programme\R2.2.1-
location in the files system?
It is safe to copy.

Uwe Ligges

> 
> or have i to download and install the packages new?
> 
> 
> greetings from the snowy austria
> merry christmas
> helli
> 
> system
> R.2.2.0
> win xp
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide!
http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html

When I asked this question, I got some good answers.  Based on them, I 
wrote a pair of functions to accomplish this.  I have tested them in 
exactly ONE installation, and they worked.

Of course these are not needed by R gurus, but I attach them (with many 
more comment lines than actual source) for the use of anyone else who 
would like to use them.

MHP

Helmut Kudrnovsky wrote on 12/23/2005 9:43 AM:
>hi R-users,
>
>a few days ago R 2.2.1 came out. on my win xp i'installed R 2.2.0. along
the time i've installed a lot of contributed packages. my
internet-connection is not very fast.
>
> so my question:  is it possible after installing R 2.2.1 to do copy/paste
the contributed packages from the C:\Programme\R221 to the  C:\Programme\R2.2.1-
location in the files system?
>
>or have i to download and install the packages new?
>
>  
>
##################################################################################
#  Functions to (1) save names of installed package from an R 
installation to    #
#  a file and (2) install the same packages on a new R 
installation.             #
##################################################################################
#  HOW TO MOVE PACKAGES FROM ONE R INSTALLATION TO 
ANOTHER:                      #
#  Put this file in your R working directory.  Source it.  Run 
SaveMyPackages()  #
#  under the old installation.  Save your workspace and exit.  Open the 
new      #
#  installation on the same directory.  Run InstallMyPackages().  The 
packages   #
#  will be installed.  You may now rm(SaveMyPackages,InstallMyPackages) 
if you   #
#  like.  Also, you may delete the file "pkg.list" in the working 
directory.     #
##################################################################################
#  M. H. Prager      
mike.prager at noaa.gov                                        #
#  with much from posted code of U. Ligges, H. Nilsson, & B. Ripley   
           #
#  December, 
2005                                                                #
##################################################################################

SaveMyPackages <- function(filename = "pkg.list", savepkg = TRUE)
   {  #  Saves a character vector with names of non-default
      #  packages installed. Writes it to a "dput" ASCII file.
      #  ---> Run this from "old" installation. <---
      #  Arguments:
      #     filename --    Character, name of file to write.
      #     savepkg --     Logical, if TRUE save the file; if not, return
      #                    the vector of package names instead.
      foo <- installed.packages()
      foo <- as.vector(foo[is.na(foo[, "Priority"]), 1])
      if (savepkg) dput(foo, file = filename) else return(foo)
   }

InstallMyPackages <- function(x = dget(file = filename), filename = 
"pkg.list",
      install = TRUE)
   {  #  Install or print list of packages .
      #  ---> Run this from "new" installation. <---
      #  Arguments:
      #     x--         character, contains names of packages to 
install; default is
      #                 vector read from argument "filename".
      #     filename--  character, name of file containing vector (in 
dput format);
      #                 default is "pkg.list" as in SaveMyPackages.
      #     install--   logical, should actual installation be done?  If 
not,
      #                 the vector of package names in x is returned instead
      #                 of being installed.
      if (install) install.packages(x) else return(x)
   }
##################################################################################