R help - Jul 2006 - Running R as root

Hello
Using R v. 2.3.1 which I installed recently, when I start it as root, there
is nothing
I can do. I get "Error: function xx not found" even when trying to
leave R
using
q(). R works fine when started by an ordinary user. I rechecked the root
environment
several times and even have set it similar to that of an ordinary user
(values of
PATH etc.) but nothing helps. Using the command "env" did not reveal
anything
valuable. Going to root through the identity of an ordinary user and
retaining his
environment by doing "su user" instead of su - user" does not
help either.

This does not seem related to the particular version of R.
Using: Linux RedHat AS 2.1

Any hint?

Bye

Rick

roderick.castillo at metanomics.de writes:
> Hello
> Using R v. 2.3.1 which I installed recently, when I start it as root, there
> is nothing
> I can do. I get "Error: function xx not found" even when trying
to leave R
> using
> q(). R works fine when started by an ordinary user. I rechecked the root
> environment
> several times and even have set it similar to that of an ordinary user
> (values of
> PATH etc.) but nothing helps. Using the command "env" did not
reveal
> anything
> valuable. Going to root through the identity of an ordinary user and
> retaining his
> environment by doing "su user" instead of su - user" does
not help either.
> 
> This does not seem related to the particular version of R.
> Using: Linux RedHat AS 2.1
> 
> Any hint?
File permissions? (it is possible to set them so that files can be
read by anyone except the user...)

How exactly did you install R, and are there any other clues upon
startup? 

I get, BTW
> aa()
Error: could not find function "aa"

so I suspect you paraphrased the error message.

One other thing that can cause trouble is networked directories. Files
that are physically on another machine can sometimes not be accessed
by root on the local machine.

-- 
   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

Problem solved: I had a .Renviron file in root's Home directory pointing to
the
wrong R installation...

Thanks anyway
Rick