R help - Jun 2009 - Problem downloading webpages using batchfiles and RCurl from command line in Vista Basic - couldn't connect to host

Dear all,

I am having a problem downloading webpages through R when i run it in
the DOS window under Windows Vista Basic. I have downloaded the
batchfiles from http://code.google.com/p/batchfiles/ and have
successfully set the PATH.

I open up 'Command Prompt' in Vista and type (after the C:\...>
stuff):

### START ###
C:\Users\Karen>Rscript -e "library(RCurl); getURL('http://
www.google.com')"
Loading required package: methods
Loading required package: bitops
Error in curlPerform(curl = curl, .opts = opts, .encoding
= .encoding) :
  couldn't connect to host
Calls: getURL -> curlPerform -> .Call
Execution halted
### END ###

I think this means that R could not connect to the internet. However,
if i run the same code in Rgui (i.e. opening R normally, not command
line) then this code works correctly.

Also, on my other computer which runs Windows Vista Ultimate, the
command line version works correctly and downloads the webpage.

I need to get this to work because i need to do some web crawls in
batch mode using R.

Any help would be most appreciated. Thank you kindly for your time in
advance,
Tony Breyal
> sessionInfo()
R version 2.9.0 (2009-04-17)
i386-pc-mingw32

locale:
LC_COLLATE=English_United Kingdom.1252;LC_CTYPE=English_United Kingdom.
1252;LC_MONETARY=English_United Kingdom.
1252;LC_NUMERIC=C;LC_TIME=English_United Kingdom.1252

attached base packages:
[1] stats     graphics  grDevices datasets  utils     methods
base

other attached packages:
[1] RCurl_0.95-1   rcom_2.1-3     rscproxy_1.3-1

loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
[1] tools_2.9.0

On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 7:09 AM, Tony Breyal <tony.breyal at
googlemail.com> wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> I am having a problem downloading webpages through R when i run it in
> the DOS window under Windows Vista Basic. I have downloaded the
> batchfiles from http://code.google.com/p/batchfiles/ and have
> successfully set the PATH.
You don't need to set your PATH if you use batchfiles.  Their
purpose is avoid having to do that in the first place.    That
may not be related to your main problem though.
>
> I open up 'Command Prompt' in Vista and type (after the C:\...>
> stuff):
>
> ### START ###
> C:\Users\Karen>Rscript -e "library(RCurl); getURL('http://
> www.google.com')"
> Loading required package: methods
> Loading required package: bitops
> Error in curlPerform(curl = curl, .opts = opts, .encoding
> = .encoding) :
> ?couldn't connect to host
> Calls: getURL -> curlPerform -> .Call
> Execution halted
> ### END ###
Here are two things to try:

1. Just a guess but you may need to run this elevated.  Using
el.js from the batchfiles:

el cmd

and allow it to proceed when asked.  That
will spawn a new window from which everything will run in
elevated mode.  Try your Rscript command in that.

2. Another thing to try is running without using the batchfiles.
Go into R and enter this:
 file.path(R.home(), "bin", "Rscript.exe")

and it will give you the path to Rscript.exe.  Using that path
try this:

"...whatever.../Rscript.exe" -e ...your command...