R help - Feb 2015 - Convert windows source package for Mac use

Hi, 
I am on a Mac. 
Is there a way to convert a Windows source package so it can be installed on a
Mac?

I have a package in zip form from a friend who runs Windows. 
I THINK that it is in compiled format for Windows. 
The Description says: 
Built: R 3.1.2 x86_64-w64-mingw32....windows 

I tried to convert it to a tgz then Install/Load on Mac R, but I get the error
message:
Error: package 'package' was built for x86_64-w64-mingw32 

I can run Windows on Parallels Desktop, and the original zip format installs and
loads OK.

I'd prefer to run R on my Mac. 
Sorry if this is a stupid question: I read the R-exts and it doesn't say if
you can or cannot do this.

Thanks, 
Alan 
	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]

> On Feb 24, 2015, at 7:19 AM, Warthog <arjarvis.warthog at gmail.com>
wrote:
> 
> Hi, 
> I am on a Mac. 
> Is there a way to convert a Windows source package so it can be installed
on a Mac?
> 
> I have a package in zip form from a friend who runs Windows. 
> I THINK that it is in compiled format for Windows. 
> The Description says: 
> Built: R 3.1.2 x86_64-w64-mingw32....windows 
> 
> I tried to convert it to a tgz then Install/Load on Mac R, but I get the
error message:
> Error: package 'package' was built for x86_64-w64-mingw32 
> 
> I can run Windows on Parallels Desktop, and the original zip format
installs and loads OK.
> 
> I'd prefer to run R on my Mac. 
> Sorry if this is a stupid question: I read the R-exts and it doesn't
say if you can or cannot do this.
> 
> Thanks, 
> Alan 

Hi,

Just as an FYI, there is a Mac specific SIG list:

  https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-sig-mac

Next, the Windows .zip file is a *binary*, not source package, specifically
compiled for Windows, as you hint at above. If the package contains any
C/C++/FORTRAN code, then that code is also compiled for Windows and is not
portable.

The source package would/should have a .tar.gz extension and you would want your
friend to provide that version of his/her package, presuming that he/she created
this package and that it is not otherwise available (eg. from CRAN or a third
party location).

If you can get that version of the package, then you may be able to install it
on OS X, using:

  install.packages(PackageFileName, repos = NULL, type = "source")

That presumes that there is no C/C++/FORTRAN code that requires compilation. If
so, you would also need to install required development related tools which are
referenced in the R FAQ for OSX and the Installation and Admin manual.

Regards,

Marc Schwartz

> Is there a way to convert a Windows source package so it can be installed
on a Mac?
The .zip format yo mention is not a source package; it is a compiled binary. 

The _source_ packages are .tar.gz files. Those do not need to be converted for
different platforms (provided the package supports different platforms) because
R can install from the tar.gz.

If a .zip exists, though, the .tar.gz should too, or if it doesn't
(typically because the developer is a local Windows developer and hasn't
bothered to create a tar.gz they don't need) the tar.gz can be created more
or less trivially using R CMD from the package source code.

The documentation you're looking for on installation is 6.3 of 'R
Installation and Administration. For building packages locally from your own R
source code, look at 'Writing R Extensions'



S Ellison


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