R help - Feb 2021 - .Rprofile with devtools::install_github() loops

I am sure this must be documented somewhere and that I'm missing something
obvious but some searching isn't finding an answer and I'm sure there is
one.

I have created a very simple package on GitHub and want my machines (other than
the one that built it) to load it when they start R using
devtools::install_github()

The install_github() call works fine from the console but when I put it in my
.Rprofile it just loops on restarting R.  I _think_ it may be that
devtools::install_github()
is restarting the session as I found one thing on the web suggesting that may be
the case.  However, I think if it were the case it would be documented and
I'd find
far more about that.

OK.  So my .Rprofile is:

print("This is a message from /home/chris/.Renviron: hello Chris!")
.First <- function(){
    devtools::install_github("xxxx/yyyy")
}
print("OK, off you go!")

I have obscured my package to protect my blushes but I get the same behaviour
with r-lib/devtools and, as I say, my little package loads OK from the console.

You can see I tried wrapping it in a .First() function but that didn't
change anything.

True both on a Linux machine and a Windows machine.

OK.  Anyone save me from more dents in the wall and frontal lobe damage?!

TIA,

Chris

-- 
Small contribution in our coronavirus rigours: 
https://www.coresystemtrust.org.uk/home/free-options-to-replace-paper-core-forms-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

Chris Evans <chris at psyctc.org> Visiting Professor, University of
Sheffield <chris.evans at sheffield.ac.uk>
I do some consultation work for the University of Roehampton <chris.evans at
roehampton.ac.uk> and other places
but <chris at psyctc.org> remains my main Email address.  I have a work
web site at:
   https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/
and a site I manage for CORE and CORE system trust at:
   http://www.coresystemtrust.org.uk/
I have "semigrated" to France, see: 
   https://www.psyctc.org/pelerinage2016/semigrating-to-france/ 
  
https://www.psyctc.org/pelerinage2016/register-to-get-updates-from-pelerinage2016/

If you want an Emeeting, I am trying to keep them to Thursdays and my diary is
at:
   https://www.psyctc.org/pelerinage2016/ceworkdiary/
Beware: French time, generally an hour ahead of UK.

Installing a package involves running several R subprocesses, each of
which is running that .Rprofile.  You may be able to stop the infinite
recursion by setting an environment variable that subprocesses can
check.  E.g. replace
  install_github("xxx/yyy")
with
  if (Sys.getenv("INSTALLING_FROM_GITHUB", unset="no") ==
"no") {
    Sys.setenv(INSTALLING_FROM_GITHUB="yes")
    install_github("xxx/yyy")
  }

[This is totally untested.]

-Bill

On Wed, Feb 10, 2021 at 12:45 AM Chris Evans <chrishold at psyctc.org>
wrote:
>
> I am sure this must be documented somewhere and that I'm missing
something obvious but some searching isn't finding an answer and I'm
sure there is one.
>
> I have created a very simple package on GitHub and want my machines (other
than the one that built it) to load it when they start R using
devtools::install_github()
>
> The install_github() call works fine from the console but when I put it in
my .Rprofile it just loops on restarting R.  I _think_ it may be that
devtools::install_github()
> is restarting the session as I found one thing on the web suggesting that
may be the case.  However, I think if it were the case it would be documented
and I'd find
> far more about that.
>
> OK.  So my .Rprofile is:
>
> print("This is a message from /home/chris/.Renviron: hello
Chris!")
> .First <- function(){
>     devtools::install_github("xxxx/yyyy")
> }
> print("OK, off you go!")
>
> I have obscured my package to protect my blushes but I get the same
behaviour with r-lib/devtools and, as I say, my little package loads OK from the
console.
>
> You can see I tried wrapping it in a .First() function but that didn't
change anything.
>
> True both on a Linux machine and a Windows machine.
>
> OK.  Anyone save me from more dents in the wall and frontal lobe damage?!
>
> TIA,
>
> Chris
>
> --
> Small contribution in our coronavirus rigours:
>
https://www.coresystemtrust.org.uk/home/free-options-to-replace-paper-core-forms-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
>
> Chris Evans <chris at psyctc.org> Visiting Professor, University of
Sheffield <chris.evans at sheffield.ac.uk>
> I do some consultation work for the University of Roehampton
<chris.evans at roehampton.ac.uk> and other places
> but <chris at psyctc.org> remains my main Email address.  I have a
work web site at:
>    https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/
> and a site I manage for CORE and CORE system trust at:
>    http://www.coresystemtrust.org.uk/
> I have "semigrated" to France, see:
>    https://www.psyctc.org/pelerinage2016/semigrating-to-france/
>   
https://www.psyctc.org/pelerinage2016/register-to-get-updates-from-pelerinage2016/
>
> If you want an Emeeting, I am trying to keep them to Thursdays and my diary
is at:
>    https://www.psyctc.org/pelerinage2016/ceworkdiary/
> Beware: French time, generally an hour ahead of UK.
>
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
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http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.