R help - Sep 2023 - Problems with installing R packages from source and running C++ in R, even on fresh R installation

? Thu, 31 Aug 2023 14:59:07 +0000
Christophe Bousquet <chr_bousquet at protonmail.com> ?????:
> So I get no output for tools::Rcmd('SHLIB --version').
> 
> I tried to run tools::Rcmd('SHLIB --help') or
tools::Rcmd('check
> --help'), but no output neither.
> 
> I had more success with tools::Rcmd('BATCH --help'):
The job of Rcmd.exe is to figure out where it's located and pass the
correct arguments to Rterm.exe (or some of the few other executables).

In a few cases (like `R CMD BATCH --help` or just `R CMD` without
arguments) it understands enough to produce the output by itself, which
you see. In most other cases (`SHLIB` or `check` with any arguments), it
constructs the command line to launch "${R_HOME}/bin/x64/Rterm.exe" -e
<something> and forwards the command line arguments there. For some
reason, the command line fails to produce any output.

Is there a "C:\Program Files\R\R-4.3.1\bin\x64\Rterm.exe"? If you
launch it, does it present an R command line?

I'm suspecting that Rcmd.exe somehow messes up when it tries to locate
Rterm.exe to launch it. Here's one way to see what happens:

1. Download Sysinternals Process Monitor, a free monitoring utility,
   from the Microsoft website and launch it (no installation needed):
   https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon

2. Set up the filter so that so that entries are included
 - Process name is "Rcmd.exe"
 - Operation is "Process Create"

3. Run tools::Rcmd('SHLIB --help') (or any other Rcmd invocation that
   fails to produce any output for you)

4. You should get one event of Rcmd.exe trying to launch cmd.exe with a
   long command line. What is the command line?

-- 
Best regards,
Ivan

> Is there a "C:\Program Files\R\R-4.3.1\bin\x64\Rterm.exe"? If you
> launch it, does it present an R command line?
Yes, this file exists and when I launch it, a new functionally-working R
terminal window pops up.

> I'm suspecting that Rcmd.exe somehow messes up when it tries to locate
> Rterm.exe to launch it. Here's one way to see what happens:
> 
> 1. Download Sysinternals Process Monitor, a free monitoring utility,
> from the Microsoft website and launch it (no installation needed):
> https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon
> 
> 2. Set up the filter so that so that entries are included
> - Process name is "Rcmd.exe"
> - Operation is "Process Create"
> 
> 3. Run tools::Rcmd('SHLIB --help') (or any other Rcmd invocation
that
> fails to produce any output for you)
> 
> 4. You should get one event of Rcmd.exe trying to launch cmd.exe with a
> long command line. What is the command line?
For 2., I also added the Process name "Rterm.exe"
Here are the outputs from Process Monitor for each situation.
In the first situation, I run the command tools::Rcmd('SHLIB --help')
from within R (launched by clicking on the R icon). I get:
Process Name: Rcmd.exe
PID: 8204
Path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\Conhost.exe
Result: SUCCESS
Detail: PID: 4028, Command line: \??\C:\WINDOWS\system32\conhost.exe 0xffffffff
-ForceV1

In the second situation, I run the command tools::Rcmd('SHLIB --help')
from the R terminal (launched by clicking on Rterm.exe). I get:
Process Name: Rterm.exe
PID: 14596
Path: C:\PROGRA~1\R\R-43~1.1\bin\x64\Rcmd.exe
Result: SUCCESS
Detail: PID: 6820, Command line: C:\PROGRA~1\R\R-43~1.1\bin\x64\Rcmd.exe SHLIB
--help

Best regards,
Christophe