R SIG Debian - Feb 2008 - Confused about versions of R and Debian

I have recently acquired an Asus EEE PC which runs a version of 
Xandros which I believe to be a fork of Debian. I have been using R 
under various versions of Windows for some years but this is my first 
move into the world of Unix. I have installed Texlive from a CD and I 
have successfully added a UK-based repository and installed Texmaker. 
Now I would like to add R. There are dire warnings on the EEE forums 
about the dangers of using Debian repositories so I would like some 
more advice before I download things.

1 - If I download from the Debian repository using stable (which is 
the distribution I have - etch) will I get old versions of R? I do 
not understand what stable means here, is it like being frozen at 
some point in time? Do I need to using testing, and if so is that 
likely to have compatibility problems with my system?

2 - If I download from my favourite CRAN (Bristol, UK) it seems I do 
not get all the contributed packages. Is that correct? If so I do not 
quite see the point so I suspect I misunderstand here.

3 - As a last resort I should install from sources but a poster to 
R-help suggested he had had problems with this. Where do I find what 
versions of compilers and so on I need to build from source?

I know I should just try it and see but I am reluctant to do that 
because of the dire warnings about damaging the system by using 
non-Xandros repositories. I also do not yet know how to un-install 
things either.

For the record I am using the command line and apt-get and I have 
enabled pinning to give the EEE repositories highest priority.

Michael Dewey
http://www.aghmed.fsnet.co.uk

Michael,

On 18 February 2008 at 09:49, Michael Dewey wrote:
| I have recently acquired an Asus EEE PC which runs a version of 
| Xandros which I believe to be a fork of Debian. I have been using R 
| under various versions of Windows for some years but this is my first 
| move into the world of Unix. I have installed Texlive from a CD and I 

Well, "a" cd?  Was it source? Was it binary? If binary, was it
versioned?

| have successfully added a UK-based repository and installed Texmaker. 
| Now I would like to add R. There are dire warnings on the EEE forums 
| about the dangers of using Debian repositories so I would like some 
| more advice before I download things.
| 
| 1 - If I download from the Debian repository using stable (which is 
| the distribution I have - etch) will I get old versions of R? I do 
| not understand what stable means here, is it like being frozen at 
| some point in time? 

Correct, with the version that was current at the time of the freeze.

| Do I need to using testing, and if so is that 
| likely to have compatibility problems with my system?

Maybe. We can't tell as we don't run Xandros.

Note that CRAN has backports of R for Debian testing.
 
| 2 - If I download from my favourite CRAN (Bristol, UK) it seems I do 
| not get all the contributed packages. Is that correct? If so I do not 
| quite see the point so I suspect I misunderstand here.

You get the current R for Debian testing. You would need to call
install.packages() yourself for packages you need.

We cannot and do not know how testing and Xandros mix.
 
| 3 - As a last resort I should install from sources but a poster to 
| R-help suggested he had had problems with this. Where do I find what 
| versions of compilers and so on I need to build from source?

Call 

	sudo apt-get build-dep r-base

which installs them for you (if you have deb-src entries for apt).

| I know I should just try it and see but I am reluctant to do that 
| because of the dire warnings about damaging the system by using 
| non-Xandros repositories. I also do not yet know how to un-install 
| things either.
| 
| For the record I am using the command line and apt-get and I have 
| enabled pinning to give the EEE repositories highest priority.

One thing you have not mentioned is to backup your Xandros installation, and
go to regular Debian. If I were you, I'd consider that. Just run Debian
testing on the Eee. See eg

  http://syn.theti.ca/articles/2008/02/16/bits-from-the-debian-eee-pc-team

for the latest from the Debian Eee team.

Dirk

-- 
Three out of two people have difficulties with fractions.