R SIG Debian - Apr 2017 - R installation problems on Linux Mint 18.1 via jessie-cran3

Am Donnerstag, 27. April 2017, 15:05:32 schrieb J C
Nash:
> Is there a reason for jessie-cran3 rather than xenial? For Linux Mint 18
> (admittedly not 18.1) I have
> 
> deb https://cloud.r-project.org/bin/linux/ubuntu xenial/
> 
> as one of the apt entries.
> 
> JN
Seconded. You should not expect that mixing apt entries for Ubuntu and Debian 
will work.
> > It didn't work and I simply get the same SHA1 weak algorithm error
when
> > running -sudo apt-get update- or -sudo apt update-. 
jessie-cran3 is made for Debian jessie which uses a somewhat dated version of 
apt, which does not complain about weak SHA1 checksums.
> > (Why is this issue not
> > mentioned at all here <https://cran.r-project.org/> and why have
users
> > like
> > me had to go ferreting for it, amongst other things?)
Because Michael Rutter (for the Ubuntu backports) and myself (for the Debian 
backports) try our best to make things just work for the distributions for 
which these backports are advertised. The user should generally not have to 
worry about the checksum algorithms used by his distribution.

Mint 18.1 is based on Ubuntu 16.04 AKA Xenial Xerus. So it seems to me you 
should use an apt entry (and only *one* for the CRAN R packages) for xenial as 
John recommended.

Kind regards, I sort of feel with you, as I sometimes also get frustrated. But 
usually the satisfaction to work with free software prevails!

Cheers,

Johannes
> > 
> > I've been a Linux user for six years and pride myself on
researching as
> > many possible forums when trying to fix stuff before asking for any
help,
> > have never had to confront this nonsense and I'm really fed up
with this
> > now; I very strongly object to what have been hitherto (reasonably)
> > straightforward R download and installation procedures making a total
> > idiot
> > of me when I try my damnednest to follow all the steps to do it all
> > correctly in much the same way as I have done before without too many
> > issues.
> > 
> > Please advise at your very earliest convenience and help me sort this
out.
> > Thank you.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> R-SIG-Debian mailing list
> R-SIG-Debian at r-project.org
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-sig-debian

Thank you so much Johannes.

Problem now sorted:

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys E084DAB9
sudo add-apt-repository deb https://cran.ma.imperial.ac.uk/bin/linux/ubuntu
xenial/ # replaced the old repository link
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install r-base r-base-core r-base-dev

With my .Renviron file already fixed from previously with the correct paths
inserted, my R 3.4.0 is now up and running with LaTeX run successfully.
I've also taken care to delete your Debian R key from my machine, retaining
the Ubuntu one.

I rather think it would be a good idea to publicise this solution for Linux
Mint 18.1 users *as widely as possible* so that they don't run into the
same unnecessary difficulties I just did: it would not be immediately
obvious to all such users (it wasn't to me) that they should instead be
downloading and installing from the Ubuntu and not the Debian repository.
(Indeed, I had used the Debian repository successfully on my previous
install of Linux Mint.) *It certainly shouldn't be buried in a thread on a
mailing list!*

May I also extend my grateful thanks to Professor J C Nash for his help.

Yours with thanks,
Clive Nicholas

On 27 April 2017 at 23:20, Johannes Ranke <johannes.ranke at jrwb.de>
wrote:
> Am Donnerstag, 27. April 2017, 15:05:32 schrieb J C Nash:
> > Is there a reason for jessie-cran3 rather than xenial? For Linux Mint
18
> > (admittedly not 18.1) I have
> >
> > deb https://cloud.r-project.org/bin/linux/ubuntu xenial/
> >
> > as one of the apt entries.
> >
> > JN
>
> Seconded. You should not expect that mixing apt entries for Ubuntu and
> Debian
> will work.
>
> > > It didn't work and I simply get the same SHA1 weak algorithm
error when
> > > running -sudo apt-get update- or -sudo apt update-.
>
> jessie-cran3 is made for Debian jessie which uses a somewhat dated version
> of
> apt, which does not complain about weak SHA1 checksums.
>
> > > (Why is this issue not
> > > mentioned at all here <https://cran.r-project.org/> and why
have users
> > > like
> > > me had to go ferreting for it, amongst other things?)
>
> Because Michael Rutter (for the Ubuntu backports) and myself (for the
> Debian
> backports) try our best to make things just work for the distributions for
> which these backports are advertised. The user should generally not have to
> worry about the checksum algorithms used by his distribution.
>
> Mint 18.1 is based on Ubuntu 16.04 AKA Xenial Xerus. So it seems to me you
> should use an apt entry (and only *one* for the CRAN R packages) for
> xenial as
> John recommended.
>
> Kind regards, I sort of feel with you, as I sometimes also get frustrated.
> But
> usually the satisfaction to work with free software prevails!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Johannes
>
> > >
> > > I've been a Linux user for six years and pride myself on
researching as
> > > many possible forums when trying to fix stuff before asking for
any
> help,
> > > have never had to confront this nonsense and I'm really fed
up with
> this
> > > now; I very strongly object to what have been hitherto
(reasonably)
> > > straightforward R download and installation procedures making a
total
> > > idiot
> > > of me when I try my damnednest to follow all the steps to do it
all
> > > correctly in much the same way as I have done before without too
many
> > > issues.
> > >
> > > Please advise at your very earliest convenience and help me sort
this
> out.
> > > Thank you.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > R-SIG-Debian mailing list
> > R-SIG-Debian at r-project.org
> > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-sig-debian
>


-- 
Clive Nicholas

"My colleagues in the social sciences talk a great deal about methodology.
I prefer to call it style." -- Freeman J. Dyson

	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]

On 28 April 2017 at 02:42, Clive Nicholas wrote:
| I rather think it would be a good idea to publicise this solution for Linux
| Mint 18.1 users *as widely as possible* so that they don't run into the

I somewhat strongly disgree.

We have two volunteers taking care of two clearly-labeled Linux distributions
via the repos at CRAN: Ubuntu, and Debian.

If you mix with another (entirely untested by us) distribution and it breaks,
you get to keep the pieces.  Advertisement for such use is nonsense at best,
and plain dangerous at worst as it may give other people the idea that such
mixing is recommended.  Let me be as plain: It. Is. Not. At least not by me.

If anything, advertise (within the Arch space) for the need for a volunteer
to complement what Michael and Johannes do so well.

Dirk

-- 
http://dirk.eddelbuettel.com | @eddelbuettel | edd at debian.org