[R-sig-Debian] Regarding R_LIBS_USER

Dirk Eddelbuettel
Thu, 06 Jul 2017 08:42:56 -0000

Pavel,

Your tone does not exactly help in this discussion.

Briefly, I (like many other people) consider Linux and Unix to be
multi-user systems.  You can argue as passionately for a default
installation in /usr/loca/lib/R/site-library as you did against. And
some of your arguments are just silly ("dangerous group": dude, it is
one 'sudo addgroup r-adm' [or anotther name...]) away).

I have used such settings (such as un-setting R_LIBS_USER or its
predecessors) for over a decade, it just works (if you give write
permissions). It clearly helps us at work because everybody sees by
the default the same packages. I have also spoken with different R
Core members and several find the default installation below $HOME and
in a versioned directory less than ideal as well.  But it ensures
writeability. Which I cannot do easily from the package.

So maybe the change was too abrupt, and I think I may revert it. I
generally prefer for packagers like myself to not divert from upstream
unless they have good reasom or are unintrusive (and eg the added
tab-completion we have here is both).  But leaving newbies without
installable directories is bad, as is possibly hiding existing
installations.

I am a little pressed for time (at useR!) and system (main server is
ill, as is backup machine) but I should get a 3.4.1-2 out.

I'd welcome other comments, for or against.

Dirk

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