R SIG Debian - Feb 2021 - Bootable USB for R / was 32 bit 64 bit question, ELFCLASS32 error

On 1 February 2021 at 10:20, semih ozlem wrote:
| Hi everyone,
| 
| On a usb with knoppix live uname -a gives the response

Wow. Blast from the past.

| Linux Microknoppix 5.3.5-64 #16 SMP PREEMPT Wed Oct 23 02:08:38 CEST 2019
| x86_64 GNU/Linux
| 
| uname -i
| 
| unknown
| 
| I am trying to run a python script that uses R, and I am getting an error:
| OSError: cannot load library '/usr/lib/R/lib/libR.so':
| /usr/lib/R/lib/libR.so: wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS32
| 
| When look at the directory /usr/lib/R/lib/, the file libR.so is listed
| there.
| 
| When I look up on the internet what might be the cause of this, there is
| some indication about R being of 32 bit or 4 bit architecture. But I am not
| able to resolve the issue on my own completely.
| 
| when R starts it states that the Platform is i686-pc-linux-gnu (32-bit)

So that would be 32 bit indeed.

| Does anyone have any idea why R is installed as 32-bit, and if and how can
| it be changed to 64-bit, and if this indeed is the cause of the problem I
| am facing.

You may need to get in touch with the person who made the bootable image you
use. I used to do these things and provide a Knoppix variant myself: it was
called Quantian with its site at http://quantian.org (and the site is still
up -- but also states no new content since 2006 (!!)).

If you just put the current Ubuntu installer on a bootable usb, it will also
allow you to install from it and have R and all that. 32 bit is on the way
out, newer Ubuntu distros no longer build it and I forget what we do over in
Debian.

As what may be your real question: where do I in 2021 get a current bootable
usb with R: no idea, sorry.

Another related answer is that 32 and 64 bit _can_ coexist (as they do on
other OSs) but that never really took off in common use. So there may still
be way to use what you have but you may need to consult the specific
documentation.

Dirk

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

On Mon, 1 Feb 2021 at 10:32, Dirk Eddelbuettel <edd at debian.org> wrote:
>
> On 1 February 2021 at 10:20, semih ozlem wrote:
> | Hi everyone,
> |
> | On a usb with knoppix live uname -a gives the response
>
> Wow. Blast from the past.
>
> | Linux Microknoppix 5.3.5-64 #16 SMP PREEMPT Wed Oct 23 02:08:38 CEST 2019
> | x86_64 GNU/Linux
> |
> | uname -i
> |
> | unknown
> |
> | I am trying to run a python script that uses R, and I am getting an
> error:
> | OSError: cannot load library '/usr/lib/R/lib/libR.so':
> | /usr/lib/R/lib/libR.so: wrong ELF class: ELFCLASS32
> |
> | When look at the directory /usr/lib/R/lib/, the file libR.so is listed
> | there.
> |
> | When I look up on the internet what might be the cause of this, there is
> | some indication about R being of 32 bit or 4 bit architecture. But I am
> not
> | able to resolve the issue on my own completely.
> |
> | when R starts it states that the Platform is i686-pc-linux-gnu (32-bit)
>
> So that would be 32 bit indeed.
>
> | Does anyone have any idea why R is installed as 32-bit, and if and how
> can
> | it be changed to 64-bit, and if this indeed is the cause of the problem I
> | am facing.
>
AFAIK, Microknoppix has the option to boot in 32-bit mode.    Given that
they want
both 32-bit and 64-bit on a DVD it is not surprising that they would only
provide the
32-bit R installation.

>
> You may need to get in touch with the person who made the bootable image
> you
> use. I used to do these things and provide a Knoppix variant myself: it was
> called Quantian with its site at http://quantian.org (and the site is
> still
> up -- but also states no new content since 2006 (!!)).
>
> If you just put the current Ubuntu installer on a bootable usb, it will
> also
> allow you to install from it and have R and all that. 32 bit is on the way
> out, newer Ubuntu distros no longer build it and I forget what we do over
> in
> Debian.
>
> As what may be your real question: where do I in 2021 get a current
> bootable
> usb with R: no idea, sorry.
>
You  should be able to use any of the popular "live Linux" images to
do a
normal
install on USB device 32GB or larger, then use the package manager to
install
a current R (deian is a good choice).   There are USB "flash memory
sticks"
with
adequate capacity but they won't last long running a linux distro.   For
longer term
reliability you can use USB SSD drives.

>
> Another related answer is that 32 and 64 bit _can_ coexist (as they do on
> other OSs) but that never really took off in common use. So there may still
> be way to use what you have but you may need to consult the specific
> documentation.
>


-- 
George N. White III

	[[alternative HTML version deleted]]

On 2021-02-01 9:32 a.m., Dirk Eddelbuettel wrote:
> 
> 
> Wow. Blast from the past.
>
> As what may be your real question: where do I in 2021 get a current
bootable
> usb with R: no idea, sorry.
I've remastered a few bootable usb iso's over the past 15 years. Not
trivial, but if there is interest in a "bootable R" I'd be willing
to
collaborate, but don't want to work alone, so get in touch off-list.

Partly off topic: 32 bit also still of curiosity interest as I've still
got a working Asus EEE 901 netbook (2008). Has 2GB RAM (I couldn't
resist upgrading) and about 20 GB of flash disk. Currently run it in
Bunsenlabs linux (I think I've got the Helium distro on it).

JN

> 
> Another related answer is that 32 and 64 bit _can_ coexist (as they do on
> other OSs) but that never really took off in common use. So there may still
> be way to use what you have but you may need to consult the specific
> documentation.
> 
> Dirk
>