[ESS] wrong type argument: processp nil

[Wiener, Matthew]

ESS-ers:

My ESS installation (on an IRIX unix machine which I do not control)
suddenly stopped working -- for me and for everyone else I know.  (I'm using
ESS 5.2.3, others are using older versions.)  One day, instead of giving me
a working R buffer as it had been, it gave me the following message:
"Wrong type argument: processp, nil".

I end up with a buffer called R, with (iESS [R]:  no process) in the black
stripe at the bottom of the window.

I have not modified site-lisp.el; my .emacs has 
(setq-default inferior-R-program-name "/usr/local/bin/R") in it.  I have
checked that /usr/local/bin/R is still a working installation of R.

The system administrators say nothing changed on the system, but they are
not familiar with ESS.  Below are the contents of the ESS and message
buffers.  I would very much appreciate it if anyone can point me in the
right direction as to what to look for.

Thanks for any help.

Regards,

Matt Wiener


Buffer "ESS":
[ess-site.el]: ess-customize-alist=nil 
[ess-site.el _2_]: ess-customize-alist=nil 
(R): ess-r-versions-create making M-x defuns for 
(R): ess-dialect=nil, buf=*scratch*, start-arg=nil
 current-prefix-arg=nil
(inferior-ess 0): ess-start-args=--no-readline  
ess-setq-vars-default 0: ess-language=Initial, -dialect=nil, buf=nil,
comint..echoes=nil, comint..sender=comint-simple-send
ess-setq-vars-default 1: ess-language=S, -dialect=R, buf=nil,
comint..echoes=nil, comint..sender=comint-simple-send
(inf-ess 1): lang=S, dialect=R, tmp-dialect=R, buf=*scratch*
(inf-ess 1.1): procname=R temp-dialect=R, buf-name=*R* 
(inferior-ess) Method #3 start=/lhome/aa0113/ buf=*R*
(ess-setq-vars-LOCAL): language=S, dialect=R, buf=nil, comint..echoes=nil,
comint..sender=comint-simple-send
(inf-ess 2.1): ess-language=S, ess-dialect=R buf=*R* 
(inf-ess 2.2): start args = --no-readline , inf-ess-start-args=--no-readline

(inf-ess finish [S(R), /usr/local/bin/R(nil,nil)]
(ess-multi 0):  inf-ess-start-args=--no-readline , comint-..echoes=nil
(i-ess 1): buf=*R*, lang=S, comint..echo=nil,
comint..sender=comint-simple-send,
(i-ess 2): buf=*R*, lang=S, comint..echo=t,
comint..sender=inferior-R-input-sender,
(ess-setq-vars-LOCAL): language=S, dialect=R, buf=nil, comint..echoes=t,
comint..sender=inferior-R-input-sender
(i-ess 3): curr-buf=*R*, comint..echo=t,
comint..sender=inferior-R-input-sender,
(ess-multi post inf-ess: start-args=--no-readline , comint-echoes=t
(ess-multi 1):  start-args=--no-readline  
Making Process...Buf *R*, Proc R, Prog /usr/local/bin/R
 Start File=nil, Args= --no-readline .


Message:
Loading ~/ess-5.2.3/lisp/ess-site (source)...
Loading cus-face...
Loading cus-face...done
Loading regexp-opt...
Loading regexp-opt...done
enabling speedbar support
Loading backquote...
Loading backquote...done
Loading ~/ess-5.2.3/lisp/ess-site (source)...done
For information about the GNU Project and its goals, type C-h C-p.
Fontifying *scratch*...
Fontifying *scratch*... (regexps............)
For information about the GNU Project and its goals, type C-h C-p.
Type C-h m for help on ESS version 5.2.3
Wrong type argument: processp, nil