[ESS] Linux installation or ESS
Jim_Garrett at bd.com
Jim_Garrett at bd.com
Mon Jul 25 16:36:50 CEST 2011
Hi Nicholas,
Since you're using Debian, which is renowned for havng a great
package-management system and a huge repository of packages, have you
considered using Debian's installation system to install and configure ESS?
It should be as simple executing from the command line (as root)
apt-get install ess
There are also graphical front-ends to this such as Synaptic or PackageKit.
apt-get uses Debian's excellent package-management system to download (from
their repositories), install, and configure ESS for you. You can do this
with Emacs as well. In fact if you didn't install Emacs through the
package-management system, the system will think you don't have it, and will
install it for you again.
The ESS and Emacs versions maintained in Debian's repository are probably
not the very latest, so if you need a feature in the latest version of Emacs
or ESS there's reason not to use the package manager. Barring that, I'd
recommend using the package manager whenever possible. It keeps track of
where everything is, so if you need to upgrade or you want to delete later,
it can be done accurately, thoroughly, and *easily*. In fact, if you find
source code for software that's not in Debian's repositories, you might be
able to use a package called checkInstall to turn the source code into your
own private Debian package, and then install the package using apt-get so
the package is tracked. (Works with most compiled code, I don't know about
Emacs Lisp code.)
I use Ubuntu, which is based on Debian, and I've always installed ESS from
the repositories. I've had to wait on a few new features, but Ubuntu
catches up in time. The Testing version of Debian should be similar.
Forgive me if you're already well aware of this and have good reason to
install the latest ESS from source. Your questions indicate you're a
beginner to Emacs and ESS (welcome!) and I don't know whether you're a
beginner to Debian as well.
-Jim
Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:31:02 -0400
From: "Nicholas Manganaro" <n.manganaro at comcast.net>
To: <ess-help at r-project.org>
Subject: [ESS] Linux installation or ESS
Message-ID:
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ctQBAAAAAA==@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain
Dear Help:
I have been trying to follow the instructions in the manual "ESS - Emacs
Speaks Statistics" v 5.14 for setting up ESS on a 64 bit Debian Linux OS (v
6.0.1a, initially but now with updates).
I have installed GNU Emacs 23.2.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version
2.20.1).
I am having several problems. 1) I am really not familiar enough with the
writing style to know when stand-in names are being used in the manual,
except for the path names; 2) I am using a version of Linux that executes
the installation and updates, so I do not have installation time control;
and 3) the manual may not be specific enough to advise me on whether there
are changes necessary for the 64 bit installation, given my lack of
experience.
The installation instructions direct me to add either add
(require 'ess-site) or
(load "~/ess/ess-VERSION/lisp/ess-site") for an older version, or
one causing problems
to '~/.emacs' during unpacking,
but I cannot find .emacs, or perhaps just do not know what the ".emacs" is
supposed to denote. I also do not know what the " ' " means before ess-site
in the first suggested command. I do know what the " ~ " stands for, though,
in theory.
I have found the files:
/usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/debian-startup.el and
/usr/share/emacs23/site-lisp/ debian-startup.elc
but do not know how to follow the directions available for what I have
found, or if either is to stand in for ".emacs" from the instructions in the
manual.
This has been a very frustrating exercise so far, but one I hope you can
help me work through with some specific advice to help fill in my vast
knowledge gaps. I hope I have given you enough info to help you help me, but
I did not want to go on and on about what I do not know, as there is too
much to say about that for one day.
Thanks.
-Nick
Nicholas Manganaro
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