[R] help_R2.5 updating

[Prof Brian Ripley]

There is no 'R 2.5'!  Advice as requested:

1) Study the R posting guide and give the details it asks you for, 
accurately.

2) Read the rw-FAQ.  Very relevant for Windows Vista users.

3) Don't use obsolete versions of R.  R 2.6.0 is current, and we do make R 
better at each release.

If you have R 2.5.0, it is possible that the intended behaviour (it should 
create a personal library directory for you) may not work on Vista: this 
*is* covered in the rw-FAQ for 2.5.0.

Comments from the rw-FAQ:

   For an installation to be used by a single user, the simplest way
   is to make use of the `personal library' introduced in R 2.5.0:
   ...

   You can also have you a personal library, which defaults to the
   directory `R\win-library\X.Y' of your home directory for versions X.Y.Z
   of R.  This location can be changed by setting the environment variable
   `R_LIBS_USER', and can be found from inside R by running
   `Sys.getenv("R_LIBS_USER")'.  This will only be used if it exists so
   you may need to create it: you can use

      dir.create(Sys.getenv("R_LIBS_USER"), recursive = TRUE)

   to do so.  If you use `install.packages' and do not have permission to
   write to the main or site library, it should offer to create a personal
   library for you and install the packages there.  This will also happen
   if `update.packages' offers to update packages for you in a library
   where you do not have write permission.

   There can be additional security issues under Windows Vista: *Note Does
   R run under Windows Vista?::.  In particular, the detection that a
   standard user has suitable permissions appears to be unreliable under
   Vista, so we recommend that you do create a personal directory yourself.

The last point works better under R >= 2.5.1 than in 2.5.0.  It now errs 
on the side of caution, and occasionally says you do not have permission 
when you do.


On Sat, 6 Oct 2007, Thanjavur Bragadeesh wrote:

>
> Hi,
>
> I run windows vista ultimate in my laptop and run R 2.5
>
> I am trying to update the packages but it comes up with an error message
>
> ""Warning in install.packages(update[instlib == l, "Package"], l, contriburl = contriburl,  :          'lib' is not writable
> Error in install.packages(update[instlib == l, "Package"], l, contriburl = contriburl,  :         unable to install packages"
>
> I am the adminsitrator on this computer and logged in as administrator.
>
> can anyone advise. I treid to switch off most security - windows 
> firewall is off and so is macfee.
>
>
> many thanks for your advise
>
> bragadeesh
>
>
>
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-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595