Many R packages depend on some unix libraries that are not part of most default installations. I often spend a significant amount of time figuring out where to get the appropriate libraries for compiling these packages, after they give some vague error of something missing. I was wondering why there is no formal system of specifying non-R dependencies in the DESCRIPTION file. If this would be the case, then during the installation of an R package, the user could be prompted to install required system packages (if they have appropriate privileges).
So for example: Package: XML Version: 3.2-0 Depends: R (>= 1.2.0), methods, utils Depends-debian: libxml2-dev Depends-ubuntu: libxml2-dev Depends-redhat: libxml2-devel Depends-suse: libxml2-devel etc. This might make life for many people just a little easier. If they are root and the package is in their system repositories, than it will install automatically. If not, at least they know for which package to look, or request their sys admin to install. -- View this message in context: http://r.789695.n4.nabble.com/dependencies-on-system-packages-tp3259395p3259395.html Sent from the R devel mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ______________________________________________ R-devel@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
