Dear Eberhard,
On 2021-01-12 9:41 a.m., Dr Eberhard W Lisse wrote:
John,
maybe I misunderestimate the students :-)-O but there is not much
sophistication required to follow simple instructions while thinking
about what one is doing when doing so. At least that was my generation
of students did.
If they can install XQuartz, they can install the command line tools.
In my experience, mostly with social-science undergraduates and
graduate students, the more steps an installation requires, the more
likely students will encounter difficulties. Your students may well have
a different level of computer sophistication than mine did, but I know
that my experience isn't unique.
And, it's not about RCmdr but about the source packages that you may
want to have to install for which the command line tools are required.
Right. But all of the packages on which the Rcmdr package depends have
Mac binaries. As I confirmed yesterday, one can install the Rcmdr and
its dependencies on macOS without building any packages from source.
Finally, RStudio is so much easier and more powerful, that I wonder why
one is bothering with this including XQuartz.
Because I think you underestimate the obstacle that working at the
command line presents to students who often are already struggling to
learn basic statistical concepts. In my, and others', experience, it's
easier for students at this level to work with a statistical GUI than to
write commands. While working n RStudio or another IDE is undoubtedly
more powerful, for them it certainly isn't easier. Your teaching
experiences may be different.
Best,
John
greetings, el
On 12/01/2021 16:19, John Fox wrote:
Dear Eberhard,
On 2021-01-12 12:32 a.m., Dr Eberhard W Lisse wrote:
John,
what is wrong with installing Xcode’s command lime tools (not Xcode
itself)?
Nothing, and I did miss the distinction, but it shouldn't be
necessary, and the instructions for installing the Rcmdr are already
more complicated on macOS than on other platforms because of the
necessity to install XQuartz. Users should be able to install the
Rcmdr package on macOS without having to install packages from source.
Remember that Rcmdr users are typically students in basic statistics
courses, many of whom have limited software sophistication.
Unnecessarily complicating the installation is undesirable. Of
course, if it's necessary to complicate the installation, one has to
live with that.
I'll be interested to learn whether my suggestions solve the problem.
If not, I can add an instruction concerning the Xcode tools to the
Rcmdr installation notes for macOS.
Thanks for your help,
John
[...]
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