[R] getting ess/emacs to link with a remote instance of R

[Seth Falcon]

Hi Mark,

[I've cc'd the ess-help list and any further discussion should probably
happen there with r-help removed]

Mark W Kimpel <mkimpel at iupui.edu> writes:
> I am running ess/emacs on Linux and have an R instance running on a 
> remote Unix server. I would like to be able to direct input from my ess 
> buffer to R (hope I am using the right lingo, I am new to emacs).
>
> The ess manual contains a section describing how to do just that, but a 
> prerequisite is to install a lisp file ssh.el , which can be found at 
> ftp://ftp.splode.com/pub/users/friedman/emacs-lisp/ssh .

In my experience, ssh.el doesn't do anything all that great.  Instead
I would try:

1. Start a shell inside Emacs using 'M-x shell'.  In this shell, ssh
   to your remote host and start R.

2. In the remote R session do: 'M-x ess-remote'.  At the Emacs
   mini-buffer prompt type 'r'.

3. In a buffer containing R code, you should be able to send code to
   the remote session as usual (choose the shell buffer when
   prompted).

Note:

  * C-c C-c will kill your ssh session (and R).  IOW, you can't easily
    interrupt an R process running remotely.

  * I have never had success getting help to work via ESS when running
    R remotely.  YMMV.

  * You may find that sending commands to the remote session without
    echoing is much faster.  So you might try C-u C-c C-r to send a
    region.


+ seth

-- 
Seth Falcon | Computational Biology | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
http://bioconductor.org