[R] Error: cannot allocate vector of size 3.0 Gb

[Liaw, Andy]

Looks like you attach() the data frame before you try t/o plot.  Note
that in the "Details" section of ?attach, it says:

"... The database is not actually attached. Rather, a new environment is
created on the search path and the elements of a list (including columns
of a data frame) or objects in a save file or an environment are copied
into the new environment. ..."

so it's probably a bad idea to do the attach().  Have you tried:

with(DowJones, plot(Date, Close))

?

About 4 years ago I've posted an example of creating a matrix that took
up >6GB, on a dual Opteron w/ 16GB ram running 64-bit SuSE and 64-bit R.
So yes, it's possible.  Nowadays we do it nearly on a daily basis.

Andy

From: John
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I have read recent posts on this topic (Dr. Ronnen Levinson's 
> Monday 02:39:55 
> pm), but before I install a 64 bit system, and purchase more 
> RAM, I want to 
> make sure I understand this interesting issue.
> 
> I was attempting to plot a data frame containing Dow Jones 
> stock information:
> 
> > length(Date)
> [1] 19957
> > length(Close)
> [1] 19957
> > head(DowJones)
>       Date     Open     High      Low    Close     Volume Adj.Close
> 1 03/26/08 12531.79 12531.79 12309.62 12422.86 4055670000  12422.86
> 2 03/25/08 12547.34 12639.82 12397.62 12532.60 4145120000  12532.60
> 3 03/24/08 12361.97 12687.61 12346.17 12548.64 4499000000  12548.64
> 4 03/20/08 12102.43 12434.34 12024.68 12361.32 2078450000  12361.32
> 5 03/19/08 12391.52 12525.19 12077.27 12099.66 1203830000  12099.66
> 6 03/18/08 11975.92 12411.63 11975.92 12392.66 1263390000  12392.66
> > tail(DowJones)
>           Date   Open   High    Low  Close  Volume Adj.Close
> 19952 10/08/28 240.17 243.33 237.72 239.55 3940000    239.55
> 19953 10/05/28 240.00 243.08 238.22 240.44 4360000    240.44
> 19954 10/04/28 237.75 242.53 237.72 240.00 4330000    240.00
> 19955 10/03/28 238.14 239.14 233.60 237.75 4060000    237.75
> 19956 10/02/28 240.01 241.54 235.42 238.14 3850000    238.14
> 19957 10/01/28 239.43 242.46 238.24 240.01 3500000    240.01
> > plot(Date, Close)
> Error: cannot allocate vector of size 3.0 Gb
> >                                              
> 
> 
> I currently have installed R 2.60, from source, onto Linux 
> SuSE 10.2. I 
> believe it is a 32 bit install:
> 
> > dmesg | grep bit 
> > ...
> > hpet0: 3 32-bit timers, 25000000 Hz
> 
> I have 1GB of RAM, with circa 883.61 not allocated to 
> hardware after boot. 
> I naively thought 19957 rows of data would be easily handled 
> by a fairly new 
> computer. R was able to cease execution, and place control 
> back onto its 
> interpreter, while a Chart attempt in OpenOffice locks up OpenOffice.
> 
> So,  will installation of a 64 bit Operating System, and at least an 
> additional 1GB of RAM  suffice to generate memory space for a 
> 3.0 Gb vector, 
> in R?
> 
> Much appreciated, time to buy a new computer?
> 
> John
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at r-project.org mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide 
> http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
> 
> 


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