[R] installing R on Ubuntu

[Tom Backer Johnsen]

Dear me.  Is the installation of R under Ubuntu really that complex?  I 
have a dual boot machine (Linux / Windows, where I use the latter the 
most) and have plans to try R under Linux, but have not done so yet.  Is 
it possible to simplify the Linux install procedure to make R more 
accessible to novices?

Compare that to Windows.  (1) Download installation program (2) Run 
installation program.  That is it.

Tom

Paul Heinrich Dietrich wrote:
> I've read some of R's literature on Linux, including the R Admin manual, and
> didn't find it very useful, which is probably my own limitation.  But I did
> finally manage to get it working well.  I'm posting this to help others. 
> The following worked when installing R 2.8.1 on Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron. 
> Here are truly step-by-step instructions for those who don't know Linux
> (like me):
> 
> Installation and Initial Set-Up of R for Ubuntu Linux
> 
> 1. Open the Bash terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal)
> 2. Type these lines to add the security key to access the latest version of
> the R Ubuntu package:
> 	user at computer:~$ gpg --keyserver subkeys.pgp.net --recv-key E2A11821
> 	user at computer:~$ gpg -a --export E2A11821 | sudo apt-key add -
> 3. Use the Bash terminal to open your sources.list file with gedit (text
> editor) for editing:
> 	user at computer:~$ sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
> 4. Add this line to the bottom of the sources.list file:
> 	deb http://rh-mirror.linux.iastate.edu/CRAN/bin/linux/ubuntu hardy/
> 5. Save the file and go back to the Bash terminal.
> 6. Type this to update apt-get's database before you install R:
> 	user at computer:~$ sudo apt-get update
> 7. Install R with this command:
> 	user at computer:~$ sudo apt-get install r-base
> 8. Go to System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager, and download
> the build-essential package.
> 9. To use R, simply enter R in the Bash terminal.  To quit, enter q().
> 
> 
> Additional programs will be needed to install other packages or work with
> other programs:
> 1. Install compilers for C++ and Fortran
> 	user at computer:~$ sudo apt-get install g++ gfortran
> 2. Install the developer versions of Blas and Lapack (what are these?)
> 	user at computer:~$ apt-get install libblas-dev liblapack-dev
> 
> 
> Updating Packages in R
> 1. Open the Bash terminal and start R with root permissions
> 	user at computer:~$ sudo R
> 2. Type > update.packages()
> 
> 
> Installing the R Commander GUI
> 1. Open the Bash terminal and type:
>        user at computer:~$ apt-get install r-cran-rcmdr 
> 
> 
> Using the R Commander GUI
> library(Rcmdr)
> ...or once the library is open and Commander has been shut down, type:
> commander()
> 
> 
> Notes
> It looks like most of R has been put here:
> /etc/R (Rprofile.site is here)
> /usr/lib/R
> 
> 
> Downloaded Packages seem to go here:
> /usr/local/lib/R/site-library/


-- 
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| Tom Backer Johnsen, Psychometrics Unit,  Faculty of Psychology |
| University of Bergen, Christies gt. 12, N-5015 Bergen,  NORWAY |
| Tel : +47-5558-9185                        Fax : +47-5558-9879 |
| Email : backer at psych.uib.no    URL : http://www.galton.uib.no/ |
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