Dear Brian, I've modified the Mac installation instructions again to add back the check for a prior installation of X-Windows. The instructions are at <http://socserv.socsci.mcmaster.ca/jfox/Misc/Rcmdr/installation-notes.html>.
Thanks for your help, John > -----Original Message----- > From: Prof Brian Ripley [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Friday, September 20, 2013 8:37 AM > To: John Fox > Cc: 'r-sig-mac' > Subject: Re: [R-SIG-Mac] Problems loading Rcmdr on a Mac 10.7.2 and a > Mac 10.6.8 > > On 20/09/2013 12:54, John Fox wrote: > > Dear Brian, > > > > On Fri, 20 Sep 2013 07:49:05 +0100 > > Prof Brian Ripley <[email protected]> wrote: > >> On 20/09/2013 01:52, John Fox wrote: > >>> Dear Sarah, > >>> > >>>> -----Original Message----- > >>>> From: Sarah Hardy [mailto:[email protected]] > >>>> Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 8:08 PM > >>>> To: John Fox > >>>> Cc: Simon Urbanek; David Winsemius; r-sig-mac > >>>> Subject: Re: [R-SIG-Mac] Problems loading Rcmdr on a Mac 10.7.2 > and a > >>>> Mac 10.6.8 > >>>> > >>>> Running the "Software Update" and reinstalling R and Rcmdr worked > for > >>>> the student with the 10.7.2. We did not reinstall XQuartz. Now I > will > >>> > >>> I'm glad that this worked. Apparently, the student had an old > version of > >>> X-Windows that was updated by Software Update. As Simon explained, > in this > >>> situation installing XQuartz is irrelevant because the other > version of > >>> X-Windows is invoked by R. > >>> > >>>> see if it works for the others. BTW - I have identified at least > one > >>>> student with a 10.6.8 who had no problems installing R and Rcmdr > >>>> without installing XQuartz (per my instructions) - am going to > check > >>>> with other students tomorrow. > >>> > >>> If the student installed a sufficiently up-to-date X-Windows, that > should > >>> work, and apparently did. The X-Windows used needn't be XQuartz. My > new > >>> instructions suggest that everyone install XQuartz because that > will give > >>> them an up-to-date X-Windows if they don't already have X-windows > installed, > >>> and will do no harm if they do have another X-Windows. > >> > >> I am not so sure about that. It will do no harm running CRAN binary > R. But it does mean that there are multiple versions of X11 things > about > >> and that will cause problems for other things (including possibly > installing packages from source). > > > > Thanks for pointing out this potential problem. > > > > Oh well -- I hoped to have a simple set of instructions, and having > everyone install XQuartz followed what I took to be Simon's suggestion > (below). > > > > Almost all of the problems people have with the Rcmdr package are on > the Mac OS X platform, and since most of these people are not > sophisticated in their computer use, having simple instructions is > important. > > > > How about the following? > > > > (1) Run System Update. > > > > (2) Check whether X-Windows is installed. (I can restore my previous > instructions about how to check.) > > > > (3) If X-Windows isn't installed, install XQuartz. > > I think so. And I have no problem with installing XQuartz on 10.6 or > 10.7 if Apple X11 is not installed. > > Our experience on Solaris (which itself comes with two X11 setups) > shows > how easily it is to get them mixed and how hard it can be to > disentangle. > > > > > etc. > > > > Best, > > John > > > > . . . > > > >>>> > -----Original Message----- > >>>> > From: Simon Urbanek [mailto:[email protected]] > >>>> > >>>> > Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 11:49 AM > >>>> > To: John Fox > >>>> > Cc: 'David Winsemius'; 'Sarah Hardy'; 'r-sig-mac' > >>>> > Subject: Re: [R-SIG-Mac] Problems loading Rcmdr on a Mac 10.7.2 > >>>> and a > >>>> > Mac 10.6.8 > >>>> > > >>>> > >>>> > Well, the I think it reads far more complicated that in needs to > >>>> be. > >>>> > You should have a quickstart section that just says: > >>>> > > >>>> > * Install R 3.0.1 or later > >>>> > * Install XQuartz from http://xquartz.macosforge.org > >>>> > > >>>> > Done. Current R only supports 10.6.8+ and so does XQuartz so the > >>>> above > >>>> > covers everything that is supported right now (I recall having > >>>> that > >>>> > discussion earlier...). > >>>> > > >>>> > Then you can have troubleshooting section which says > >>>> > > >>>> > a) make sure you installed R with Tcl/Tk (it is the default) - > >>>> if in > >>>> > doubt, re-install R from CRAN > >>>> > b) use Software Update > >>>> > > >>>> > Then you can have a technical section with the details you show > >>>> below, > >>>> > but 99% of users should not need to read it. > >>>> > > >>>> > Cheers, > >>>> > Simon > > > > . . . > > > > > > > -- > Brian D. Ripley, [email protected] > Professor of Applied Statistics, http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/ > University of Oxford, Tel: +44 1865 272861 (self) > 1 South Parks Road, +44 1865 272866 (PA) > Oxford OX1 3TG, UK Fax: +44 1865 272595 _______________________________________________ R-SIG-Mac mailing list [email protected] https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-sig-mac
