Dear Robert, a different option, just to give you one more choice: you should be able to keep the standard Xandros and install R if you don't feel like changing the operating system. You just have to add the standard Debian repositories. I found it easier to have R, Emacs and LaTeX working on the standard system first, before experimenting with other distros.
Memorandum, just in case: I've been there a few months ago so I know where a Windows useR is like to stumble ;^) (if you already know this, just skip): in Linux you don't download "setup.exe" files and execute them to install things as you would on Windows: there are different systems. Programs are supposed to be downloaded from standard repositories over the Internet and installed by special software, which may vary across Linux distributions. Xandros is Debian-like and the wonderful packaging system of Debian (and Ubuntu, and Mepis...) works there as well, resolving all package dependencies for you. There are three tools available, two command-line driven (apt-get and aptitude) and a graphical one (Synaptic). All three do the same job. These tools already have predefined repositories, which you may alter. The Xandros repositories only have old versions of R if at all, so you'd better add the Debian ones (but be careful to either 1) disable them afterwards or better 2) to 'pin' them (=assign them different priorities), else you could damage your system by downloading other Debian packages instead of the Xandros ones in cases when this does *not* work). R from the Debian repos. works fine on Xandros but some other programs might screw your system up. So all you have to do is just open up a terminal window (CTRL+ALT+T) and do sudo apt-get install <yoursoftware> ('sudo' you need to act as administrator) In particular, quoting from the R-Wiki, "if you just want to be able to run R, you can get r-base-core and all the recommended packages by doing: sudo apt-get install r-base If you want to be able to build and install R packages (including those from CRAN), you can get all the common header files, as well as r-base-core by doing: sudo apt-get install r-base-dev If you want to be able to build R from its source code, you can get build dependencies for R (e.g., compilers, header files) by doing: sudo apt-get build-dep r-base" Of course you can download the same packages with Synaptic (but start it as 'sudo Synaptic', for the above reasons! else you don't have rights to install anything). You can find much more detailed step by step instructions from some other people put together in this old post of mine: http://www.nabble.com/R-on-an-ASUS-eee-PC,-continued---installing-packag es-td17862000.html The same principles apply, e.g., for LaTeX and Emacs if you need them. Have fun! Giovanni ## original message ## ------------------------------ Message: 8 Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 12:56:39 +0200 From: Paul Hiemstra <p.hiems...@geo.uu.nl> Subject: Re: [R] moving from Windows to Linux - need help To: Robert Kinley <kinley_rob...@lilly.com> Cc: r-help@r-project.org Message-ID: <4a1bcae7.8010...@geo.uu.nl> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Hi Robert, I had the exact same problem on my eeepc 900. I replaced the xandros-like linux in this way: - Download an Ubuntu iso file (I use 8.04, Kubuntu) - Put the .iso file on a usb stick (use unetbootin) - Install the ubuntu version - Install the eeepc specific stuff from http://array.org/ubuntu/ (this is a repository with an eeepc kernel available and other stuff, the site provides a lot of info on how to install the eeepc specific things) Now you have a "normal" linux distro (ubuntu) and you can use the normal cran repositories (debian) to install R. This worked very well for me, it was quite easy to get ubuntu running. I know that this isn't an exact answer to your question, but I found that re installing linux was the best option. cheers and hth, Paul Robert Kinley wrote: > hi > > I've used R for many years on windows machines, but > have now acquired an Asus eee 1000 linux machine. > > In order to get the best out of the machine, I used the > 'pimpmyeee.sh' script, to get the full KDE desktop. > > The version of Linux is Xandros, which I believe is > a close relative of Debian, but sadly I have only a > nodding acquaintance with Linux at present. > > Naturally I want to have the current version of R on it, > and I understand (or possibly misunderstand) that the > binary for the Debian flavour of Linux should do the trick. > > I have tried - > > 1. using synaptic to add the appropriate (I think) CRAN > repository ... but every combination I have tried > gives a 404 error > > 2. downloading from CRAN what I think is a zipped-up version of > r-base software, and thewn using the eee's file-manager > 'install DEB package' option ... but this returns 'cannot load ... > '. > > > I'm a bit stuck ... can anyone help please ? > > > thanks Bob Kinley > [[alternative HTML version deleted]] > > ______________________________________________ > R-help@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. > -- Drs. Paul Hiemstra Department of Physical Geography Faculty of Geosciences University of Utrecht Heidelberglaan 2 P.O. Box 80.115 3508 TC Utrecht Phone: +3130 274 3113 Mon-Tue Phone: +3130 253 5773 Wed-Fri http://intamap.geo.uu.nl/~paul Giovanni Millo Research Dept., Assicurazioni Generali SpA Via Machiavelli 4, 34132 Trieste (Italy) tel. +39 040 671184 fax +39 040 671160 ______________________________________________ R-help@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.