Skip to content

R on Google Android

5 messages · Mikkel Meyer Andersen, Simon Urbanek

Original
Mikkel Meyer Andersen
# 
Hi.

As a follow-up on [1], I'd like to raise the question of whether it's
practically possible to compile R to the Google Android mobile
platform?

The best way would probably be to use the Native Developer Kit [2],
NDK, and in that way get a library. This could then be interfaced to
by a Java-program.

I know that several questions have been raised against the idea, e.g.
with the input methods and all that, but I wouldn't be that hard to
make an alternative input method or even a new language that could be
compiled to R.

The reason I'm raising this question again, is that I would really
want a (basic) statistical package on my mobile phone, and I think it
would be kind of stupid to start writing one from scratch when R is
already out there.

Unfortunately I don't know that much about build systems and are not
capable of assesing whether it indeed would be possible to port R to
Android through NDK. I know a bit of both R, Java, and C and would be
able to help trying some different approaches, if anybody wants to
help me.

The alternative is to start writing a new mobile statistical package
from the beginning. And although it should only maybe support 5% of
the functionality of R, it would take a lot of time to do that. And
I'd love to avoid that when good people has already done an amazing
job :-).

Cheers, Mikkel Meyer Andersen.

[1]: http://finzi.psych.upenn.edu/Rhelp08/2009-February/187425.html
[2]: http://developer.android.com/sdk/ndk/1.5_r1/index.html
Simon Urbanek
# 
Mikkel,
On Oct 11, 2009, at 6:38 AM, Mikkel Meyer Andersen wrote:

            

      
      
      
    

        
Get an iPhone ;), you can compile R for iPhone OS almost out of the box.

But seriously, the NDK seems to be ARM as well (like the iPhone) so  
chances are that is may work in a similar fashion. According to the  
NDK docs it includes JNI so you should be able to use rJava/JRI to  
embed R (see the JGR project for an example of a GUI using the  
"normal" Java). [I didn't actually try it so your mileage may vary].

            

      
      
      
    

        
People have proposed that and tried that long time ago, but I don't  
think anyone succeeded.

Cheers,
Simon

            
        

      
      
    

  
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Mikkel Meyer Andersen
    

    

      
      #
    

  


  

      
Simon,

Thanks for your answer.

Do you have a link describing the procedure on compiling for iPhone or
is it really just ready out of the box? A description would help me
trying to do it with Android. I've done some searching, but the only
relevant hit I've found is
http://ephphatharesearch.com/Eph_Blog_Post.aspx/Show/41.

Cheers, Mikkel.

2009/10/12 Simon Urbanek <simon.urbanek at r-project.org>:

            

      
      
      
    

        

      
      
    

            

      
      
      
    

  
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Simon Urbanek
    

    

      
      #
    

  


  

      
On Oct 11, 2009, at 9:17 PM, Mikkel Meyer Andersen wrote:

        

            

      
      
      
    

        
You can compile R itself (libR) out of the box just using regular  
cross-compilation. The only issue are packages with native libraries -  
the easiest way is to create a multi-arch R so that the non-libs parts  
are actually built on the native architecture. For anything  
troublesome your can then also use R --arch=arm CMD SHLIB. This is  
really more a proof of concept since you're still missing a command  
line as there is no shell or ssh or normal iPhones but you could hook  
it into any GUI ..

Of course as my old post on R-SIG-Mac on the topic says we don't have  
plans to use UIKit, but that's probably not that relevant for you  
anyway.

Cheers,
Simon

            

      
      
      
    

        

      
      
    

            

      
      
      
    

  
  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Mikkel Meyer Andersen
    

    

      
      #
    

  


  

      
Simon,

2009/10/12 Simon Urbanek <simon.urbanek at r-project.org>:

            

      
      
      
    

        
Thanks. That is the main goal to have the base. I don't' want a mobile
version to be a substitute for normal desktop usage, but merely just
for quick tasks as finding quantiles, eigenvalues, multiplying
matrices or whatever when no desktop computer is nearby.

I've found a few other links that seem interesting, so I'll give it a
try and inform you if I succeed.

Cheers, Mikkel.