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Keep on getting message errors when trying to install and load packages

This practice is not portable, as not everyone's default file creation permissions allow others to read those files, so putting them outside your home directory isn't necessarily helpful. It is much better to use the default user library within your home directory as suggested by the R install program.

For clarity, the location where packages are DOWNLOADED is generally unimportant... it is the place where they are INSTALLED that is important. That is,  don't worry about the messages telling you about downloaded files being in temporary directories.

Also note that your USER package library is referred to first in the default .libPaths setup so it really doesn't mattter whether a few packages get installed in the system package library because updates you install without Administrator permissions should end up in your user package library.

I recommend using the default behavior that the setup program offers and not trying to fine tune things, unless you are setting up a special configuration like a remote HPC cluster, in which case you should be reading (and having the background to understand) the R Installation and Administration manual.