moving from Windows to Linux - need help

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.hiemstra at geo.uu.nl>
Subject: Re: [R] moving from Windows to Linux - need help
To: Robert Kinley <KINLEY_ROBERT at lilly.com>
Cc: r-help at r-project.org
Message-ID: <4A1BCAE7.8010307 at 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