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3 messages · W. Beldman, Roger Bivand, Brian Ripley

W. Beldman
# 
Recently I tried to install a package in R version 1.8.1 for Windows. First I 
un".tar.gz"ed it and ".zip"ed it back in to be able to use the option Install 
package(s) from local zip files...

Unfortunately tis error message appeared:
Error in unpackPkg(pkgs[i], pkgnames[i], lib, installWithVers) : 
         Malformed bundle DESCRIPTION file, no Contains field


It's correct that the DESCRIPTION file does not have a Contains field, but I 
can't figure out why it's mandatory and what values it may contain. The manual 
Writing R Extensions doesn't even mention this field in paragraph 1.1.1

Any clues how I can make this package running? 
Note that it's not CRAN but self written, but as I'm told it have worked before 
(probably in a Linux environment).

W. Beldman
Roger Bivand
#
On Thu, 8 Jan 2004, W. Beldman wrote:

            

      
      
      
    

        
You have taken a *source* package, changed it from a tar.gz archive file
to a zip archive file, but are trying to install it as a Windows 
zip archive of a *binary* package. See the R Windows FAQ:

http://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/rw-FAQ.html#Packages 

or Help > FAQ on R for Windows

within R on Windows

To proceed, you can install the tools needed to make and install a binary
package from a source package under Windows. This is documented with links 
in the FAQ under "Can I install packages (libraries) in this version?" The 
important file "readme.packages" is in the directory R lives in, 
usually rw1081 for the current version.

Roger

            

      
      
      
    

        

  
    

      
      
    

  


  


      

    

    

      
      

        


  

        

      Brian Ripley
    

    

      
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On Thu, 8 Jan 2004, W. Beldman wrote:

        

            

      
      
      
    

        
So it was not a binary package, but a source package?  No wonder it
failed.  Please let us know from which document you got the idea that your
procedure would produce a valid package, so we can correct it.

            

      
      
      
    

        
Note `Bundle' here.  Your file format is completely wrong.

            

      
      
      
    

        
You have to INSTALL source packages even on Windows: it is all explained 
in the rw-FAQ.