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On Sun, 29 Aug 2021 08:06:00 -0400

Forgive me if I'm missing something here, but do you need to install
from source or do you just need R 4.1.0?

I just need R 4.1.0.  Installing from source is/was only a means to
this end.

However I could not find (despite substantial web-searching) any way to
install a pre-built binary of anything but the *current* release.

If the latter, my understanding is that you should be able to get R
version 4.1.0 on Ubuntu distributions via:

sudo apt install r-base=4.1.0-1.2004.0 r-recommended=4.1.0-1.2004.0
r-base-html=4.1.0-1.2004.0 r-doc-html=4.1.0-1.2004.0

Assuming you're using the official ppa (and uninstalled the newer
versions first).

I *assume* that I'm using "the official ppa", but I have no idea what
that means!!!  Can you elaborate?

Can you also elaborate as to how to "uninstall the newer versions"?
Sorry to be so demanding and to be such a thicko.

If all you need is R 4.1.0, this might be a bit less temperamental.

There is a problem however.  I really want to have 4.1.0 *available*,
but to keep 4.1.1 as being the "real" R.

If I were to succeed in "installing" from source, I could do just
the configure/make steps and omit the "make install" step.  I could
then run R 4.1.0 from the bin directory that is created.  I think!
Rather than putting the executable into /usr/bin, so that /usr/bin/R
would remain the 4.1.1 version.

Is there any way/can you see any way to have both the 4.1.1 and the
4.1.0 versions available, when the 4.1.0 version is installed from
binary in the manner that you suggest?

Again, sorry to be so demanding and to be such a thicko.

cheers,

Rolf

Honorary Research Fellow
Department of Statistics
University of Auckland
Phone: +64-9-373-7599 ext. 88276