Can't get help.start() to work.

On 29/10/2009, at 2:39 PM, Duncan Murdoch wrote:

On 28/10/2009 9:04 PM, Rolf Turner wrote:

Under my newly installed version of R, 2.10.0, help.start() refuses
to perform.  When I issue the command I get a ``Host is  
unreachable''
message from the browser (which is Firefox, version 3.5.3).

I have seen things about funnies with help under 2.10.0 but have
not properly comprehended them.  I am not sure if they apply to my
situation.  I did a bit of scrounging through recent postings to
R-help and could not find anything relevant. Can someone tell me
***in monosyllables*** ( :-) ) how to get help.start() to work?

Session info:

R version 2.10.0 Patched (2009-10-27 r50222)
i386-apple-darwin8.11.1

locale:
[1] C

attached base packages:
[1] datasets  utils     stats     graphics  grDevices methods    
base

other attached packages:
[1] misc_0.0-11    fortunes_1.3-6 MASS_7.3-3

loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
[1] tools_2.10.0

I have attached, in pdf form, a screen shot of the message I get
in the Firefox window when help.start() fails.

The problem appears to be with "WebMarshal Proxy".  I don't know if  
you
have any control over this, or it comes from your IT department,  
but you
need to tell it to let Firefox connect to R on your own machine  
(address
127.0.0.1) if you want help.start() to work.  If that requires you to
set a particular port number (or range) for R to use, see the
?tools::startDynamicHelp page for details.

	This did not/does not happen with R version 2.9.2.  Why has
	version 2.10.0 introduced a difficulty?

You may find that the GUI works better.  It doesn't use Firefox, it  
has
its own built in browser, and it's conceivable that it will avoid  
going
through the proxy.

Yes, the GUI works in respect of providing html help.  But

	(a) I ***HATE*** using the GUI.

	(b) Funny things happen when I try loading spatstat from the GUI.

	If I click on Packages & Data --> Package Manager, I get an error:

Error in package.manager(is.loaded, pkgs, pkgs.desc, pkgs.url) :
 invalid arguments (length mismatch)
In addition: Warning messages:
1: In .find.package(pkgs) : there is no package called 'BACCO'
2: In .find.package(pkgs) : there is no package called 'forecasting'

	There ***are*** packages BACCO and forecasting in my local
	library (~/Rlib).  But ne'er mind.

	So I try

	library(spatstat)

	from the command line (in the window opened by the GUI).  I get an  
error:

Loading required package: mgcv
Error in dyn.load(file, DLLpath = DLLpath, ...) :
 unable to load shared library '/Users/rturner/Rlib/lattice/libs/ 
i386/lattice.so':
 dlopen(/Users/rturner/Rlib/lattice/libs/i386/lattice.so, 6):  
Library not loaded: /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/2.7/ 
Resources/lib/libR.dylib

 Referenced from: /Users/rturner/Rlib/lattice/libs/i386/lattice.so
 Reason: image not found
In addition: Warning message:
package 'spatstat' was built under R version 2.9.2 and help may not  
work correctly
Error: package 'mgcv' could not be loaded

	However if I abandon the (expletive deleted) GUI, start R from the  
command
	line and then load spatstat, all is well.  (Modulo some warnings  
about packages
	being built under earlier versions of R whence the help might not  
work correctly.
	Which it doesn't anyway.)

	So why should mgcv load when R is started from the command line,  
but not
	when it is started from the GUI?

	This is getting ridiculous.  Everything I try engenders another  
error and
	another fiasco.  Things have become too complex and intricate.   
IMHO too
	much effort has been expended on implementing gee-whiz facilities  
for the
	super-clever or GUI facilities for the retarded at the expense of  
simple
	usability for the ordinary middle of the road user.