(R-admin.info)The Windows toolset

---

Next: Function and variable index Prev: Platform notes Up: Top

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

Appendix D The Windows toolset
******************************

If you want to build R or add-on packages from source in Windows, you
will need to collect, install and test an extensive set of tools.  See
<https://CRAN.R-project.org/bin/windows/Rtools/> for the current
locations and other updates to these instructions.  (Most Windows users
will not need to build add-on packages from source; see Note: Add-on
packages for details.)

   We have found that the build process for R is quite sensitive to the
choice of tools: please follow our instructions *exactly*, even to the
choice of particular versions of the tools.(1)  The build process for
add-on packages is somewhat more forgiving, but we recommend using the
exact toolset at first, and only substituting other tools once you are
familiar with the process.

   _This appendix contains a lot of prescriptive comments.  They are
here as a result of bitter experience.  Please do not report problems to
the R mailing lists unless you have followed all the prescriptions._

   We have collected most of the necessary tools (unfortunately not all,
due to license or size limitations) into an executable installer named
'Rtools*.exe', available from
<https://CRAN.R-project.org/bin/windows/Rtools/>.  You should download
and run it, choosing the default "Package authoring installation" to
build add-on packages, or the "full installation" if you intend to build
R.

   You will need the following items to build R and packages.  See the
subsections below for detailed descriptions.
   * The command line tools (in 'Rtools*.exe')
   * The MinGW-w64 32/64-bit toolchain to compile C, Fortran and C++.
   For installing simple source packages containing data or R source but
no compiled code, none of these are needed.

   A complete build of R including PDF manuals, and producing the
installer will also need the following:
   * LaTeX
   * The Inno Setup installer
   * (optional) 'qpdf'

   It is important to set your 'PATH' properly.  The installer
'Rtools*.exe' optionally sets the path to components that it installs.

   Your 'PATH' may include '.' first, then the 'bin' directories of the
tools, the compiler toolchain and LaTeX.  Do not use filepaths
containing spaces: you can always use the short forms (found by 'dir /x'
at the Windows command line).  Network shares (with paths starting '\\')
are not supported.

   For example for a 32-bit build, all on one line,

     PATH=c:\Rtools\bin;c:\MiKTeX\miktex\bin;
          c:\R\R-3.2\bin\i386;c:\windows;c:\windows\system32

It is essential that the directory containing the command line tools
comes first or second in the path: there are typically like-named
tools(2) in other directories, and they will *not* work.  The ordering
of the other directories is less important, but if in doubt, use the
order above.

   Our toolset contains copies of Cygwin DLLs that may conflict with
other ones on your system if both are in the path at once.  The normal
recommendation is to delete the older ones; however, at one time we
found our tools did not work with a newer version of the Cygwin DLLs, so
it may be safest not to have any other version of the Cygwin DLLs in
your path.

LaTeX

The Inno Setup installer

The command line tools

The MinGW-w64 toolchain

Useful additional programs

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) For example, the Cygwin version of 'make 3.81' fails to work
correctly.

   (2) such as 'sort', 'find' and perhaps 'make'.