Creating a webserver CRAN repository - troubleshooting the directory structure

Question

I'm trying to figure out how to create a http CRAN-repository. I've tried to follow the local CRAN repository without no real success.

Basically I have my local repository set up like this (I'm not sure the source catalog makes sens but I added it just in case):

library(tools)
reposRoot <- "C:\\Software\\repository"
r_ver <- "2.15"
contribPaths <- c(source = "src\\contrib", windows = "bin\\windows\\contrib")
write_PACKAGES(paste(reposRoot, contribPaths["windows"], r_ver, sep="\\"), 
               type="win.binary",
               unpacked=FALSE,
               latestOnly=FALSE,
               verbose=TRUE)
write_PACKAGES(paste(reposRoot, contribPaths["source"], r_ver, sep="\\"), 
               type="source",
               unpacked=FALSE,
               latestOnly=FALSE,
               verbose=TRUE)

I've then uploaded the repository to my webserver: cran.gforge.se but when I try find the packages I get:

> available.packages(contriburl="http://cran.gforge.se")
Warning: unable to access index for repository http://cran.gforge.se
     Package Version Priority Depends Imports LinkingTo Suggests Enhances OS_type License Archs
     File Repository

So my conclusion is that it can't find the repository but the strange part is when I try:

> available.packages(contriburl="http://cran.gforge.se/bin/windows/contrib/2.15")
      Package Version Priority Depends                                                   Imports
Gmisc "Gmisc" "0.2"   NA       "grid, testthat, miscTools, rms, Hmisc, survival, cmprsk" NA     
      LinkingTo Suggests Enhances OS_type License      Archs File
Gmisc NA        NA       NA       NA      "GPL (>= 2)" NA    NA  
      Repository                                                    
Gmisc "http://cran.gforge.se/bin/windows/contrib/2.15/./src/contrib"

It actually finds my beautiful package but the path is all mixed-up. If I try to run an install I get this:

> install.packages("Gmisc", contriburl="http://cran.gforge.se/")
Installing package(s) into ‘C:/Users/max/R/win-library/2.15’
(as ‘lib’ is unspecified)
Warning in install.packages :
  package ‘Gmisc’ is not available (for R version 2.15.0)
> install.packages("Gmisc", contriburl="http://cran.gforge.se/bin/windows/contrib/2.15")
Installing package(s) into ‘C:/Users/max/R/win-library/2.15’
(as ‘lib’ is unspecified)
trying URL 'http://cran.gforge.se/bin/windows/contrib/2.15/./src/contrib/Gmisc_0.2.zip'
Warning in install.packages :
  cannot open: HTTP status was '500 Internal Server Error'
Error in download.file(url, destfile, method, mode = "wb", ...) : 
  cannot open URL 'http://cran.gforge.se/bin/windows/contrib/2.15/./src/contrib/Gmisc_0.2.zip'
Warning in install.packages :
  download of package ‘Gmisc’ failed

I've looked for any help in the manual and SONIVIS wiki but I must be blind... please guide me :-S

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 19 '12 at 19:34

After some searching I found that:

The package should be built not by R CMD BUILD but by R CMD INSTALL --build
Instead of using contriburl it seems to work with repos:

install.packages("Gmisc", repos=c("http://ftp.sunet.se/pub/lang/CRAN", "http://cran.gforge.se"), dependencies=TRUE)

Creating a webserver CRAN repository - troubleshooting the directory structure

1 Answers1