41

The forecast package for R has been updated to version 2.12, but there are currently only windows binarys for 2.11 available on CRAN.

How do I install an R package from the source on Windows?

veben
  • 19,637
  • 14
  • 60
  • 80
Zach
  • 29,791
  • 35
  • 142
  • 201
  • 4
    The binary simply hasn't been picked up by your mirror yet. Get the [forecast_2.12 Windows binary](http://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/contrib/r-release/forecast_2.12.zip) from the main CRAN repository, or wait a day for the mirror to update. – Joshua Ulrich Jan 19 '11 at 19:50

6 Answers6

86

I know this is an old question but it came up first in my Google search for this same question, even though I knew the answer I just wanted something to copy and paste. Which makes it worth improving the answer for future reference. So here is what works for me:

Install rtools, then:

install.packages(path_to_file, repos = NULL, type="source")
Peter Ellis
  • 5,694
  • 30
  • 46
8

Start by reviewing the section on Windows packages in the R Installation and Administration manual, then carefully follow the instructions from The Windows toolset appendix.

I know it's usually bad form to mainly provide links in an answer, but these are links to the canonical references on this topic. I simply link to them rather than summarize their contents, since they should be accurate for the most current R release.

Joshua Ulrich
  • 173,410
  • 32
  • 338
  • 418
8

Two answers that may help you avoid the hassle of installing Rtools.

  1. Use http://win-builder.r-project.org/ to build a binary version, download it, and install (using install.packages(...,repos=NULL))
  2. If the package has no binary component (i.e. no src directory with C, C++, or Fortran code that needs to be compiled during installation (not true for forecast, but possibly useful some other time) then simply specifying type="source" within the install.packages call (whether from a repository or a local copy of the source tarball (.tar.gz file)) will install the source package, even on Windows.
Ben Bolker
  • 211,554
  • 25
  • 370
  • 453
5

I'm not sure if this is the best way, but I found the following method to work (based in part on the answers above):

1) Download the package .tar

2) Move the package to the directory with your user R libraries (e.g., in my case it was "C:/Users/yourUserName/Documents/R/win-library/3.3")

3) Within Rstudio (or elsewhere, probably), run the command... install.packages("packageName.tar", repos=NULL, type="source")

That worked for me at least. Hope it's helpful!

user7396238
  • 51
  • 1
  • 4
4
  1. Download the package *.tar.gz.
  2. make sure you have Rtools installed.
  3. Make sure the R and Rtools paths are added in the environment varialble.
  4. Open a command prompt. Type R CMD INSTALL packagename.tar.gz.

it will work i hope.

small_lebowski
  • 701
  • 7
  • 23
  • I am not quite sure i get number 3. How would I add the Rtools path in the environment variable? install.packages(....,environment=(rtools=))? – user1965813 Apr 24 '13 at 07:44
2

To install a package from a .tar.gz file, follow these steps:

  • Launch R to have the R command prompt
  • Type: install.packages(<path_to_tar.gz_file>, repos = NULL)

or launch directly:

R CMD INSTALL <path_to_.tar.gz_file>

You need to have R installed but you don't need RTools

veben
  • 19,637
  • 14
  • 60
  • 80