C System Dependency Detection

R packages often depend on system libraries or other software external to R. These dependencies are not automatically installed, but a package’s DESCRIPTION file may reference them using the SystemRequirements field. The SystemRequirements field serves as a helpful reference but does not provide detailed installation instructions; installing system dependencies for a package can be challenging, especially when the instructions differ by operating system.

RStudio Package Manager simplifies this task by automatically detecting known system dependencies and providing installation commands for supported Linux operating systems.

C.1 Usage

Installation commands for known system dependencies are displayed on the package page in the web interface.

In addition, administrators may request the set of system requirements for a list of packages or an entire repository using the RStudio Package Manager command line interface:

# see all available options
rspm list requirements --help

# list system requirements for ggplot2 and plumber
rspm list requirements --repo=cran --packages=ggplot2,plumber --distribution=ubuntu --release=18.04

# list system requirements for all packages
rspm list requirements --repo=validated-subset --packages=* --distribution=ubuntu --release=18.04

C.2 System Requirements Coverage

RStudio Package Manager identifies system dependencies by matching the package’s SystemRequirements field against a catalog of dependencies and install commands. More information on this process, along with coverage results, is available with the catalog.

NOTE: While RStudio Package Manager makes a best effort to provide accurate information, these installation commands may be insufficient if a package has not declared its system dependencies or if a particular system dependency is unknown to RStudio Package Manager. Please refer to the package’s system requirements information or README file if you are having trouble installing its system dependencies.