Pre-compiled binary packages provide a convenient way of efficiently distributing software that has been adopted by most Linux package management systems. However, the heterogeneity of the Linux ecosystem, combined with the growing number of R extensions available, poses a scalability problem. As a result, efforts to bring binary R packages to Linux have been scattered, and lack a proper mechanism to fully integrate them with R's package manager. This work reviews past and present of binary distribution for Linux, and presents a path forward by showcasing the `cran2copr' project, an RPM-based proof-of-concept implementation of an automated scalable binary distribution system with the capability of building, maintaining and distributing thousands of packages, while providing a portable and extensible bridge to the system package manager.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2103.08069,
title = {Binary R Packages for Linux: Past, Present and Future},
author = {Iñaki Ucar and Dirk Eddelbuettel},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2103.08069},
year = {2021}
}