R: Install Add-on Packages

INSTALL {base} | R Documentation

## Install Add-on Packages

### Description

Utility for installing add-on packages.

### Usage

    R CMD INSTALL [options] [-l lib] pkgs

### Arguments

`pkgs` | A list with the path names of the packages to be installed.
`lib` | the path name of the R library tree to install to.
`options` | a list of options through which in particular the process for building the help files can be controlled.

### Details

If used as `R CMD INSTALL pkgs` without explicitly specifying `lib`, packages are installed into the library tree rooted at the first directory given in the environment variable `R\_LIBS` if this is set and non-null, and to the default library tree (which is rooted at ``$R_HOME/library`') otherwise.

To install into the library tree `lib`, use `R CMD INSTALL -l lib pkgs`.

Both `lib` and the elements of `pkgs` may be absolute or relative path names. `pkgs` can also contain name of package archive files of the form ``pkg_version.tar.gz`' as obtained from CRAN, these are then extracted in a temporary directory.

Some package sources contain a ``configure`' script that can be passed arguments or variables via the option `--configure-args` and `--configure-vars`, respectively, if necessary. The latter is useful in particular if libraries or header files needed for the package are in non-system directories. In this case, one can use the configure variables `LIBS` and `CPPFLAGS` to specify these locations (and set these via `--configure-vars`), see section `Configuration variables' in ``R Installation and Adminstration'' for more information. One can also bypass the configure mechanism using the option `--no-configure`.

If `--no-docs` is given, no help files are built. Options `--no-text`, `--no-html`, and `--no-latex` suppress creating the text, HTML, and LaTeX versions, respectively. The default is to build help files in all three versions.

If the option `--save` is used, the installation procedure creates a binary image of the package code, which is then loaded when the package is attached, rather than evaluating the package source at that time. Having a file ``install.R`' in the package directory makes this the default behavior for the package (option `--no-save` overrides). You may need `--save` if your package requires other packages to evaluate its own source. If the file ``install.R`' is non-empty, it should contain R expressions to be executed when the package is attached, after loading the saved image. Options to be passed to R when creating the save image can be specified via `--save=ARGS`.

Use `R CMD INSTALL --help` for more usage information.

### See Also

`REMOVE`, `update.packages` for automatic update of packages using the internet; the chapter on ``Creating R packages'' in ``Writing R Extensions'' (see the ``doc/manual`' subdirectory of the R source tree).

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