Can we install a `.zip` R package under linux?

Question

I have found an old R package with a .zip extension on my PC. I would like to run it, but I do not have the tar.gz that was used to create it and I use linux. What are my options?

Answer 1

Few, essentially.

A .zip package for R is almost surely a binary built for Windows so you need to find a suitable Windows computer -- or emulator -- to use it.

Answer 2

So, this can be done this way:

• install wine (wine is not an emulator),
• install R for Windows , which you download manually from CRAN
• install the zip package using the usual commands ( install.packages("filename.zip",source=NULL) ). You will probably get error messages for the dependencies, but incrementally installing those, it should work.