Install_package does not find Rtools after rtools35 has been updated in latest R update

Question

devtools::install_github(repo) keeps installing rtools35.exe

I try installing a new author account repository from 'author/newrepo'and keep getting R wants to install new buildtoools message. Then the installation exits. Rtools35.exe installation has already been completed. I am using older version of R (3.5.0) currentlyy because RTools is not available for the 3.5.1 update

`devtools::install_github(repo)` 

 Downloading bitbucket repo author/repo@master
 trying URL 'https://cran.rstudio.com/bin/windows/Rtools/Rtools35.exe'
 Content type 'application/x-msdos-program' length 108622512 bytes (103.6 
  MB)
  downloaded 103.6 MB

Error in system(full, intern = TRUE, ignore.stderr = quiet, ...) : 
 running command '"G:/Program Files/R/R-3.5.0/bin/x64/R" --no-site-file     
 --no-en viron --no-save --no-restore --quiet CMD config CC' had status 2

I previously tried remotes in 3.5.1 and turned on Quiet, turned of Dependencies

remotes::install_bitbucket(account/repo,author,quiet=TRUE,dependencies=FALSE)

but i keep getting Rtools after Rtools errors.

Should i try source()

Should I wait for a completed zip of the new author repo?

source by author is available in ~src/master on bitbucket

Answer 1

The following code works to ensure rtools35.exe is recognized. Note that you have to install pkgbuild to install the tools after the devtools loads , load pkgbuild and then find_tools() resolves to true allowing the source you wish to be installed

##    code from https://github.com/r-lib/devtools/issues/1772#issuecomment-384406969          ##

install.packages("pkgbuild","G:/Program Files/R/R-3.5.1/library") # pkgbuild is not available (for R version 3.5.0)
install.packages("devtools","G:/Program Files/R/R-3.5.1/library") # make sure you have the latest version from CRAN
library(devtools, lib.loc="G:/Program Files/R/R-3.5.1/library") # load package
devtools::install_github("r-lib/pkgbuild") # install updated version of pkgbuild from GitHub
library(pkgbuild, lib.loc = "G:/Program Files/R/R-3.5.1/library") # load package
find_rtools() # should be TRUE, assuming you have Rtools 3.5