RStudio crashing when installing package with install.packages

Question

I am trying to install packages in RStudio but just cannot do it. It has been failing to install packages withour errors or warnings.

I had a problem earlier on to install texlive-full earlier on, and might have done something awkward to my /etc/apt/sources.list.d files. I had the following problem:

install.packages('rstanarm')
Warning in install.packages :
  unable to access index for repository https://cloud.r- 
project.org/src/contrib:
  cannot open URL 'https://cloud.r-project.org/src/contrib/PACKAGES

Which was solved in another stackoverflow thread: Unable to install packages in latest version of RStudio and R Version.3.1.1

Upon running: install.packages('rstanarm', dependencies = T, , repos=' http://cran.rstudio.com/ ')

R fails with error:

ERROR: failed to lock directory ‘[...]/R/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu- 
library/3.6’ for modifying
Try removing ‘[...]/R/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu-library/3.6/00LOCK- 
rstanarm’

Once again, in stackoverflow I tried R install.packages returns "failed to create lock directory"

And running

install.packages('rstanarm', dependencies = T, , 
repos='http://cran.rstudio.com/', INSTALL_opts = c('--no-lock'))

Leads to RStudio crashing and closing in the middle of the installation.

This also happens for other packages. I have spent a few hours on this and on the brink of giving up. Anyone has an idea of what might be going on?

Thank you very much!

Answer 1

Make sure that you can reach the Cran org site. It appears to have been down a lot of the day. I just got: "cran.r-project.org's server IP address could not be found."

Answer 2

The name servers for r-project.org are either down or have no records for the domain name for the moment (at 0426UTC, 27JUN2019):

 <pre> $ dig @ns2.wu-wien.ac.at r-project.org ; <<>> DiG 9.11.3-1ubuntu1.8-Ubuntu <<>> @ns2.wu-wien.ac.at r-project.org ; (1 server found) ;; global options: +cmd ;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached $ dig @ns6.gandi.net r-project.org ; <<>> DiG 9.11.3-1ubuntu1.8-Ubuntu <<>> @ns6.gandi.net r-project.org ; (1 server found) ;; global options: +cmd ;; Got answer: ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: SERVFAIL, id: 52927 ;; flags: qr rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1 ;; WARNING: recursion requested but not available ;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION: ; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 4096 ;; QUESTION SECTION: ;r-project.org. IN A ;; Query time: 347 msec ;; SERVER: 217.70.177.40#53(217.70.177.40) ;; WHEN: Thu Jun 27 14:24:08 AEST 2019 ;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 42 $ dig @ns1.wu-wien.ac.at r-project.org ; <<>> DiG 9.11.3-1ubuntu1.8-Ubuntu <<>> @ns1.wu-wien.ac.at r-project.org ; (1 server found) ;; global options: +cmd ;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached </pre>

Answer 3

I can see that you're using R version 3.6 I would recommend downgrading to version 3.5.3 from https://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/base/old/

I've also had some issues with other functions when using v3.6. Let me know if this helps.

Best, Mostafa Lotfi

Answer 4

If this is a work-related computer, I would check with your systems types. There may be something in your setup that prevents you from installing R on your own without their blessings.