Installing old package version on old R version

Question

I have R v3.2.5 (the newest is 3.6.3) on purpose . I need to install certain packages (also old versions, taken from R archive ). For instance VIM package, currently at v5.1.0, I need v4.8.0.

After running:

install.packages("https://cran.r-project.org/src/contrib/Archive/VIM/VIM_4.8.0.tar.gz",repos="http://cran.us.r-project.org" , type="source")

I keep getting the error: ...is not available (for R version 3.2.5)

One of the computers already has this R version with these allegedly unfitted R packages. Usually I would use Bioconductor, but I get a similar error trying to install bioconductor v3.2 (that supposed to fit R v3.2.x).

I scouted the internet and couldn't find anything helpful, I hope you guys could.

Answer 1

You can also use remotes::install_version(package = "VIM", version = "4.8.0") (from the package remotes ) that should fetch the right snapshot of cran in the repos mran (from microsoft).

Or if you want the source once and for all you could browse the mran time machine to check and get the specific R version package you need at : mran.microsoft.com/timemachine . Then use :

# assuming VIM_4.4.1.tar.gz is in your working directory
remotes::install_local(path = "VIM_4.4.1.tar.gz")

# or alternatively
# install.packages("VIM_4.4.1.tar.gz", repos = NULL, type="source")