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The reliable Ubuntu workflow is: install R and a compiler toolchain, add the operating-system development libraries your package needs, install devtools from CRAN, then run devtools::install() from the package directory. If compilation fails, the first missing header or library in the error message usually identifies the Ubuntu -dev package you must add. When compiling locally is undesirable, a compatible Posit Package Manager repository can supply Linux binaries instead.
What devtools does and what Ubuntu must provide
devtools is an R package that streamlines the package-development workflow. Its install() function ultimately delegates installation to R CMD INSTALL, while resolving package dependencies through the current devtools/pak workflow. It can install a package from a local source tree and is also used with development repositories.
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There are two separate dependency layers:
- R dependencies: packages named in
Depends,Imports,LinkingTo, and, optionally,Suggests. - Ubuntu dependencies: compilers, headers, and system libraries needed when an R package contains compiled C, C++, or Fortran code, or links to external projects.
Installing an R dependency does not install its Ubuntu headers automatically. A package can therefore be available on CRAN and still fail during compilation because Ubuntu lacks a curl, SSL, XML, GDAL, GEOS, or compiler development file.
Prepare Ubuntu before opening R
Check the R version and architecture
In a terminal, confirm which R executable you will use:
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Install R and the general build toolchain
On a standard Debian-based Ubuntu installation, the basic setup is:
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sudo apt update
sudo apt install r-base r-base-dev build-essentialr-base supplies R, r-base-dev supplies files commonly needed to build R packages, and build-essential supplies the standard compiler and build utilities. Exact package availability can differ between Ubuntu releases; if APT reports a package-name change, use the release-specific equivalent.
Add system libraries only when a package needs them
Do not assume every R package needs every library. Install the development package corresponding to the first missing header or linker library reported by the compiler. Common mappings include:
| Error mentions | Typical Ubuntu development package | Why it is needed |
|---|---|---|
curl or curl.h |
libcurl4-openssl-dev |
Headers and libraries for HTTP requests through libcurl |
OpenSSL or openssl/ssl.h |
libssl-dev |
TLS and cryptographic headers |
libxml2 or libxml/parser.h |
libxml2-dev |
XML parsing support |
| GDAL | libgdal-dev |
Geospatial raster and vector access |
| GEOS | libgeos-dev |
Computational geometry operations |
These names are common on current Ubuntu releases, but distribution packages can change. Read the complete compiler output, identify the first missing file, and verify the package name with apt search for your release before installing it. Installing a random collection of libraries can mask the actual cause and make future maintenance harder.
Install devtools from CRAN
Start an R session after the operating-system preparation and run the documented CRAN installation command:
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install.packages('devtools')
library(devtools)R may ask you to choose a CRAN mirror. Select a mirror reachable from the Ubuntu host. The installation downloads devtools and its R dependencies; some of those dependencies may compile native code and therefore use the Ubuntu toolchain and headers installed in the previous step.
Verify that the package loaded
Check that R can find the installed package and report its version:
packageVersion('devtools')
find.package('devtools')If library(devtools) fails immediately, the message normally identifies either a missing R dependency, a library-path problem, or an operating-system library that was unavailable while a dependency was built. Fix that first instead of retrying the same installation command.
Install a local package with devtools
From the package directory
A valid package source tree contains a DESCRIPTION file at its top level. Change into that directory in a terminal, start R there, and run:
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From any working directory
Pass an absolute or relative path when you do not want to change the process working directory:
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devtools::install('/path/to/package')Replace the path with the directory that contains DESCRIPTION, not with a parent folder or an individual R source file. A path to the wrong level commonly produces a message that no package metadata was found.
Confirm the result
After installation, load the package by its package name, which is the Package: field in DESCRIPTION:
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packageVersion('yourpackagename')If you edited the source and reinstall it, restart a long-running R session when necessary. Already-loaded namespaces can continue using the previous copy until they are unloaded or the session is restarted.
Choose the dependency scope deliberately
The dependencies argument controls what devtools installs in addition to the package itself. The three useful settings have materially different effects:
| Setting | Installs | Use it when | Risk or trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
NA |
Hard dependencies: Depends, Imports, and LinkingTo |
You want the normal installation behavior for a usable package | Optional examples and tests in Suggests are not installed |
TRUE |
Hard dependencies plus optional Suggests |
You need package tests, vignettes, examples, or development tooling that relies on suggested packages | More downloads, more compilation, and more opportunities for version or system-library conflicts |
FALSE |
No dependency installation | The machine is deliberately pre-provisioned and dependency versions are controlled elsewhere | The package may fail to load or run if even one required dependency is absent |
Examples:
devtools::install(dependencies = NA)
devtools::install(dependencies = TRUE)
devtools::install(dependencies = FALSE)Keep the hard-dependency behavior unless you have a specific reason to change it. dependencies = FALSE is not a general speed switch; it transfers responsibility for every dependency to you.
Understand where packages are installed
R can use several libraries, including a system library that requires administrator access and a user library under your home directory. Inspect the active search path with:
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.libPaths()If you cannot write to the first library, do not repeatedly run R as root. Use a user-owned library for the session:
dir.create('~/R/library', recursive = TRUE, showWarnings = FALSE)
.libPaths(c('~/R/library', .libPaths()))
devtools::install('/path/to/package')For a controlled script, withr::with_libpaths() can temporarily place installation and loading inside a selected library path. This is useful on shared servers where the administrator-owned library must remain unchanged. Ensure that the user library exists and is included in .libPaths() before testing the package.
Source installation versus Linux binaries
Local devtools installation normally builds from source. That gives you the package source and lets the compiler target the host, but it requires a working toolchain and compatible system libraries. A binary repository can avoid much of that work when your Linux distribution and R version are supported.
| Approach | Build work on Ubuntu | Control and reproducibility | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRAN source through devtools | Compiles packages with native code on the machine | Uses the configured CRAN mirror and local system libraries | Development, custom source trees, and environments where compilers are available |
| Posit Package Manager Linux binaries | Often reduced; supported binaries can bundle system dependencies | Repository URL, supported R version, and platform determine what is available | Teams that repeatedly encounter system-library builds or need faster, more uniform installs |
Configure a compatible binary repository
Obtain the repository endpoint from your organization or Posit Package Manager administrator, then set it before installing packages. Using an environment variable avoids hard-coding an endpoint in a shared script:
repo <- Sys.getenv('R_REPOSITORY_URL')
if (!nzchar(repo)) stop('Set R_REPOSITORY_URL to a compatible package repository')
options(repos = c(CRAN = repo))
install.packages('devtools')The repository must support your Ubuntu platform and R version. A binary is not guaranteed for every package or every combination of release and architecture; when no compatible binary exists, R may fall back to a source build and the same Ubuntu prerequisites are still required.
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The devtools project documents pak::pak('r-lib/devtools') for installing the development version from its source repository:
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install.packages('pak')
pak::pak('r-lib/devtools')Use this only when you need changes that are not in the CRAN release and when you trust the repository and its revision policy. Development versions can change behavior, require newer dependencies, or expose build failures that the stable CRAN release does not. For another GitHub-hosted package, follow that project’s own installation instructions and verify the repository identity before executing code locally.
Troubleshoot the common failures
“fatal error: curl/…h: No such file or directory”
This is an Ubuntu header failure, not evidence that the R package name is wrong. Install the curl development package appropriate for your Ubuntu release, start a fresh R session, and retry. If the error changes to a different missing header, address the new first missing item rather than continuing to reinstall curl.
SSL, XML, GDAL, or GEOS linker errors
Messages naming ssl.h, libxml2 headers, GDAL, or GEOS indicate that the corresponding external library or its development headers are unavailable. Install the matching -dev package, then rerun devtools::install(). Runtime libraries alone are insufficient for compilation; the development package normally supplies headers and linker metadata.
“There is no package called …”
Read the package name in the message and install it in the same R library used by the current session. Check .libPaths() and avoid installing into one R version’s library while running another R version. If the missing item is listed under Suggests, decide whether you actually need dependencies = TRUE for tests or vignettes.
Permission denied while writing the library
The target library is administrator-owned. Select a user library as shown earlier, or ask the system administrator to provision the package centrally. Running an entire R session with elevated privileges can create root-owned files that later block ordinary updates and should not be the default fix.
Download, mirror, or certificate failures
Confirm that the host can reach the configured CRAN mirror or package repository and that the repository URL is valid for the environment. Corporate proxies, TLS interception, and restricted outbound traffic can prevent downloads even when compilation is configured correctly. Fix network access or choose an approved reachable repository before retrying.
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The installation succeeds but the package will not load
Check the package’s hard dependencies, the active library path, and the R version reported by R --version. If a shared library is found at build time but not at runtime, the Ubuntu runtime library may be missing or outside the dynamic linker’s search path. Reinstalling the R package alone will not correct a missing operating-system runtime component.
A repeatable installation checklist
- Run
R --versionand confirm that it is the intended R installation. - Install
r-base,r-base-dev, andbuild-essentialwith APT. - Read the package documentation for required external libraries.
- Install only the Ubuntu
-devpackages indicated by those requirements or by the first missing compiler header. - In R, run
install.packages('devtools')andlibrary(devtools). - From the source tree, run
devtools::install(), or pass its directory todevtools::install('/path/to/package'). - Leave
dependencies = NAfor normal hard-dependency installation; chooseTRUEfor optional tests and vignettes, orFALSEonly in a pre-provisioned environment. - Verify with
library(yourpackagename)andpackageVersion('yourpackagename'). - If source builds are too slow or fragile, configure a compatible binary repository and repeat the installation.
This separation of concerns makes failures easier to diagnose: R dependency messages are handled inside R, while missing compilers, headers, and external libraries are fixed through Ubuntu’s package manager.
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