Unable to install R package in Ubuntu 11.04

🐧📦 Unable to Install R Package in Ubuntu 11.04? Here's How to Fix It!

If you're new to Linux and R, installing packages can sometimes be a bit tricky. But fear not! We've got your back. In this guide, we'll address the common issue of being unable to install an R package in Ubuntu 11.04. So let's dive in and get you up and running with that new package you've been eyeing.

Common Issue:

When trying to install an R package on Ubuntu 11.04, you might encounter an error message similar to the one below:

* installing *source* package ‘XML’ ...
checking for gcc... gcc
checking for C compiler default output file name... a.out
checking whether the C compiler works... yes
checking whether we are cross-compiling... no
checking for suffix of executables...
checking for suffix of object files... o
checking whether we are using the GNU C compiler... yes
checking whether gcc accepts -g... yes
checking for gcc option to accept ISO C89... none needed
checking how to run the C preprocessor... gcc -E
No ability to remove finalizers on externalptr objects in this version of R
checking for sed... /bin/sed
checking for pkg-config... /usr/bin/pkg-config
checking for xml2-config... no
Cannot find xml2-config
ERROR: configuration failed for package ‘XML’
* removing ‘/home/spirit/R/i686-pc-linux-gnu-library/2.12/XML’

The downloaded packages are in
    ‘/tmp/RtmpoZYxnv/downloaded_packages’
Warning message:
In install.packages("XML") :
  installation of package 'XML' had non-zero exit status

The Solution:

This error occurs when the required dependencies for the package are not available. In this case, the XML package needs the xml2-config file, which is missing. Don't worry, though! We'll get you fixed up in no time.

To resolve this issue, you'll need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Install Required Dependencies:

Open your terminal and enter the following command to install the necessary dependencies:

sudo apt-get install libxml2-dev

This command will install the libxml2-dev package, which includes the missing xml2-config file.

Step 2: Re-attempt Package Installation:

Now that the required dependencies are in place, you can try installing the package again. Open R in your terminal by typing R.

Within the R terminal, enter the following command to install the XML package:

install.packages('XML')

Step 3: Celebrate Your Success! 🎉

If everything went smoothly, the package installation should now proceed without any hiccups. You're now ready to utilize the power of the XML package for your R projects.

Call-to-Action:

We hope this guide helped you resolve the issue of being unable to install an R package in Ubuntu 11.04. If you found this article useful, be sure to share it with your fellow Linux and R enthusiasts.

Have you encountered any other challenges in your R or Linux journey? Let us know in the comments below! We're always here to help you overcome obstacles and enhance your coding experience. Happy coding! 😄👩‍💻👨‍💻