Uwe: Oh, right, I wasn't thinking about binary packages. Thanks! -- David On Tue, Sep 4, 2018 at 9:02 AM Uwe Ligges <lig...@statistik.tu-dortmund.de> wrote: > > > > On 04.09.2018 04:18, David B. Dahl wrote: > > I would like advise and help in interpreting a part of the CRAN > > Repository Policy. It states, "Downloads of additional software or > > data as part of package installation or startup should only use secure > > download mechanisms (e.g., ‘https’ or ‘ftps’)." > > > > From this, I take that it is permissible for a package to use its > > .onLoad function to download and install files in the package's > > subdirectory. E.g., for the package 'foo', the .onLoad function could > > place items in a subdirectory of 'system.file(package="foo")'. Since > > package installation called the .onLoad function when "testing if > > installed package can be loaded," this would work (assuming the > > computer has internet access at the time, otherwise the download could > > be skipped). Once downloaded, the package wouldn't need to download > > it ever again. > > > > The benefit of this approach is that the additional software is > > automatically downloaded when the package is installed, rather than > > the user knowing they having to manually call a special function to > > download the software (to another location) after package > > installation. > > > > Does this seem like a valid approach for CRAN? > > > > And, does the answer change when I get R CMD check says: > > > > checking installed package size ... NOTE > > installed size is 182.1Mb > > Think about license issues: > A binary CRAN package (e.g. for Mac or Windows) will contain that other > software while the source package does not. Hence it may be a license > violation depoending on the license of the software you download. > > Best, > Uwe Ligges > > > > This is just a NOTE, so my understanding is that is permissible. > > > > Any thoughts? Thanks!! > > > > -- David > > > > ______________________________________________ > > R-package-devel@r-project.org mailing list > > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-package-devel > >
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