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This guide covers local packages, dependency choices, permissions, source-versus-binary trade-offs, and the common curl, SSL, XML, GDAL, GEOS, and compiler errors that stop builds.
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An R package can contain pure R code, compiled C/C++ or Fortran code, or links to external libraries. devtools coordinates the R-side work, but it cannot supply a compiler or Ubuntu system headers. A failed build therefore has two possible dependency layers:
- R dependencies: packages named in
Depends,Imports,LinkingTo, orSuggests. - Operating-system dependencies: compilers, headers, and libraries installed through Ubuntu’s package manager.
The distinction matters. Installing an R package named for a library does not provide the corresponding Ubuntu header, and installing an Ubuntu library does not install its R binding.
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Check the R version before changing anything
In a terminal, run:
R --versionThis confirms which R executable your shell will start. It also gives you a precise value to record when reporting a build failure or reproducing an installation on another Ubuntu machine. Inside R, you can inspect the active version with R.version.string.
Install the baseline Ubuntu toolchain
On a machine where you have administrator access, update the package index and install R, R’s development files, and the standard compilation toolchain:
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sudo apt update
sudo apt install r-base r-base-dev build-essentialPackage names can vary between Ubuntu releases. If apt reports that a package is unavailable, use the package name provided by your release’s repositories rather than mixing packages from another Ubuntu version.
Do not install every conceivable -dev package pre-emptively. Start with this baseline, attempt the R installation, and add only the system libraries identified by the first meaningful compiler error or by the package’s own installation documentation.
Install devtools from CRAN
The documented CRAN installation is performed in an R session:
- Start R by entering
Rin a terminal, or open your normal R IDE. - Install the package with
install.packages("devtools"). - Load it with
library(devtools).
install.packages("devtools")
library(devtools)During installation, R may ask you to select a CRAN mirror. Choose a mirror that is reachable from your network. If the session cannot reach the configured mirror, fix the network, proxy, certificate, or repository setting before diagnosing compilation.
Confirm that the package loaded and note its version:
packageVersion("devtools")If this command fails immediately after installation, read the complete error, including the first warning about a dependency. A later “non-zero exit status” line is often only a summary of an earlier, more useful error.
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Install a package from its local directory
Change to the directory that contains the package source. A valid package normally has a DESCRIPTION file and an R directory; packages with compiled code may also contain src.
Install from the current directory
devtools::install()When called without a path, install() treats the current working directory as the package. In a shell, you can start R in that directory, or set the directory inside R with setwd("/path/to/package").
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devtools::install("/path/to/package")An absolute path avoids ambiguity when several copies of a project exist. On Linux, use forward slashes and verify the path with file.exists("/path/to/package/DESCRIPTION") if R says it cannot find a package.
What happens during installation
devtools::install() delegates the package build and installation to R CMD INSTALL. It also resolves package dependencies using the current devtools and pak workflow. The output normally shows the package being staged, compiled if necessary, checked, and copied into an R library.
A successful install does not prove that every optional feature works. Packages often place examples, vignettes, tests, or integrations in Suggests. Decide whether those optional components are needed before choosing the dependency scope.
Choose the dependency scope deliberately
The dependencies argument controls which entries in the package metadata are installed. These settings are materially different:
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| Setting | Installs | Use it when | Risk or trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
NA |
Hard dependencies: Depends, Imports, and LinkingTo |
You want the normal installation with required runtime and compilation dependencies. | Optional examples, tests, and vignettes in Suggests are not installed. |
TRUE |
The hard dependencies plus optional Suggests |
You need the package’s tests, vignettes, examples, or optional integrations. | More packages take longer to install and create a larger dependency surface. |
FALSE |
No dependency installation | The environment was deliberately pre-provisioned and its dependency set is controlled elsewhere. | The package can be unusable or fail during installation when required dependencies are absent. |
The default hard-dependency behavior is the safe choice for most personal installations:
devtools::install(dependencies = NA)Use TRUE when you know you need optional components:
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devtools::install(dependencies = TRUE)Reserve FALSE for an image, container, or managed workstation where another process has already installed and verified every required R package:
devtools::install(dependencies = FALSE)Handle R-library permissions
R may try to write to a system library owned by root. A warning about an unwritable library is a permissions problem, not evidence that the package source is broken.
Use an administrator-managed library
If this is a shared machine and administrators own the system R installation, ask an administrator to run the installation or to provide a writable shared library. Avoid routinely running an entire interactive R session as root; that can create root-owned files in your home directory and complicate later updates.
Use a user library
For a personal installation, create a library under your home directory and install there:
dir.create(path.expand("~/R/library"), recursive = TRUE, showWarnings = FALSE)
.libPaths(c(path.expand("~/R/library"), .libPaths()))
devtools::install("/path/to/package")The first path in .libPaths() is then your user-owned destination. If you need a one-off, non-default library without changing the session globally, use withr::with_libpaths():
withr::with_libpaths(new = path.expand("~/R/library"),
devtools::install("/path/to/package")
)Make sure the directory exists and is writable before retrying. Installing into a user library does not remove the need for Ubuntu headers when the package contains compiled code.
Decide between source and binary installation
On Ubuntu, a local package installed with devtools::install() is normally built from source. Source builds are flexible and transparent, but they require a compatible compiler and every required system header. A binary repository can avoid much of that compilation work.
| Consideration | Source installation | Linux binary repository |
|---|---|---|
| Build speed | Can be slow for packages with substantial compiled code. | Usually faster because compilation has already been performed. |
| System requirements | Requires local compilers and matching development libraries. | Portable binaries can bundle system dependencies on supported Linux environments. |
| Version flexibility | Can build a local checkout or a version not available as a binary. | Limited to versions and platforms published by the repository. |
| Reproducibility | Depends on your compiler, Ubuntu release, headers, and R toolchain. | Improves consistency when the repository supports your Ubuntu and R combination. |
| Repository control | Uses the CRAN mirror and other repositories configured in R. | Uses the binary provider’s repository URL and availability policy. |
Posit Package Manager can provide portable Linux binaries that bundle system dependencies for supported environments. Configure the repository in R using the URL supplied by your administrator or by the service documentation:
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options(repos = c(CRAN = "<repository-url>"))Replace the value with your approved repository address; do not use the literal angle-bracket text. Set this option before installing dependencies, and confirm that the repository offers binaries for your Ubuntu release and R version. A binary repository is not a universal fallback: unsupported combinations may still require source compilation.
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Read compiler output from the first missing file or library. The final line saying that installation had a non-zero exit status is usually a consequence, not the root cause. Install the matching Ubuntu development package, then rerun the same R command.
Compiler, linker, or make errors
Messages mentioning gcc, g++, gfortran, make, or a missing compiler indicate that the build toolchain is incomplete:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential r-base-devSome packages need a language-specific compiler in addition to the standard toolchain. Follow the package’s documented Ubuntu prerequisites and the exact compiler name reported by the error.
curl or SSL headers
Errors naming files such as curl/curl.h, OpenSSL headers, or SSL libraries mean the R package’s native code cannot find the relevant development files. On Ubuntu, the commonly corresponding packages are:
sudo apt install libcurl4-openssl-dev libssl-devThe correct package can differ by Ubuntu release or by the SSL implementation expected by the package. If apt cannot locate one, search the repositories for the header name and use the package available for your release.
XML headers
For errors referring to libxml or libxml2 headers, install the XML development package:
sudo apt install libxml2-devRetry only after the command completes successfully. Then rerun devtools::install(); do not delete the package source directory unless the error specifically indicates a damaged checkout.
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GDAL and GEOS libraries
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sudo apt install libgdal-dev libgeos-devSpatial software can also require additional libraries not named in the first error. Install the first missing dependency, retry, and continue through the next explicit missing item rather than guessing a large collection of packages.
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- Copy the first “fatal error” or “cannot find” line, including the header or library name.
- Determine whether it refers to a compiler, a header, or a linker library.
- Install the Ubuntu
-devpackage that provides that file for your release. - Run the same
devtools::install()command again. - If the next attempt exposes a different missing item, repeat the mapping process.
Ubuntu system dependencies are separate from R dependencies. Installing an R package with a similar name will not satisfy a missing C header.
Install development versions and remote packages carefully
The devtools project documents pak::pak("r-lib/devtools") for installing its development version:
pak::pak("r-lib/devtools")Use a development version only when you have a reason—such as testing a fix or reproducing an issue—and record the repository reference and R version used. Development code can change before a stable release.
For another GitHub-hosted package, use a repository you trust and follow that project’s installation instructions. Check its stated system requirements before starting a build; a remote source does not remove the need for Ubuntu compilers or headers.
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Make installations reproducible
Reproducibility is mainly a matter of recording choices that otherwise remain implicit:
- Record
R --versionand the Ubuntu release. - Record the CRAN mirror or binary repository configured in
options("repos"). - Record whether dependencies were installed with
NA,TRUE, orFALSE. - Keep the exact package source revision or archive used for a local or remote install.
- For compiled packages, record the Ubuntu
-devlibraries added to make the build succeed. - Use a user library or an administrator-managed library consistently rather than alternating between them.
These details explain why two machines with the same R command can produce different results: they may use different repositories, Ubuntu releases, compilers, or system headers.
End-to-end installation recipes
Standard administrator-managed source install
- In a terminal, run
sudo apt update. - Install
r-base,r-base-dev, andbuild-essential. - Start R and run
install.packages("devtools"). - Load the package with
library(devtools). - Change to the package directory or pass its absolute path.
- Run
devtools::install(dependencies = NA). - If compilation stops, install the Ubuntu package corresponding to the first missing header or library and retry.
User-owned library on a workstation
- Install the Ubuntu prerequisites with administrator assistance.
- In R, create
~/R/libraryand prepend it to.libPaths(). - Install
devtoolsand the local package into that user library. - Use
withr::with_libpaths()for one-off installs when you do not want to alter the session globally.
Binary-oriented team environment
- Obtain the approved Posit Package Manager repository address.
- Set
options(repos = c(CRAN = "<repository-url>"))with the real address. - Verify that binaries exist for the team’s Ubuntu and R versions.
- Install
devtoolsand package dependencies from that repository. - Use source installation only for packages or versions the binary repository does not provide.
Quick troubleshooting checklist
- R starts, but the package is not found: check
R --version, the working directory, and the path toDESCRIPTION. - The CRAN download fails: test network access and the configured mirror before changing compiler settings.
- A library is not writable: switch to a user library or have an administrator install into the shared library.
- A header is missing: identify the first header in the compiler output and install its Ubuntu development package.
- Builds are too slow or repeatedly fail on system libraries: use a compatible Linux binary repository when one is available.
- Dependencies are missing at runtime: reinstall with
dependencies = NAorTRUE, depending on whether optional components are required. - You used
dependencies = FALSEunintentionally: rerun the installation with the appropriate dependency scope rather than manually guessing R packages.
Final verification
After installation, start a fresh R session, load the package, and inspect the installed version:
library(yourPackageName)
packageVersion("yourPackageName")Replace yourPackageName with the package’s actual name. A clean load in a fresh session catches missing runtime dependencies and library-path mistakes that can remain hidden in the session used for installation.
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