Building _r-mutex in conda-forge

[xhochy]

Currently, one needs the r channel in its channel list to able to install r-base from conda-forge. The backgound of why we have that is discussed in #34

To make conda-forge a bit more self-contained, we could simply mirror https://github.com/AnacondaRecipes/aggregateR/blob/master/_r-mutex-feedstock/recipe/meta.yaml here.

Any opinions / objections?

[jakirkham]

cc @mingwandroid

[mingwandroid]

No objections from me. Kicking it up the ladder, @msarahan, have I overlooked anything?

[jdblischak]

I'm open to this, but a few notes:

1. Installing r-base from conda-forge does not require the r channel. The defaults channel is sufficient. I realize there is some overlap in these channels, but it's been noted that including the r channel greatly slows down the conda solver (and I can confirm this from personal experience). From testing older versions of conda, I can drop the r channel when installing r-base with conda version 4.3 and later.

2. Even if _r-mutex is available from conda-forge, it still won't be possible to install r-base without installing some packages from the defaults channel, e.g. bwidget and tktable

docker run --rm -it continuumio/miniconda3 bash
conda config --add channels defaults
conda config --add channels conda-forge
conda config --get channels
## --add channels 'defaults'   # lowest priority
## --add channels 'conda-forge'   # highest priority
conda config --set always_yes yes
conda update conda
conda --version
## conda 4.6.14
conda config --set channel_priority strict
conda update --all
conda install r-base
conda list | grep -v conda-forge
## # packages in environment at /opt/conda:
## #
## # Name                    Version                   Build  Channel
## _r-mutex                  1.0.0               anacondar_1  
## binutils_impl_linux-64    2.31.1               h6176602_1  
## binutils_linux-64         2.31.1               h6176602_7  
## bwidget                   1.9.11                        1  
## gfortran_impl_linux-64    7.3.0                hdf63c60_1  
## gfortran_linux-64         7.3.0                h553295d_7  
## libgcc-ng                 9.1.0                hdf63c60_0  
## libgfortran-ng            7.3.0                hdf63c60_0  
## libstdcxx-ng              9.1.0                hdf63c60_0  
## tktable                   2.10                 h14c3975_0 

[isuruf]

We should use only compiler related packages from defaults. Remaining packages are _r-mutex, tktable and bwidget. See also #64

[xhochy]

@jdblischak For me it is looking like _r-mutex is in the R channel:

% conda search _r-mutex
Loading channels: done
# Name                       Version           Build  Channel
_r-mutex                       1.0.0     anacondar_1  pkgs/r
_r-mutex                       1.0.0           mro_2  pkgs/r

I only came across this as I'm working sometimes with a conda-mirror that only has defaults and conda-forge mirrored, not the R channel. If I misunderstood the notation in conda search here, feel free to correct me ;)

[isuruf]

@xhochy, defaults channel is an aggregation of pkgs/main, pkgs/r, pkgs/msys and others

[jdblischak]

defaults channel is an aggregation of pkgs/main, pkgs/r, pkgs/msys and others

@isuruf Thanks for clarifying.

I only came across this as I'm working sometimes with a conda-mirror that only has defaults and conda-forge mirrored, not the R channel.

@xhochy I see the confusion. My main point was to prevent you or any other user from explicitly listing the r channel. Since you are already doing that, there's nothing to worry about!

[fhoehle]

Hi @xhochy, @mingwandroid, @jdblischak and @isuruf,

I'm having similar issues with institutions mirroring only anaconda and conda-forge. Favouring a more self-contained conda-forge channel I created PR: conda-forge/staged-recipes#8646
Could you review/assist with that PR?

[isuruf]

_r-mutex is available now. Can somebody send a PR for bwidget and tktable?