Can't install R

I can’t seem to start an environment for R as that checkbox won’t click. Is it greyed out? I can’t tell. I only know that it won’t click. Also doesn’t work from the command line:

[email protected]> conda install -c r r
Channels:

  • r
  • defaults
    Platform: osx-arm64
    Collecting package metadata (repodata.json): done
    Solving environment: failed

PackagesNotFoundError: The following packages are not available from current channels:

  • r

Current channels:

  • xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • defaults
  • xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To search for alternate channels that may provide the conda package you’re
looking for, navigate to

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

and use the search bar at the top of the page.

Nor does this work from the online doc. Looks like the same problem, maybe?

[email protected]> conda create -n newer r-essentials r-base
Channels:

  • defaults
    Platform: osx-arm64
    Collecting package metadata (repodata.json): done
    Solving environment: failed

PackagesNotFoundError: The following packages are not available from current channels:

  • r-essentials
  • r-base

Current channels:

  • defaults
  • xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To search for alternate channels that may provide the conda package you’re
looking for, navigate to

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

and use the search bar at the top of the page.

I don’t believe r-essentials is available for osx-arm64 - only osx-64 on defaults. If you installed the osx-64 version of Miniconda onto your system, I expect you’d be able to create it with that - it won’t be able to run natively, but should still work afaik.
Alternatively, there is a noarch version of r-essentials and osx-arm64 for r-base available on conda-forge - are you able to install that into a new environment?

So far I’m just using the defaults. Should there be different defaults?

I don’t know how to change the arch yet. I haven’t dug that far into anaconda. Usually, if something like this that is intended to make installation easier doesn’t work out of the box it’s not worth exploring, IME. There needs to at least be a reference install that works. I’ve now tried four things and four out of four don’t work. That’s not very encouraging.

Yes, unfortunately, there is not currently great support for R for the platform osx-arm64 in defaults. The focus has been more around Python than R for that platform. The easiest solution for creating an R environment that works for you is probably adding -c conda-forge to your commands.

I’ve just spent several hours trying to understand what conda-forge is, the various installers, etc. I have a little bit of a clue now but I no longer have any conda installation. :(. None of them work. Anaconda, miniconda, miniforge, mambaforge, micromamba, all fail or install, but fail to behave as documented.

I give up. This stuff should be dead simple.

Thank you for the pointers, though.

it still is an issue for Mac silicon anaconda navigator, were you able to find a workaround for it?

Only to skip anaconda. I’ve had far too many problems with anaconda even for python stuff. It’s not worth the effort. The learning curve is too high. It doesn’t provide enough value to climb it.

The paid experience might be better. But the academic one is woeful. Instructions are sorely lacking. It’s not clear what should or should not be expected. It’s easier to install things directly, piece at a time. They work then. Or there are people to talk to about any problems. And the code is simpler if it comes to that.