Hi everyone,

I was looking for a software that will allow me to manipulate some data and put it on a graph, for scientific-like purposes (a bit like Matlab, but free). I found the R project, which looks interesting. I looked for it in Mandriva's repositories (via the MCC), but didn't find anything.

In their download page, I found packages for debian, redhat, suse, ubuntu and vinelinux. Besides, they say one can get the source code and compile it on one's machine.

So I have some questions:

1. Is there any way to convince whomever that needs to be convinced (I don't even know who it is) to support this program and upload it to the repos of Mandriva? I know it's not just an issue of uploading the files, but also of creating a package an support it, but still.
2. I guess it wouldn't help downloading RPM's for redhat and try to install it. It would never work. Bad idea. Right?
3. Sorry for the clueless question, it's only because everything I ever needed up till this day I found in the repos (including a wife and a kid): how do I install something from source code? Is it recommended for dummies like me (dummies in the good sense. I know there is no good sense, you didn't have to mention that)?
4. Does anybody work with this program? Is it any good?
5. Does anyone work with a similar program? Does anyone create graphs (for publications, for instance) in C or C++? and if so, with what library?

So many questions, so little time.

So many thanks!

You can try to request a package on the forum or in the Bugzilla but since it's a package for a very specific user base I don't know if you'll be successful.
I don't think RedHat rpms will work.
Compiling from source is not always difficult. The steps are usually covered in the README or INSTALL file in the source archive. See 2.5.1 How can R be installed (Unix)
If you still want to install it from source then search for a Fortran compiler in the package manager and install it. There is a Fortran compiler in GCC for example. Download and unpack the archive and read the INSTALL file.

It's R-base in the Mandriva repos.

Greg, tell me, are you a genius, or are you a genius? Thanks, man. You helped me a lot. I'm going to install it tonight when I come back from work. Do you have any experience with it?

And Dexter - thank you also. I'll remember your advice next time I come across a software absent from the package (although I'm getting suspicious about the possibility such an animal exists).

Thanks, but I'm hardly a genius.

I'm afraid my only experience is with cross compiling the R- binaries for ARM4 and ARM5 Linux embedded systems, for other people that knew how to use it.

You can find help and some examples that you can run here: r-project.org

Also the mailing list.

You may also want to install Octave, it's in the repos.

Thanks, I looked at this Octave program, and it looks to me even better than the R language. They claim (and I looked at some of their functions) that they are almost Matlab-compatible, in the sense that you can write a script in Octave and then run it in Matlab (almost. I'm sure there are some misalignments). If it is true, it is going to be very powerful for me.

Greg - any other suggestions? Share with me your insights on he world, no matter how general or irrelevant you think it is. Any career advice, a stock you think is going up, iPhone - pros and cons, everything, basically. Up till now you are two out of two.