How to install a specific version of R

R is installed by default, on the submit hosts and on the nodes, so usually it is unnecessary (and even slightly undesirable) to install your own version. However, to illustrate the procedure of installing your own software, here goes:

Get the source

First, download the software source. On your favorite CRAN mirror, download the file that says "latest release" under the heading "Source Code for all Platforms". Copy the downloaded .tar.gz file to somewhere on one of the HPC submit hosts (hpcs01 or hpcs02). In your homedirectory is usually fine, but /tmp might be a good place as well. I'll assume /tmp:

scp R-3.0.1.tar.gz hpcs03.op.umcutrecht.nl:/tmp

Unpack

Login to the submit host and unpack the file:

ssh hpcs03.op.umcutrecht.nl

cd /tmp

tar -zxvf R-3.0.1.tar.gz

Configure

Next,

Make

Make install

-- MartinMarinus - 31 May 2013