Issue with rmarkdown package and RStudio with MRO 3.2.3

[Josée Martens]

Some RStudio users who have recently downloaded MRO 3.2.3 may encounter an error when they try to create a new R Markdown file from the RStudio IDE. The error informs the user that the available rmarkdown package is not the version required by RStudio. It appears that the rmarkdown package was updated on 1/1/2016 just after the CRAN snapshot was taken that day. Since MRO 3.2.3 uses the 1/1/2016 static CRAN snapshot by default, the fix is as easy as pointing to a more recent version of the package or a more recent repository.

Here’s how. Use ONE of the following solutions:

• Get the latest version of the `rmarkdown` package using
  install.packages("rmarkdown", repos = "https://cran.revolutionanalytics.com") 

• Get the 0.9.2 version of the `rmarkdown` package using:
  install.packages("rmarkdown", repos = "https://mran.revolutionanalytics.com/snapshot/2016-01-02")

• Use the R `options()` function:
  options(repos = "https://mran.revolutionanalytics.com/snapshot/2016-01-02")

By default, Microsoft R Open offers its users predictability using a static CRAN snapshot date. For example, the CRAN repository for MRO 3.2.3 is configured to point to a snapshot date of Jan 1, 2016. Consequently, with MRO 3.2.3 you'll always get packages as they were at midnight UTC on Jan 1, 2016 by default whenever you use  install.packages. However, as demonstrated above, it is still possible to get packages, such as rmarkdown from another date.

[John Carson]

Jossee, I tried your first option and had several related packages update. This worked and I could knit my Rmd files again! That was a huge relief. 

Since in the past I have usually kept my R distribution very up to date, out of curiosity, I tried updating all packages. First I get a warning that the library directory is not writeable. Then R is busy and never comes back.

> update.packages(ask=F)
Warning in install.packages(update[instlib == l, "Package"], l, repos = repos,  :
  'lib = "C:/Program Files/Microsoft/MRO/library"' is not writable

This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way.
Please contact the application's support team for more information.

[Josée Martens @ Microsoft]

Hi John,

This issue may be due to the fact that for most R users the default library path points to your user library folder instead of the global library. 

Thanks,

Josee