Running R from Mac OSX terminal

user_7587431 0
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I've searched the web, and I'm still unclear on how to run R from the Mac terminal. I have Rstudio and the standalone R app installed. I thought I could just type "R" from the command line as I do with "python", but that doesn't work. Is it necessary to edit the PATH in my bash profile? If so, how do I give the correct location of R?

Thanks for any help

Edits after receiving comments

So, I'm running Sierra, and when I type "r" or "R" at the terminal, I get "-bash: R: command not found." If I type, "which R" in the terminal I do not get any output.

Here is the output from "echo $PATH": /usr/local/heroku/bin:/opt/local/bin:/opt/local/sbin:/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin:/Users/samuelcolon/anaconda/bin:/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.5/bin:/Users/samuelcolon/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.0/bin:/Users/samuelcolon/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.1.0@global/bin:/Users/samuelcolon/.rvm/rubies/ruby-2.1.0/bin:/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/Users/samuelcolon/.rvm/bin:/Users/samuelcolon/.rvm/bin

As for the installation, I believe I downloaded it directly from cran.r-project.org a while ago. I can locate the GUI in my applications and open it-- I have version 3.13. Is it possible, I only have R.app installed but not R? Perhaps that's the reason I'm getting the 'command not found' when typing "R" into the terminal?

Generally, I've been working in RStudio, but I'd still like to access R from the terminal and also to find where things are located. I'm fine with removing and re-installing R if it's easiest to start from square one. I hope the extra detail helps, and I appreciate the responses.

r macos bash
6 Answers

Just ran into the same issue when installing R-4.0.3.pkg on my MacBook (MacOS BigSur). Can open R.app to the clunky R GUI, but typing in 'R' in terminal doesn't work.

Turns out, an R executable lives here: /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.0/Resources/bin/R

So I added this alias to my newly created .zshrc script:

alias R '/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/4.0/Resources/bin/R'

Now when I type in R, it opens... I swear this all happened seamlessly in earlier versions.

user_57540440

There is currently a bug in CRAN's R installation package that results in it not correctly installing symbolic links to R and Rscript for commandline use. I've just verified this by inspecting the postflight script in their 4.0.5 installation package. This only impacts MacOS system releases of 20 and above (you can check with uname -r).

I've included more info here, along with what the "correct" fix should be: manually creating symbolic links to /usr/local/bin that point to the R and Rscript binaries themselves. If this is the current challenge, then this would be a far better solution to creating aliases or manipulating PATH in various ways, since it's what the installation package intended to do (and presumably will again soon).

R: command not found

In short, if this is the problem, then Ashkan Mirzaee's answer (https://stackoverflow.com/a/67202173/2093929) to create the symbolic links directly is correct in form, but might not have the right link command. The 4.0.5 package intends instead to use:

    mkdir -p /usr/local/bin
    cd /usr/local/bin
    rm -f R Rscript
    ln -s /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Resources/bin/R .
    ln -s /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Resources/bin/Rscript .
user_20939290

You can create a symbolic link from R and Rscript binaries to /usr/local/bin to add them to the PATH:

sudo ln -s /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/bin/R /usr/local/bin
sudo ln -s /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/bin/Rscript /usr/local/bin

Now which R should return /usr/local/bin/R and you can use R.

user_62739180

An easy way to open RStudio with admin privilege on macOS:

  1. Go to Applications, then right click on RStudio
  2. Select "Show Package Contents"
  3. Go to Contents/MacOS
  4. Now open terminal(in bash mode). Type sudo and drag the RStudio.exec into terminal and press on ENTER

Now RStudio will have admin access!

user_46336270
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