How to make RStudio remember R installations it used in the past?

RStudio IDE
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#1

Cross-post: I've already asked this question on StackOverflow here but was referred to RStudio GitHub which referred me here.

I use a separate installation of R for each project. To make RStudio use the right one I click and hold down the Control key when I start RStudio. This opens a "Choosing R Installation" pop-up where I can select the R binary I need.

The problem is that - unlike in this RStudio support article - the pop-up shows only the very last version of R that I used. So whenever I switch projects I have to browse to the R binary that I need.

Is there a way to make RStudio remember the other R versions I've used?

If there isn't, where does RStudio look for the last used one? If I knew that, I could probably use a script to overwrite it before launching RStudio.

Some details:

  • I am on Windows 7/10.

  • RStudio version is 1.3.1093

  • None of the registry keys described in "R fow Windows FAQ" are set.

1 Like
#2

Unfortunately, there isn't a way to configure this currently. Would you mind filing this as a feature request at https://github.com/rstudio/rstudio/issues?

#4

I think it would be appropriate to ask a general feature request covering all of these requests -- each of these (I think) would be relatively inexpensive to implement, so all are worth considering as part as a single issue.

#5

Thank you, @kevinushey! I made a feature request here .

#6

Thanks @kalenkovich for filing this issue over in the RStudio repository! This makes twice I've thanked you for this, then. :smiley:

1 Like
#7

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#3

Thank you for the suggestion, @kevinushey!

I can't easily translate my question into a single feature request though. Would you mind giving me some advice on that?

Here is a list of features that - if implemented - would answer my question:

  • Respect RSTUDIO_WHICH_R environment variable on Windows.
  • Remember which versions of R have been used in the past and show those in the "Choose R Version" -> "Choose a specific version of R" list.
  • Use all R versions on path (smth like which/where r ) and show those in the "Choose R Version" -> "Choose a specific version of R" list.
  • Expose the way RStudio determines the last used R version so that it can be overwritten by a script.

Should this be one feature request for "a more convenient R version selection"? Or is this rather a list of four different semi-compatible features? Or should I just stick to one with the highest probability of implementation? (I guess that the two ways to change "Choose a specific version of R" list are the least intrusive)