getOpenMx.R with R 4.0.0

Posted on
No user picture. Benny Joined: 05/15/2020
Hello,
I am trying to install OpenMx with the NPSOL-optimizer with R 4.0.0 using the <% source('https://openmx.ssri.psu.edu/software/getOpenMx.R')%>-command (See [here](https://openmx.ssri.psu.edu/installing-openmx)). While the CRAN-version works fine, trying to install the NPSOL-version gives me the following error:

<%
Warning in install.packages :
unable to access index for repository https://openmx.ssri.psu.edu/software/bin/windows/contrib/4.0:
kann URL 'https://openmx.ssri.psu.edu/software/bin/windows/contrib/4.0/PACKAGES' nicht öffnen
Warning in install.packages :
package ‘OpenMx’ is not available (as a binary package for R version 4.0.0)
%>
The german code basically says that it cannot access the cited URL.
I am using R 4.0.0 with RStudio 1.3.959 under Windows 10 (64 bit). The command worked with an older version of R. But now I updated R and it does not work anymore.

Thank you!

Replied on Wed, 06/03/2020 - 11:04
Picture of user. AdminRobK Joined: 01/24/2014

I was wondering how long it would take before someone posted this thread.

The getOpenMx.R command is indeed not yielding the desired result, which is to be expected, as there are no OpenMx binaries yet built for R 4 for Windows. R 4.0.0 represents a new major-version release, including a new ABI, and more importantly, a new official Windows toolchain for building R and its packages. Although they have not yet contacted us about it, CRAN is unable to build functioning binaries of OpenMx 2.17 under Windows for R 4.0. As a result, they are currently blocking new versions of packages that depend upon OpenMx. Additionally, of the two OpenMx developers who use Windows, only one (myself) has updated to R 4 and the new toolchain, which I did just yesterday; I have not yet gotten an NPSOL-enabled OpenMx build to even start compiling.

Unfortunately, OpenMx for R 4 for Windows won't be available right away. I wish I could give an ETA for it, but I still don't have a good sense of the scope of the work required to get there. Sorry to be a bearer of bad news!

Interestingly, there is historical precedent for this: we had a heck of a time getting Windows binaries of OpenMx working for R 3 when it first came out.

Replied on Wed, 06/03/2020 - 11:08
Picture of user. AdminRobK Joined: 01/24/2014

BTW, you say that "the CRAN-version works fine". Can you confirm that? It may appear to install fine with R 4.0, but it seems to be crashing when CRAN tests it.

Edit: It looks like it only crashes when run with 32-bit R.

Replied on Thu, 06/04/2020 - 03:09
No user picture. Benny Joined: 05/15/2020

Hi, thanks for sharing the information! If it still matters: Yes with 64 bit the CRAN-version (or the functions I used so far) seems to work normally.