Installation fails with error 'Failed to install 'unknown package' from URL`

[jdpye]

In GitLab by @chrisholbrook on Jun 3, 2021, 09:17

Installation of glatos using remotes per instructions at https://gitlab.oceantrack.org/GreatLakes/glatos/-/wikis/installation-instructions fails with error "Failed to install 'unknown package' from URL". The url https://gitlab.oceantrack.org/GreatLakes/glatos/repository/master/archive.zip appears to be dead (error 404).

This workaround seems to work (new url) but needs to be vetted and install wiki updated:

install_url("https://gitlab.oceantrack.org/GreatLakes/glatos/-/archive/master/glatos-master.zip",
              build_opts = c("--no-resave-data", "--no-manual"))

[jdpye]

In GitLab by @chrisholbrook on Jun 3, 2021, 09:18

changed the description

[jdpye]

In GitLab by @jdpye on Jun 3, 2021, 09:33

Possibly we could fix this via a GitLab setting, surprising that the URL changed drastically as we ticked up the GitLab version.

[jdpye]

In GitLab by @jdpye on Jun 3, 2021, 10:18

The initial reading i'm doing on this is not optimistic (GitLab refuses to guarantee any URL not pulled from their API), and there's no obvious setting to change to get our old url style back. Options presented to me:

• we change the link to the new version and probably get dinged by this again someday
• we set up a mirror page to refer to the latest good link and change install instructions to use it, then when GitLab changes things again we can toggle the link forward and keep the settings the same
• since we are talking about having to change URLs anyway, we can take this as a sign to move this project to GitHub and reduce the chance of this happening again by a lot, (though not completely)

[jdpye]

In GitLab by @ryangosse on Jun 3, 2021, 13:32

I am going to change the URL here and in our workshops. I think we should convert this over to GitHub, then we can use InstallGithub() which should be more bulletproof.

[jdpye]

In GitLab by @chrisholbrook on Jun 3, 2021, 14:28

I support conversion to github. github + CRAN would be amazingly normal.

[jdpye]

In GitLab by @jdpye on Jun 3, 2021, 16:16

Alright let's do that. w/r/t GitHub namespaces we could hold this under, do you want to use your personal, one of our personal's, or borrow OTNs org namespace?

[mhpob]

@jdpye As glatos is/has been developed on GitHub for a few years, this issue can probably be closed.