How to Run R Programs in Linux or Unix or Ubuntu

R is a popular programming language for statistical computing and data analysis, and Ubuntu is a popular operating system based on the Linux kernel. There are several ways to run R programs in Ubuntu, including using the R interpreter, a text editor such as Vim or Nano, or an integrated development environment (IDE) such as RStudio. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, and the choice depends on your preference and workflow. 

In this discussion, we have provided step-by-step instructions for each method to help you get started with running R programs in Ubuntu.

Open the Terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or searching for "Terminal" in the Activities menu.

Install R by running the following command:

sudo apt-get install r-base

This will install R and any necessary dependencies.

Once R is installed, launch it by typing R in the Terminal and pressing Enter.

You can now enter R commands directly into the Terminal to execute R programs. For example, you can create a new file called my_program.R using the nano text editor:

nano my_program.R

Then, add some R code to the file:

# My R program
x <- c(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
mean(x)

Save the file by pressing Ctrl + X, then Y, and finally Enter.

Run the R program by typing the following command into the Terminal:

Rscript my_program.R

This will execute the R program and display the output in the Terminal.

Alternatively, you can also run R programs using an integrated development environment (IDE) like RStudio or Emacs ESS. These tools provide a more user-friendly interface and additional features like syntax highlighting, code completion, and debugging capabilities.

Here are the steps to use RStudio on Ubuntu:

Download RStudio from the official website: https://www.rstudio.com/products/rstudio/download/#download

Open the Terminal and navigate to the directory where the RStudio installer was downloaded.

Install RStudio by running the following command:

sudo dpkg -i rstudio-<version>.deb

Replace <version> with the version number of the RStudio installer.

Once RStudio is installed, launch it by searching for "RStudio" in the Activities menu or by running the following command in the Terminal:

rstudio

In RStudio, you can create a new R script by clicking on "File" -> "New File" -> "R Script" or by pressing Ctrl + Shift + N.

Add some R code to the script:

# My R program
x <- c(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
mean(x)

Save the R script by clicking on "File" -> "Save" or by pressing Ctrl + S. Choose a filename and directory where you want to save the file.

Run the R program by clicking on the "Source" button in the top right corner of the editor window, or by pressing Ctrl + Shift + S. The output will be displayed in the Console pane at the bottom of the RStudio window.

In addition to RStudio, another popular IDE for R programming on Ubuntu is Emacs ESS (Emacs Speaks Statistics). Here are the steps to use Emacs ESS:

Install Emacs by running the following command in the Terminal:

sudo apt-get install emacs

Install ESS by running the following command:

sudo apt-get install ess

Launch Emacs by running the following command in the Terminal:

emacs

In Emacs, open a new R script file by clicking on "File" -> "New File" -> "R Script" or by pressing Ctrl + X, then Ctrl + F, and typing in a filename with a .R extension.

Add some R code to the file:

# My R program
x <- c(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
mean(x)

Save the R script by clicking on "File" -> "Save" or by pressing Ctrl + X, then Ctrl + S. Choose a filename and directory where you want to save the file.

Run the R program by clicking on "ESS" -> "Evaluate Buffer" or by pressing Ctrl + C, then Ctrl + B. The output will be displayed in the R console at the bottom of the Emacs window.

Another option for running R programs in Ubuntu is using a command-line interface (CLI) such as Tmux or GNU Screen. Here are the steps to use Tmux:

Install Tmux by running the following command in the Terminal:

sudo apt-get install tmux

Launch Tmux by running the following command:

tmux

Split the Tmux window into two panes by pressing Ctrl + B, then %.

Launch R in one of the panes by running the following command:

R

In the other pane, open a new file using a text editor such as Vim or Nano:

vim my_program.R

or

nano my_program.R

Add some R code to the file:

# My R program
x <- c(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
mean(x)

Save the R script by exiting the text editor and following the prompts to save the file.

Run the R program by switching back to the R pane using Ctrl + B, then ← or → to move to the desired pane, and typing:

source("my_program.R")

The output will be displayed in the R pane.

Another option for running R programs in Ubuntu is to use the command-line interface (CLI) directly with the R interpreter. Here are the steps to use the R interpreter:

Launch the Terminal by searching for "Terminal" in the Activities menu.

Launch R by running the following command:

R

In the R console, create a new R script by running the following command:

file.edit()

Add some R code to the script:

# My R program
x <- c(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
mean(x)

Save the R script by clicking on "File" -> "Save" or by pressing Ctrl + S. Choose a filename and directory where you want to save the file.

Run the R program by sourcing the script using the following command:

source("my_program.R")

Replace my_program.R with the filename of your R script.

The output will be displayed in the R console.