R: Version Information

R.Version {base} | R Documentation

## Version Information

### Description

`R.Version()` provides detailed information about the version of R running.

`R.version` is a variable (a `list`) holding this information (and `version` is a copy of it for S compatibility).

### Usage

    R.Version()
    R.version
    R.version.string
    version

### Details

This gives details of the OS under which R was built, not the one under which it is currently running (for which see `Sys.info`).

Note that OS names might not be what you expect: for example macOS Mavericks 10.9.4 identifies itself as darwin13.3.0, Linux usually as linux-gnu and Solaris 10 as solaris2.10.

### Value

`R.Version` returns a list with character-string components

`platform` | the platform for which R was built. A triplet of the form CPU-VENDOR-OS, as determined by the configure script. E.g, `"i686-unknown-linux-gnu"` or `"i386-pc-mingw32"`.
`arch` | the architecture (CPU) R was built on/for.
`os` | the underlying operating system.
`system` | CPU and OS, separated by a comma.
`status` | the status of the version (e.g., `"alpha"`)
`major` | the major version number
`minor` | the minor version number, including the patchlevel
`year` | the year the version was released
`month` | the month the version was released
`day` | the day the version was released
`svn rev` | the Subversion revision number, which should be either `"unknown"` or a single number. (A range of numbers or a number with M or S appended indicates inconsistencies in the sources used to build this version of R.)
`language` | always `"R"`.
`version.string` | a `character` string concatenating some of the info above, useful for plotting, etc.

`R.version` and `version` are lists of class `"simple.list"` which has a `print` method.

### Note

Do not use `R.version$os` to test the platform the code is running on: use `.Platform$OS.type` instead. Slightly different versions of the OS may report different values of `R.version$os`, as may different versions of R.

`R.version.string` is a copy of `R.version$version.string` for simplicity and backwards compatibility.

### See Also

`sessionInfo` which provides additional information; `getRversion` typically used inside R code, `.Platform`, `Sys.info`.

### Examples

    require(graphics)

    R.version$os # to check how lucky you are ...
    plot(0) # any plot
    mtext(R.version.string, side = 1, line = 4, adj = 1) # a useful bottom-right note

    ## a good way to detect macOS:
    if(grepl("^darwin", R.version$os)) message("running on macOS")

    ## Short R version string, ("space free", useful in file/directory names;
    ##                          also fine for unreleased versions of R):
    shortRversion <- function() {
       rvs <- R.version.string
       if(grepl("devel", (st <- R.version$status)))
           rvs <- sub(paste0(" ",st," "), "-devel_", rvs, fixed=TRUE)
       gsub("[()]", "", gsub(" ", "_", sub(" version ", "-", rvs)))
    }
    shortRversion()

[Package base version 3.5.1 Index]