How to install and use packages in GNU R

GNU R provides thousands of packages that extend its functionality for statistics, data visualization, machine learning, and specialized analyses. While R comes with essential packages pre-installed, you’ll often need to install additional packages for specific tasks. This guide explains how to manage R packages on Debian and Ubuntu Linux systems.

In this tutorial you will learn:

• How to list available and installed R packages
• How to install R packages from the command line
• How to install R packages from the R console
• How to load and remove packages

Software Requirements and Linux Command Line Conventions

Category	Requirements, Conventions or Software Version Used
System	Debian 13 or higher, Ubuntu 26.04 or higher
Software	GNU R 4.0 or higher
Other	Root privileges for system-wide package installation
Conventions	# – requires given linux commands to be executed with root privileges either directly as a root user or by use of sudo command $ – requires given linux commands to be executed as a regular non-privileged user

Understanding R Packages

A package in R is a collection of functions, documentation, and data files bundled together. Packages are stored in libraries on your system. R includes a system-level library containing default packages, and you can add user-specific libraries for additional packages.

List Available and Loaded Packages

1. Check default packages: View which packages load automatically when R starts

   > getOption("defaultPackages")
   [1] "datasets"  "utils"     "grDevices" "graphics"  "stats"     "methods"

   The base package is always loaded but not shown in this list

   

2. List currently loaded packages: See which packages are active in your current R session

   > (.packages())
   [1] "stats"     "graphics"  "grDevices" "utils"     "datasets"  "methods"  
   [7] "base"

   This shows all packages available in the current R session

3. List all installed packages: View every package installed on your system

   > (.packages(all.available=TRUE))

   This command displays all packages in your library, whether loaded or not

   

4. View package details: Get descriptions for all available packages

   > library()

   Running library without arguments shows all installed packages with brief descriptions

Load and Use Packages

1. Load a package: Make a package’s functions available in your current session

   > library(lattice)

   The package must be installed before you can load it

2. View package documentation: Access help files for a loaded package

   > library(help=lattice)

   This displays detailed information about the package and its functions

3. Access quick help: Get immediate help for a specific package

   > ?lattice

   This opens the package’s main help page

Install R Packages from R Console

1. Install from CRAN: Use the built-in function to install packages directly

   > install.packages("ggplot2")

   R will prompt you to select a CRAN mirror closest to your location. If you see a warning about library not being writable, R will ask if you want to create a personal library in your home directory. Answer yes to install packages without root privileges. The package installs to your user library by default

   

2. Load the installed package: Make the newly installed package available

   > library(ggplot2)

   You can now use all functions from the ggplot2 package

3. Remove a package: Uninstall packages you no longer need

   > remove.packages("ggplot2")

   This removes the package from your library. You can specify a custom library path as a second argument if needed

Manual Package Installation from Command Line

This method is not recommended for regular use as you must manually download and install all dependencies. Use the R console method above instead, which automatically handles dependencies.

1. Download the package: Obtain the package file from CRAN or another repository

   $ wget https://cran.r-project.org/src/contrib/ggplot2_4.0.0.tar.gz

   Replace the URL with your desired package. CRAN is the primary R package repository

2. Install the package: Use R CMD INSTALL to install from the command line

   $ sudo R CMD INSTALL ggplot2_4.0.0.tar.gz

   Root privileges may be required depending on the installation directory. If dependencies are missing, you must download and install each one manually before installing your target package

Finding R Packages

The Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN) is the primary source for R packages. CRAN hosts thousands of packages with complete documentation. Visit the CRAN website to browse available packages and their documentation. Each package listing includes descriptions, manuals, and installation instructions.

Conclusion

You now understand how to manage R packages on Debian and Ubuntu systems. You can list installed packages, install new packages from both the command line and R console, and load packages for use in your projects. The extensive R package ecosystem on CRAN provides tools for virtually any statistical or data analysis task.