The “error in contrib.url repos source r markdown” error message is unusual in that it does not result from a mistake in the code in your R script. Instead, the problem seems to be a settings issue. Unfortunately, no one seems to have found a specific setting that can be fixed to solve this problem. However, there is a coding workaround template that can be used to fix this in practice even though it does not fix the actual problem.
The circumstances of this error.
The “error in contrib.urlrepos source r markdown” message occurs when using install.packages() function to download a new package markdown file. The issue is not a result of a coding mistake because the same source code can be used on a different system successfully. This situation suggests that this is a result of a document settings issue. The normal use of the install.packages() function is in the form of install.packages(“r package”). Normally all that you need is to put the package or document name into this default function and it will install it. Unfortunately, sometimes it does not work producing this repo error message. When this happens the problem is not with your source code in the sense that the R script you are using should work. However, this function template does provide a workaround fix that will solve the issue for you at least in practice.
What is causing this error?
The cause of the “error in contrib.url repos source r markdown” message is more than a simple matter of the R app software not being able to find the installed package.
# error in contrib.urlrepos source r markdown
> install.packages("mars1")
https://cran.rstudio.com/bin/windows/Rtools/
Installing package into 'C:/Users/Owner/Documents/R/win-library/3.6'
(as 'lib' is unspecified)
Warning in install.packages :
package 'mars1' is not available (for R version 3.6.1)This code attempts the installation of a non-existing package. This is not the same output as our message and so it cannot be the source of the problem. What seems to be causing the problem is it the software is not checking the online repository that it is supposed to. What is most likely the case is that the software is not looking at the correct web address of a repository to find the r package that you are looking for.
How to fix this error.
Fixing the “error in contrib.url repos source r markdown” output file message is a simple matter of changing the format of the installation function so as to include the web address of the repository containing the r package that you are looking for.
install.packages("r package", repos = "http://cran.us.r-project.org")In this example, an argument is added to the function that gives it the web address of the repository. Once the data file is downloaded into the proper directory you will then be able to access your newly installed package.
Another option that you may want to try will be to click on the R studio Tools menu item and select the first line item. This will open a dialog box for installing cran packages. Make sure that the first text box reads “Repository(CRAN).” If it is not click on the text box and select “Repository(CRAN)” from the drop-down box. Then try downloading your r package from this dialog box. Also, try running the installation formula to see if that will correct the problem in the output file.
Unlike many issues you run into with R programming, this is not a simple matter of correcting a data frame. It is actually a matter of making sure your software is looking for your r package in the right place. You also have the option of downloading through the r package from R Studio’s Tools menu item. These are simple solutions to an issue that is difficult to understand but one you can work around.
R Error Message: error in contrib.url(repos source ) r markdown