New CRAN release?

[etiennebacher]

There are several nice features in the devel version and the last release was more than a year ago. Is there a planned date for the next CRAN release?

[CGMossa]

I think we can first hope for a response next week on this. But you're absolutely right! I also think we need to stabilise the extendr release, and hopefully, this will happen soon. Here, I mean that we need to publish patch-release to 0.7.0, because we found a few things to bugfix.

[Ilia-Kosenkov]

Yep, we will make a release. I will clean things up since I just returned from a vacation.

[JosiahParry]

Okay folks! I think we need a new CRAN release with helpers for addressing CRAN support of extendr packages as well.

There are a few things that we need to accomplish with this.

• set minimum version of R to R >= 4.1 Does using extendr affect the minimal supported R version? #375
• Introduce MSRV checks to configure
  • see related work in fix: rewrite configure to use tools/msrv.R albersonmiranda/fio#85 and https://github.com/R-ArcGIS/arcpbf/pull/5/files#diff-dfe1640e6faf2820d725a02843f204ea6684ee30966a1fab5b72a177957e494c
• add function to support Fedora GHA checks which is the most common source of failing CRAN checks in my experience
  • see related https://github.com/R-ArcGIS/arcpbf/pull/5/files#diff-cf424ae0341f100cdd07d3750b291b6deedb7c48b2d755881063883673fdd8d5
• add test for use_cran_defaults() to CI
• add use_msrv() to enable setting MSRV from R
• set default MSRV as 1.69

[Ilia-Kosenkov]

@JosiahParry , check also the milestone I defined some time ago. https://github.com/extendr/rextendr/milestone/4
Should we tackle those before proceeding or should we just postpone/discard?

[JosiahParry]

I think we should do those too. I think we also need to set the minimum version of R in the DESCRIPTION file to 4.1 via usethis::use_package("R", "Depends", "4.1.")

[kbvernon]

I can help implement use_msrv() if no one else is working on it yet.

[schochastics]

Hope this fits here:
My package timeless was archived which I can only assume comes from this warning:

Version: 0.2.4
Check: Rust compilation
Result: WARN
    Downloads Rust crates
    No rustc version reported prior to compilation

I got an email about this prior. I had submitted an updated version which specified the required rust version in the SystemRequirements field like use_msrv() does, but I guess it was not enough? Is there another place where the rust version needs to go? If so, I guess this should be reflected in use_msrv()

[Ilia-Kosenkov]

Hey @schochastics , we have a Discord where CRAN is discussed among other things. One of the team members forwarded your comment there, feel free to join if you'd like. Check extendr README for instructions.

[CGMossa]

Yes, and just to reiterate a point here.. Once a conversation about something becomes tangible, it is put on github.
We are currently discussing what to do overall about CRAN policy of rust powered packages over at https://github.com/extendr/extendr/discussions

extendr/extendr#849 (comment)