Exception: cannot load R library

[plutoese]

While running radian, something goes wrong.
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "c:\python\lib\runpy.py", line 193, in run_module_as_main
"main", mod_spec)
File "c:\python\lib\runpy.py", line 85, in run_code
exec(code, run_globals)
File "C:\Python\Scripts\radian.exe_main.py", line 9, in
File "c:\python\lib\site-packages\radian_init.py", line 76, in main
RadianApplication(r_home, ver=version).run(options)
File "c:\python\lib\site-packages\radian\radianapp.py", line 83, in run
rchitect.init(args=args)
File "c:\python\lib\site-packages\rchitect\setup.py", line 27, in init
raise Exception("cannot load R library")
Exception: cannot load R library

[randy3k]

What version of R have you installed? Could you report the output of radian --version

[a-hurst]

Can confirm this is an issue with a fresh VM install of Windows 10, a fresh install of R 3.6.1, and Python 3.7.5 installed from the Microsoft Store:

C:\Users\austinhurst>python -m radian --version
radian version: 0.4.2
r executable: C:\Program Files\R\R-3.6.1\bin\R
r version: 3.6.1
python executable: C:\Users\austinhurst\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.7_qbz5n2kfra8p0\python.exe
python version: 3.7.5

I get the same error as the user above:

C:\Users\austinhurst>python -m radian
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.7_3.7.1520.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\lib\runpy.py", line 193, in _run_module_as_main
    "__main__", mod_spec)
  File "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.7_3.7.1520.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\lib\runpy.py", line 85, in _run_code
    exec(code, run_globals)
  File "C:\Users\austinhurst\AppData\Local\Packages\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.7_qbz5n2kfra8p0\LocalCache\local-packages\Python37\site-packages\radian\__main__.py", line 16, in <module>
    main()
  File "C:\Users\austinhurst\AppData\Local\Packages\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python. 
  File "C:\Users\austinhurst\AppData\Local\Packages\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.7_qbz5n2kfra8p0\LocalCache\local-packages\Python37\site-packages\radian\radianapp.py", line 83, in run
    rchitect.init(args=args)
  File "C:\Users\austinhurst\AppData\Local\Packages\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.7_qbz5n2kfra8p0\LocalCache\local-packages\Python37\site-packages\rchitect\setup.py", line 27, in init
    raise Exception("cannot load R library")
Exception: cannot load R library

However, I decided to try uninstalling the Microsoft Store python and re-installing from Python.org, and sure enough radian works perfectly fine. Maybe the way the MS store version is compiled has some weird problems with cffi behaviour? Anyway, for now the solution is apparently just to use the Python.org version of Python. @plutoese, how did you install Python on your system?

[randy3k]

I’ll take a look when I have a chance.

[randy3k]

I could reproduce the same error with Microsoft store python 3.7. (And I even couldn't pip install radian with Microsoft store python 3.8). I didn't dig too much for the exact reason why it failed, I am guessing that it is lacking some dynamic libraries which cffi requires.

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.7_3.7.1520.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\lib\runpy.py", line 193, in _run_module_as_main
    "__main__", mod_spec)
  File "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.7_3.7.1520.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\lib\runpy.py", line 85, in _run_code
    exec(code, run_globals)
  File "C:\Users\vagrant\AppData\Local\Packages\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.7_qbz5n2kfra8p0\LocalCache\local-packages\Python37\Scripts\radian.exe\__main__.py", line 9, in <module>
  File "C:\Users\vagrant\AppData\Local\Packages\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.7_qbz5n2kfra8p0\LocalCache\local-packages\Python37\site-packages\radian\__init__.py", line 88, in main
    RadianApplication(r_home, ver=__version__).run(options)
  File "C:\Users\vagrant\AppData\Local\Packages\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.7_qbz5n2kfra8p0\LocalCache\local-packages\Python37\site-packages\radian\radianapp.py", line 83, in run
    rchitect.init(args=args)
  File "C:\Users\vagrant\AppData\Local\Packages\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.7_qbz5n2kfra8p0\LocalCache\local-packages\Python37\site-packages\rchitect\setup.py", line 29, in init
    system2utf8(ffi.string(lib._libR_dl_error_message()))))
Exception: Cannot load R shared library. The specified module could not be found.

[randy3k]

I finally figured out the reason why radian doesn't work with Microsoft Store python. It is because Microsoft Store apps are very conservative about DLLs searching path, i.e., it doesn't allow an app to search for DLLs outside of the system paths: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/dlls/dynamic-link-library-search-order#standard-search-order-for-windows-store-apps
Thus radian is not able to locate the Rblas.dll which is needed for opening R.dll.

The bad news is, however, that there is virtually no fix because R relies on dynamic imports.

[diandian11]

I also has the same errror

[randy3k]

Actually, it’s not the same error. In your case, radian even cannot locate the R shared library. I see that it is a 32bit python, do you also install a 32bit R?

[randy3k]

I came up with a workaround to support microsoft store python
randy3k/rchitect@9dba230

[renkun-ken]

@randy3k Nice work. Will remove the Microsoft Store Python issue from https://github.com/Ikuyadeu/vscode-R/wiki/Installation:-Windows when it is released.

[randy3k]

v0.5.4 is out :)