# The R Installation Manager Install, remove, configure R versions. Manage R packages and projects. ## Features **Multiple R versions, side by side** - Install as many R versions as you like, and switch the default for the terminal, RStudio and Positron. - Select versions by symbolic name: `release`, `devel`, `next`, `oldrel`, or by exact version. - Run several versions *at the same time* via quick links: `R-4.5` or `R-4.5.1` starts the matching R. Quick links are added to your path automatically. - List the versions you have installed, and the versions available to install. - On arm64 macs and Windows, choose between x86_64 and arm64 builds of R, or install both. **Cross-platform and self-contained** - Works on macOS, Windows and Linux. Has native builds for many [Linux distributions](https://r-lib.github.io/rig/install.html#id-supported-linux-distributions), and portable builds that run on any glibc- or musl-based Linux. - A single standalone tool with no system requirements. Easy to install and update on every platform. - Two [installation modes](https://r-lib.github.io/rig/admin-vs-user-mode.html): the default *admin mode* installs R system-wide (elevating to root/administrator only when needed), while the newer *user mode* installs everything into your home directory with no `sudo` or administrator rights. - On Linux, installs distro-specific builds where available, and otherwise falls back to portable glibc/musl builds automatically. **Package management, set up for you** - Configures the default CRAN mirror and [P3M](https://packagemanager.posit.co/) binary repositories. - Installs [pak](https://pak.r-lib.org) and enables automatic [system requirements installation](https://pak.r-lib.org/dev/reference/sysreqs.html). - Creates and configures per-user package libraries. - [`rig repos`](https://r-lib.github.io/rig/reference/repos.html) manages package repositories across all your R versions. Add your own CRAN-like repositories, e.g. an internal CRAN mirror or an r-universe, and turn repositories on and off for each R version. rig remembers the setup. - [`rig pkg`](https://r-lib.github.io/rig/pkg-guide.html) (experimental) installs, removes and lists packages in a library, and looks up package info, dependencies and dependency trees from the repositories, all without running R. It also searches CRAN, and finds problems in a library, e.g. missing or too old dependencies. - Installs packages from CRAN, Bioconductor (the release that belongs to your R version), your own repositories and local paths, with version constraints, e.g. `rig pkg install 'cli@=3.6.4'`. - On Linux, `rig pkg`, `rig proj` and `rig run` install the system requirements of R packages, or print the commands to install them if rig cannot run them as root. **Project dependency management (experimental)** - [`rig proj`](https://r-lib.github.io/rig/proj-guide.html) manages an R project through an `rproj.toml` manifest: add or remove dependencies, resolve them with rig’s built-in solver into an `rproj.lock` lockfile, and sync a project library to match, all without running R. - Lock for several R versions and platforms at once, pin repositories and Bioconductor releases, ignore package versions newer than a date with `--exclude-newer`, and upgrade only some packages while keeping the rest pinned. - Import a project from, or export it to, a `DESCRIPTION` file or an [renv](https://rstudio.github.io/renv/) `renv.lock` file, to interoperate with existing R package and project tooling. - Inspect a project’s dependencies and dependency tree before installing. **Run R, scripts and apps** - `rig run` starts R, runs a script or expression, or launches an app: Shiny apps, Plumber APIs, Quarto and R Markdown documents, and static sites, with the R version you choose. - [Self-contained scripts](https://r-lib.github.io/rig/scripts.html): declare the R version and the packages a script needs in a `# /// script` comment block, and `rig run` installs them into the script’s own environment. Lock the versions next to the script with `rig proj lock --script`. - On Windows, `rig system script-assoc` lets you run `.R` files directly from `cmd` and PowerShell. **Platform niceties** - A [macOS menu bar app](https://r-lib.github.io/rig/macos-app.html) shows the default R version and lets you switch it interactively. - Installs and configures the right Rtools versions on Windows, and cleans up stale R entries from the Windows registry. - Shell auto-completion for `zsh` and `bash` on macOS and Linux, and for PowerShell on Windows. - On macOS, sets up R for debugging with `lldb` and enables core dumps. - JSON output for scripting, e.g. from `rig list`, `rig add` and `rig rtools add`, and a `rig config` command to manage rig’s own configuration. ## 📖 Documentation Full documentation is on the rig website: Quick start: ``` sh rig add release # install the latest R release rig list # list installed R versions rig default 4.5.1 # set the default R version ``` ## 🤝 Feedback Please open an issue in our issue tracker at ## Sponsors Free code signing on Windows provided by [SignPath.io](https://signpath.io), certificate by [SignPath Foundation](https://signpath.org) ## 📘 License MIT 2021-2026 © Posit Software, PBC.