Rscript running trouble with TMPDIR via plink -ssh on Windows

Question

I want to create my own variant of makePSOCKcluster and newPSOCKnode using ssh connection via plink. So, I rewrite code

    if (machine != "localhost") {
        rshcmd <- getClusterOption("rshcmd", options)
        user <- getClusterOption("user", options)
        cmd <- shQuote(cmd)
        cmd <- paste(rshcmd, "-l", user, machine, cmd)
    }
    if (.Platform$OS.type == "windows") {
        system(cmd, wait = FALSE, input = "")
    }
    else system(cmd, wait = FALSE)

by my variant, which gives me cmd like this:

plink -ssh Rebelion@ClusterNode1 -pw myPasswd123 "Rscript --default-packages=datasets,utils,grDevices,stats,graphics,methods -e parallel!:::.slaveRSOCK MASTER=CLUSTERNODE1 PORT=11038 TIMEOUT=2592000 XDR=TRUE". 

ClusterNode1 here is a current machine (I logged as Rebelion, it's an administrator login).

But system(cmd, wait=FALSE, input="") gives me this:

Fatal error: creation of tmpfile failed -- set TMPDIR suitably?

I don't know why I get this error and what should I do. I set TMPDIR, TMP and TEMP variables as %USERPROFILE%/AppData/Local/Temp, I set privilegies on maximum for all kind of users except guests.

Could anyone helps me to solve this problem? Thnxs.

Answer 1

Use system2 call and pass TMPDIR variable using env argument.

From documentation:

system2(command, args = character(), stdout = "", stderr = "", stdin = "", input = NULL, env = character(), wait = TRUE, minimized = FALSE, invisible = TRUE)

env: character vector of name=value strings to set environment variables.

Also, try giving the TMPDIR path as an absolute path, such as C:\Windows\Temp, instead of using CMD environment variables.

Answer 2

The TMPDIR must be an actual path, like C:\Users\martin\AppData\Local\Temp.

It cannot contain another environment variables.

Answer 3

This looks like an issue with your login startup setting on that remote machine. I would try to get the following to work (from the Windows command prompt):

plink -ssh Rebelion@ClusterNode1 -pw myPasswd123 "Rscript --version"

and if that works, make sure:

plink -ssh Rebelion@ClusterNode1 -pw myPasswd123 "Rscript -e 1+2"

also works. Only then, start worrying about doing this with the parallel package in R.

Answer 4

thank you. I don't know, how to give points to you all, sorry, but I really want to give a bounty to you all. Main problem was in OpenSSH and separate privilegies rule, which doesn't allow to create session with administrator's rights. Novaday I can run Rscript normally but have problem with parallel!:::.slaveRSOCK() part (I suppose, this is connected with separators and paths, I'll solve this problem soon too). Thank you again and again. If you know how to give bounty to you all - pls, say me, I'll do.