R and Python problem v19 on Windows 7

[Cleland, Patricia (EDU)]

I’ve tried running R and Python programs from the v19 command examples on a machine set up to test the compatibility of SPSS19 with Windows7. I get the same error message for both: 

 

>Error # 6890. Command name: begin program
>Configuration file spssdxcfg.ini is invalid.
>Execution of this command stops.
Configration file spssdxcfg.ini is invalid because the LIB_NAME is NULL.

 

 I saw a solution on developerWorks: SPSS: Python Programmability: Python_Essentials_1802, (http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=14524289) from Jon Peck advising that the problem was probably with the installation of the plug-in itself.

 

Would the installation of the Python plug-in also affect R?  Would that fact that I’m using a 14-day trial license cause this?

I don’t have this problem on my own machine which is running WindowsXP Pro.  I don’t for a minute think that it’s the operating system that’s causing this problem. I’m sure it has to do with how the machine was set up by our IT staff. As I understand it, they used Radia to push SPSS, Python and R down the pipe which is how, for example, Windows updates are handled. I don’t want to just tell them to uninstall and re-install, since if the problem is with the way SPSS was installed, they will just do the same thing when they re-install as they did last time and I’ll still have the problem.

I don’t have administrator privileges and IT will have to implement any solutions. Any ideas of what I should tell them to do to fix this problem would be appreciated.

Pat

 

[Jon K Peck]

Jon Peck (no "h") aka Kim
Senior Software Engineer, IBM
[hidden email]
new phone: [phone]




From:        "Cleland, Patricia (EDU)" <[hidden email]>
To:        [hidden email]
Date:        02/24/2012 08:57 AM
Subject:        [SPSSX-L] R and Python problem v19 on Windows 7
Sent by:        "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <[hidden email]>

---

I’ve tried running R and Python programs from the v19 command examples on a machine set up to test the compatibility of SPSS19 with Windows7. I get the same error message for both:  
 
>Error # 6890. Command name: begin program
>Configuration file spssdxcfg.ini is invalid.
>Execution of this command stops.
Configration file spssdxcfg.ini is invalid because the LIB_NAME is NULL.
 
 I saw a solution on developerWorks: SPSS: Python Programmability: Python_Essentials_1802, (http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=14524289) from Jon Peck advising that the problem was probably with the installation of the plug-in itself.
 
Would the installation of the Python plug-in also affect R?  Would that fact that I’m using a 14-day trial license cause this?
>>>Although the Python and R Essentials are independent, they both use the same basic mechanism, so if one didn't install correctly, most like the other one would not either.

Since on Win 7 users usually don't have write access to directories under Program Files, the setup programs need to be executed via Run As Administrator.  Installation of extension bundles also runs into the permission issue.  The solution is to create environment variables for alternative locations where the user does have write permission.  This is detailed in the help and via the FAQ on the SPSS Community site.

Depending on how the IT staff pushed the install, they might not have updated the spssdxcfg.ini file correctly.  This file, which should be in the Statistics installation directory, specifies what plugins are installed and where the related Python/R installations are.

The trial license should not matter.  If the base system is licensed, so is programmability.

HTH,
Jon Peck

I don’t have this problem on my own machine which is running WindowsXP Pro.  I don’t for a minute think that it’s the operating system that’s causing this problem. I’m sure it has to do with how the machine was set up by our IT staff. As I understand it, they used Radia to push SPSS, Python and R down the pipe which is how, for example, Windows updates are handled. I don’t want to just tell them to uninstall and re-install, since if the problem is with the way SPSS was installed, they will just do the same thing when they re-install as they did last time and I’ll still have the problem.

I don’t have administrator privileges and IT will have to implement any solutions. Any ideas of what I should tell them to do to fix this problem would be appreciated.

Pat