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sqlrsql-serversql-server-2016

Change SQL Server Express default R library path

Is it possible and if so how to change the default SQL Server Express path for R packages:

C:/Program Files/Microsoft SQL Server/MSSQL13.SQLEXPRESS/R_SERVICES/library

to something more pleasant and more manageable as:

C:/R/library

Even when I try to install packages to R using R studio: install.packages("dplyr", lib = "C:/Program Files/Microsoft SQL Server/MSSQL13.SQLEXPRESS/R_SERVICES/library") I get a warning:

Warning in install.packages : 'lib = "C:/Program Files/Microsoft SQL Server/MSSQL13.SQLEXPRESS/R_SERVICES/library"' is not writable

Solution

  • For R in SQL Server Machine Learning Services, you cannot change the path.

    However, from SQL Server 2019 CU3+, you can "bring your own" R runtime, where you then can define where it is located. Doing this you are no longer using the RevoScaleR enabled R, but "normal" R.

    Read more about it here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/machine-learning/install/custom-runtime-r