Actions fail for no CRAN package (MODIStsp)

[oggioniale]

@maelle @micha-silver
I solved most of the problems in the packages and a new version of this is deployed in the DEV branch.
The test-coverage (https://github.com/ropensci/ReLTER/actions/runs/7460327719/job/20298178183) fails because the dependency ‘MODIStsp’ is not available for package ‘ReLTER’.
I try to solve this by installing the MODISTSP package from remote

- name: Install remotes
        run: |
          Rscript -e "install.packages('remotes', repos='https://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/CRAN')"

      - name: Install MODIStsp
        run: |
          Rscript -e "remotes::install_url('https://cran.r-project.org/src/contrib/Archive/MODIStsp/MODIStsp_2.1.0.tar.gz')"

because from 2023-12-29 the package is not included in the CRAN (https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/MODIStsp/index.html).

Any ideas?

[maelle]

MODIStsp is a package that needs a new maintainer, actually.

So I guess that's why the former maintainer requested archival on CRAN.

[ptagliolato]

Thanks Maelle. Is there any good practice in rOpenSci to manage this kind of issue? I read about the possibility to move a non-CRAN package to a different section of the DESCRIPTION file, namely from "Imports:" to "Remotes:" (see https://remotes.r-lib.org/articles/dependencies.html, https://stackoverflow.com/questions/30493388/create-an-r-package-that-depends-on-another-r-package-located-on-github). In our case, to continue using https://github.com/ropensci/MODIStsp, we should add to DESCRIPTION:

Remotes: ropensci/MODIStsp

This could hopefully solve the issue from a technical point of view (passing the issue encountered during the github action and for users willing to install ReLTER), but the point is then if it is an admitted practice within rOpenSci to "import" an rOpenSci package which is not a CRAN one.
Any suggestion welcome!

[maelle]

It is admitted, but you won't be able to submit the package to CRAN as is.
Do you know of anyone who might be willing to become MODIStsp's new maintainer?

[oggioniale]

Unfortunately we can't recommend anyone as a new maintainer