What does CRAN check before accepting a package?

The policy asks for a package that passes R CMD check without warnings or significant notes, runs on at least two major R platforms, and has clear licensing and a named maintainer.

What does the licence field mean?

It states the terms under which the package can be used and shared. CRAN requires a licence from its accepted list that allows CRAN to distribute the package indefinitely.

Can a package disappear from CRAN?

Packages are normally not removed, but they can be archived, for example at the maintainer's request or if errors or warnings are not fixed after a new R release.

CRAN Releases Screensaver

The CRAN Releases screensaver shows r packages as they are published to CRAN, gathered key-less by the background pipeline: the package, its version, what it is for and how it is licensed. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the CRAN Releases screensaver works

The background pipeline reads this from CRAN via crandb and saves a snapshot the saver loads.

R packages as they are published to CRAN, gathered key-less by the background pipeline: the package, its version, what it is for and how it is licensed..

It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.

Colours can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.

CRAN and the standards behind R packages

CRAN, the Comprehensive R Archive Network, is the principal repository for packages written in R, the language widely used in statistics and data science. It is run by volunteers, the CRAN team, supported by the R Foundation and the volunteers' employers. The saver reads package metadata through crandb, so tools can see what changed.

CRAN enforces a repository policy. Packages should pass R CMD check without warnings or significant notes, be portable to at least two of the major R platforms, and have a clear licence from CRAN's accepted list that lets it distribute the package indefinitely. Each package needs one designated maintainer, a person rather than a mailing list, whose email address stays current.

Packages are normally not removed, but they may be archived, including at the maintainer's request. A package that gives an error when a new R x.y.0 version is released is archived unless the maintainer has set and kept a firm update deadline, and unaddressed warnings can also lead to archiving. A version bump may therefore be a fix for a new R release, and a release now is no guarantee of long-term availability.

A worked example

R packages as they are published to CRAN, gathered key-less by the background pipeline: the package, its version, what it is for and how it is licensed.

Settings & tips

Accent and Background recolour the display.
Run automation/run.py cran to refresh the feed.
Press ESC to leave fullscreen.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real data?: Yes — it comes from CRAN via crandb and is refreshed on a schedule.
Is a key needed?: No. This source is fully key-less.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
What does CRAN check before accepting a package?: The policy asks for a package that passes R CMD check without warnings or significant notes, runs on at least two major R platforms, and has clear licensing and a named maintainer.
What does the licence field mean?: It states the terms under which the package can be used and shared. CRAN requires a licence from its accepted list that allows CRAN to distribute the package indefinitely.
Can a package disappear from CRAN?: Packages are normally not removed, but they can be archived, for example at the maintainer's request or if errors or warnings are not fixed after a new R release.

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