remotes

The remotes package provides functions to install R packages from various remote and local sources, including GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Bioconductor, git/SVN repositories, local directories, and URLs. It serves as a lightweight, standalone alternative to the installation functions previously found in the devtools package.

The package handles dependency resolution automatically, supports installing specific versions, branches, commits, tags, and pull requests, and requires no compiled code or external software for most operations. It recognizes and respects the Remotes field in DESCRIPTION files for specifying non-CRAN dependencies and can operate in standalone mode without relying on other R packages. The package supports both source and binary installations across different repository types while providing flexible configuration through R options and environment variables.