installing a downloaded R source package file

From within R :

If the destdir argument is used, the downloaded packages are not deleted after the installation (or if the compilation fails) :
> install.packages("rJava", dep = T, destdir = "/home/user/Downloads/") :

If the compilation fails, one can get back later on the process by specifying the source file on disk :
> install.packages("/home/user/Downloads/rJava_0.8-4.tar.gz", repos=NULL)

Embedding fonts in a PDF with pdflatex

Embedding fonts in a PDF with pdflatex

http://thomer.com/howtos/embed_font_in_pdf.html

Shrinking Vista Partition

The "Shrink Volume" option of "Computer Management" tool in Windows Vista would not shrink as much as you want it to. To improve the situation, one can download the trial version of PerfectDisk Professional and perform 3 different types of defragmantation :

• Consolidate Free Space
• Boot Time defragmentation

Especially the latter is valuable as it is able to move Vista's normally unmovable system files, substantially (though not optimally) increasing the amount of volume to be gained from the shrink operation. More info is available.

DNS now working in VirtualBox client after network switch

I have a laptop and regularly change network connections. I don't shut the machine down but let it hibernate in between. I use VirtualBox, windows host (sorry, this is it for now but I promise it will change soon ;o), Linux guest.

I had to configure the Google free DNS service in the Linux guest so that the DNS works even when I change network (going home from work, etc.) :

http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using.html

Import data into R with an unknown number of columns?

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1874443/import-data-into-r-with-an-unknown-number-of-columns

UTM grid zones of the world

http://www.dmap.co.uk/utmworld.htm

Gauss-Kruger 3-degree zone for Istanbul

http://spatialreference.org/ref/epsg/2207/