Test driving uvr: a uv-style manager for R

Ramblings

• okay here we test uvr  - https://github.com/nbafrank/uvr
• so scanning the docs so here are my queistons
  • scope
    • so it can be used for ‘file’ level or ‘project level’ management 
    • is there a way to set  a global defaul liek uv global?
  • the commands
    • uvr init does what? it inits a uv project memaning it creat eina ofdler some artacts like uv ldoes (lock files …. project.toml??))
    • uvr add adds a package to the uvr proejct - akes sne
    • uvr sync takes a uvr lcok file and isntalls the local R packges - quesiot to wehre does each get a local R pake folder? or is like pnpmn where there isa global store that can be reused across worktrees and stuff?
    • uvr run so alls cipts msut be call via temrinal ? what about quarto?
  • Queisotn
    • where are packge sinstaled withi lcoal repo? if so thas bad worktreses wont work?

Ran Testing

1. Install CLI tool

PS C:\Users\ranli\orca\workspaces\ran-codes.github.io\uvr-test> irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nbafrank/uvr/main/install.ps1 | iex
uvr-install: Detected platform: x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
uvr-install: Installing uvr v0.4.7
uvr-install: Downloading uvr-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.zip...
uvr-install: Verifying checksum...
uvr-install: Checksum verified
uvr-install: Extracting...
uvr-install: Installed uvr to C:\Users\ranli\.local\bin\uvr.exe
uvr 0.4.7
PS C:\Users\ranli\orca\workspaces\ran-codes.github.io\uvr-test> uvr --version
uvr 0.4.7

2. Init New Project uvr init

• This ‘project’ was scoped to this tidbits subfodler so relative path of  tidbits/2026-10-21-uvr-test-drive so PS C:\Users\ranli\orca\workspaces\[ran-codes.github.io](http://ran-codes.github.io)\uvr-test\tidbits> cd .\2026-10-21-uvr-test-drive\
• We first init a project here uvr init

PS C:\Users\ranli\orca\workspaces\ran-codes.github.io\uvr-test\tidbits\2026-10-21-uvr-test-drive> uvr init hello
✓ Initialized project hello
  uvr.toml
  .uvr/library/

This produced a few atirfacts:

1. gitignore
2. .Rprofile
   • This file contians the R code required for uvr to work?
3. uvr.toml
   • A init is empty wiht single paraptmer name = "hello"

3. Adding a package uvr add

• Lets now test some packages uvr add tidyverse
• that was fast 2.4 seconds!
• what gwas chagnd  
  • a new uvr.lock file (becuase its fithe fist add with dpeneicny detials)
  • then a dmepnciens secionts in the uvr.toml

[dependencies]
tidyverse = "*"

4. Lets test it out with a Script

• We create test.R whihc otnaisn sprint mtcars
• uvr run test.R

this is through the terminal 

PS C:\Users\ranli\orca\workspaces\ran-codes.github.io\uvr-test\tidbits\2026-10-21-uvr-test-drive> uvr run test.R
uvr: library linked (100 packages)
── Attaching core tidyverse packages ──────────────────────────────── tidyverse 2.0.0 ──
✔ dplyr     1.2.1     ✔ readr     2.2.0
✔ forcats   1.0.1     ✔ stringr   1.6.0
✔ ggplot2   4.0.3     ✔ tibble    3.3.1
✔ lubridate 1.9.5     ✔ tidyr     1.3.2
✔ purrr     1.2.2
── Conflicts ────────────────────────────────────────────────── tidyverse_conflicts() ──
✖ dplyr::filter() masks stats::filter()
✖ dplyr::lag()    masks stats::lag()
ℹ Use the conflicted package (<http://conflicted.r-lib.org/>) to force all conflicts tobecome errors
  cyl  n
1   4 11
2   6  7
3   8 14

It Works as epected!!

5. Does this work with a quarto file - YES with the activaiton like uvr actiaviete

• we setup _test.qmd a normal

• Open a new pwsh (PowerShell 7) terminal → $PSVersionTable.PSVersion says 7.x (5.1 can’t parse activate.ps1)

• . .uvr/activate.ps1 → no error

• Rscript -e ".libPaths()" → .uvr/library listed first

• quarto render _test.qmd → renders without errors

• Open _test.html → .libPaths() shows .uvr/library first, tidyverse loads

• deactivate → shell back to normal

.libPaths()

[1] "C:/Users/ranli/orca/workspaces/ran-codes.github.io/uvr-test/tidbits/2026-10-21-uvr-test-drive/.uvr/library"
[2] "C:/Program Files/R/R-4.5.3/library"      

• Negative test: fresh pwsh at the repo root → Rscript -e ".libPaths()" → no .uvr/library (run outside this folder, since its .Rprofile links the library even without activation)

PS C:\Users\ranli\orca\workspaces\ran-codes.github.io\uvr-test> Rscript -e ".libPaths()"

[1] "C:/Users/ranli/AppData/Local/R/win-library/4.5"
[2] "C:/Program Files/R/R-4.5.3/library"   

 

Understanding

• So it seems like
• UVR can be used for both file level (metadata store in commnets at tope of R script) or project (Like uv level of details)
• There is a global package donwlaod folder which project pull from meaning the local lock files only ocntian poitners; This is GREAT for workteees!!!!
• See below for test run!
• Tips
  • set [Activaite] prompt conif tot true to see the uvr indicaiotr inthe tmeirnal! like it does for venv!
• THIS WORKS GREAT. Need ot itnegrate it into some projects!!!

Appendix A - Related tidbits to follow up on