How to update Quarto version installed with Rstudio

RStudio IDE
1

  • I installed Rstudio (free) 2023.03.1 Build 446 on Windows 10. A version of Quarto was installed in:
    C:\Program Files\RStudio\resources\app\bin\quarto\bin

  • I would like to uninstall that version and install a newer version from quarto.org.

  • The Quarto install was not registered separately with Windows Programs and Features so the only way to uninstall this version of Quarto is to uninstall Rstudio.

  • I could just install a new Quarto version from a download but I'm pretty sure that will result in having two version on the machine and fear that will cause problems.

Any recommendations?

2

This won't.

The quarto you are actually using is shipped with RStudio IDE. If none is found installed, it will be using that one.

If you install a new one, RStudio IDE should find it, and use the new one. There will be no conflict. quarto is a standalone binary, and the one shipped with RStudio IDE is a portable version.

Did you try it already ?

3

I figured out how to overwrite the Quarto binaries installed with the RStudio IDE. Since I installed Rstudio using a local administrator account, the installer used "Program Files" as the root for everything including Quarto. The standalone installer for Quarto on Windows has an option to "install for all users" that requires elevated privileges. When I used that option I was able to choose the installation path and I changed the default (Program Files/Quarto) to the folder that the Rstudio installer created and used. The option to change installation folders was not available for installing when choosing "Install for current user only" option.

Everything is good. I have only one install location for Quarto and it is the latest version. The Quarto package picks up the right install folder and version number and rendering from Rstudio is good.

Thanks.

4

You shouldn't have to do that. Really, never install something in another installation directory for another tool.

The option to change installation folders was not available for installing when choosing "Install for current user only" option.

This will install Quarto in a User only folder, but it should still add to the USER PATH I believe.

The standalone installer for Quarto on Windows has an option to "install for all users" that requires elevated privileges

Using that will install in Program Files and make the quarto path available in PATH, for other tools to use.

The Quarto package picks up the right install folder and version number and rendering from Rstudio is good.

Glad it works, but you will encounter new issue when you will update RStudio and it could have side effect to have replace some internals of RStudio install folder. Hopefully, but we never know.

5

I think it could be a very good idea for Rstudio to search for all installations of Quarto and select the version, the way it does now with the version of R. It is frustrating to not be able to set precedence. I am arguing that the non-bundled version of Quarto should prevail over the bundled version of Quarto, because the user is probably doing an independent installation intentionally.

6

This should be the case.

The quarto used should be the one found in PATH if newest, and if older or none then the one bundled.
The version used in RStudio can also be forced by setting RSTUDIO_QUARTO env var.

So you should be able to not use the bundled version if you installed another new one for example.