I want to update R and RStudio to current versions, but I have a book in progress and do not want to break its configuration. Is there a reliable set of steps to do this?
I guess it depends what you mean by "configuration".
Installed packages, mainly, I guess. My projects are dependent on those, and I suppose all else is covered by the .yml, .css, and .Rproj files?
What version of R/RStudio are you currently using and what system are you running it on (ie Windows, Mac, Linux)?
R 4.2.2 and RStudio 2023.12.1 Build 402
Running on Windows 10 at present, but considering Linux in future.
Would use renv::init() to set up a lockfile of packages in their current versions, which you can use to reactivate your project, assuming you are using an Rproject to manage the book files. More information would help.
If you are under Windows and you have installed R without administration rights, you can use the updateR function from the installr package which will help you to download and install the last R version and copy and update your installed packages.