Snapshots: date specific vs. latest

Hi all,

When creating a CRAN based repository snapshot in posit Package Manager, is it normal behavior/functionality that if it is based on a specific date, then even when via setup the user selects "latest" he/she still gets the package from the specific date? Or should "latest" always return the latest package?

So for example, if I want to have a CRAN snapshot from today "2025-12-15" and always a latest one, can I have them with 1 CRAN repository and then based on "setup" settings I can switch between latest and based on defined snapshot, or do I have to have a 1 repository "CRAN Latest", 1 repository "CRAN 2025-12-15" because no matter what I choose in settings as an enduser it does not make a difference since it was created based on a snapshot by the PM Admin?

Hope my question is clear enough.

Thank you,
Georgios

Hi Georgios,

What you're seeing is the difference between a CRAN Snapshot source and a full CRAN mirror source.

With a CRAN snapshot source, you're only making specific snapshot dates available. This is best suited for ensuring that ALL users of that repository can only use a specific date-based snapshot. More commonly, though, customers use a full CRAN mirror, which allows the user to select from all available snapshots, including latest which always tracks the most recent date. This would allow the end user the option of selecting a specific date, or just using latest, from the same repository, e.g.:

https://p3m.dev/cran/latest for always using the latest available snapshot; or
https://p3m.dev/cran/2025-12-15 to pin to the specific date. Those both come from the "cran" repo.

I hope that makes sense. Let us know if you have any other questions!

Cheers,
Joe

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