Following the instructions on
https://webwork.maa.org/wiki/Installation_Manual_for_2.16_on_Ubuntu#Implement_Option_D_.28Rserve.29
I installed webwork and set up an R server on our new Debian 11 server.
While the suggested R test file in
Library/UBC/STAT/STAT305/set6/hw06_q1.pg
worked fine; other files, in particular those using graphics such as
Library/UBC/STAT/STAT300/hw06/stat300_hw06_q01.pg
would not work. The error messages presented in webwork were not very enlightening.
Running the Rserve from command line, I was able to get more meaningful error messages
Error: long vectors not supported yet: qap_encode.c:36
Fatal error: unable to initialize the JIT
whenever webwork attempted to load these problems.
Searching online, it appears that this is a bug in the Rserve v1.7.3 included in the CRAN package. See
https://github.com/s-u/Rserve/issues/102
I was able to fix this following the instructions posted later in the github thread -- installing the RForge version (v1.8.8) immediately after installing r-cran-rserve, via the command (in R)
install.packages("Rserve",,"Http://rforge.net/",type="source")
Since it is unclear when CRAN will update its Rserve package, please update the online webwork installation instructions.... I spent the last three days pulling out my hair over this issue.
Benjamin Walter