processx

Processx is an open-source R package that provides a cross-platform interface for creating and controlling system processes from the R environment. It abstracts away platform differences between Windows and POSIX systems, offering a uniform API for spawning processes, managing their input and output, and querying status. The package is widely used by other R tooling to run external commands and to manage long-running tasks in a stable, portable way.

Core features include launching external programs with arguments, configuring working directories and environment variables, and capturing or redirecting standard output and error streams. It supports both asynchronous and synchronous operation, enabling non-blocking workflows. Users can query the exit status, wait for completion, and read output incrementally or after termination. It also provides mechanisms to send termination signals or kill processes, and to enforce timeouts.

Architecturally, processx implements a cross-platform layer in R with compiled code that delegates to native operating-system facilities. On Windows this involves the OS’s process creation APIs, while on POSIX systems it relies on standard spawn/exec mechanisms. The design aims for a lightweight core with a stable, high-level API that can be embedded or extended by other packages without requiring platform-specific code in user scripts.

Processx serves as a foundation for many R workflows and tooling that need external process management. It underpins packages such as callr and is commonly used in testing and build pipelines to run commands in controlled environments. Its focus on portability, reliability, and a clean interface makes it a core component in the R ecosystem for interacting with external tools.