Cannot load R xlsx package on Mac OS 10.11

Question

I can load the rJava and xlsxjars packages, but I get a "Failed to load JVM" when I execute library(xlsx). Below are my details.

OS Version:

$ sw_vers ProductName:    Mac OS X ProductVersion: 10.11 BuildVersion:   15A284 

Java Version:

$ java -version java version "1.8.0_65" Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_65-b17) Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.65-b01, mixed mode) 

Java Path:

$ which java /usr/bin/java 

Java Home:

$ /usr/libexec/java_home /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_65.jdk/Contents/Home 

R Version:

$ R --version R version 3.2.3 (2015-12-10) -- "Wooden Christmas-Tree" Copyright (C) 2015 The R Foundation for Statistical Computing Platform: x86_64-apple-darwin13.4.0 (64-bit) 

How I launch R:

$ LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$(/usr/libexec/java_home)/jre/lib/server: open -a RStudio 

Loading the rJava and xlsxjars packages successfully:

> library(rJava) > library(xlsxjars) 

Unsuccessfully trying to load the xlsx package:

> library(xlsx) JavaVM: requested Java version ((null)) not available. Using Java at "" instead. JavaVM: Failed to load JVM: /bundle/Libraries/libserver.dylib JavaVM FATAL: Failed to load the jvm library. Error : .onLoad failed in loadNamespace() for 'xlsx', details:   call: .jinit()   error: JNI_GetCreatedJavaVMs returned -1 Error: package or namespace load failed for ‘xlsx’ 

R Configuration:

Matts-MacBook-Pro:~ matt$ R CMD javareconf Java interpreter : /usr/bin/java Java version     : 1.8.0_65 Java home path   : /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_65.jdk/Contents/Home/jre Java compiler    : /usr/bin/javac Java headers gen.: /usr/bin/javah Java archive tool: /usr/bin/jar Non-system Java on OS X  trying to compile and link a JNI program  detected JNI cpp flags    : -I$(JAVA_HOME)/../include -I$(JAVA_HOME)/../include/darwin detected JNI linker flags : -L$(JAVA_HOME)/lib/server -ljvm clang -I/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Resources/include -DNDEBUG -I/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_65.jdk/Contents/Home/jre/../include -I/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_65.jdk/Contents/Home/jre/../include/darwin -I/usr/local/include -I/usr/local/include/freetype2 -I/opt/X11/include    -fPIC  -Wall -mtune=core2 -g -O2  -c conftest.c -o conftest.o clang -dynamiclib -Wl,-headerpad_max_install_names -undefined dynamic_lookup -single_module -multiply_defined suppress -L/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Resources/lib -L/usr/local/lib -o conftest.so conftest.o -L/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_65.jdk/Contents/Home/jre/lib/server -ljvm -F/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/.. -framework R -Wl,-framework -Wl,CoreFoundation   JAVA_HOME        : /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk1.8.0_65.jdk/Contents/Home/jre Java library path: $(JAVA_HOME)/lib/server JNI cpp flags    : -I$(JAVA_HOME)/../include -I$(JAVA_HOME)/../include/darwin JNI linker flags : -L$(JAVA_HOME)/lib/server -ljvm Updating Java configuration in /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Resources 

Answer 1

Unfortunately, these symlink tricks didn't help me. However, I found a similar issue on stackoverflow! (where else ;)) This one worked for me by doing the following:

1. In terminal enter the following to relink Java correctly:

   sudo R CMD javareconf 

2. Back in R (or RStudio) install the rJava package from source:

   install.packages("rJava",type='source') 

Hope, this helps!