install_rpy_packages.py

# import rpy2's package module
import rpy2.robjects.packages as rpackages

# import R's utility package
utils = rpackages.importr("utils")

# select a mirror for R packages
utils.chooseCRANmirror(ind=1)  # select the first mirror in the list

# R package names
packnames = ("glmnet", "gbm", "randomForest", "hdbinseg")

# R vector of strings
from rpy2.robjects.vectors import StrVector

# Selectively install what needs to be install.
# We are fancy, just because we can.
names_to_install = [x for x in packnames if not rpackages.isinstalled(x)]
if len(names_to_install) > 0:
    utils.install_packages(StrVector(names_to_install))