Pmetrics: declare default fortran compiler before calling PMBuild() - r

Question

We're trying to use an R-package called Pmetrics
This does normally not support a Linux environment but We'd like to perform some tests in a parallel setup. E.g. a distributed test with a 1000 runs distributed over 20 containers.
Using this Dockerfile you can reproduce the error.
FROM centos:centos7.5.1804
RUN yum -y install gcc-gfortran epel-release
RUN mkdir /root/pksim
RUN mkdir /root/pksim/Rlibraries
WORKDIR /root/pksim
RUN yum -y install R
COPY test.r test.r
COPY install.r install.r
the install.r script contains these lines
.libPaths("/root/pksim/Rlibraries")
install.packages("http://www.lapk.org/software/Pmetrics/Repos/src/contrib/Pmetrics_1.5.2.tar.gz", repos=NULL)
The test.r script contains these lines
r = getOption("repos")
r["CRAN"] = "http://lib.ugent.be/CRAN/"
options(repos = r)
rm(r)
.libPaths("/root/pksim/Rlibraries")
library(Pmetrics)
PMbuild()
You can make this work using these commands:
build the image: docker build -t pksim .
run the image: docker run -ti pksim /bin//bash. A Console should appear.
run the R install.r script (on the console): Rscript install.r
run the R test.r script (on the console): Rscript test.r It gets stuck when it calls PMBuild()
When executing test.r, the process is stuck in an endless loop requesting this user input.
Pmetrics needs to know which Fortran compiler you are using.
You only have to specify this once.
However, you can reconfigure if your compiler changes
by using the command PMFortranConfig(reconfig=T).
In each of the following <exec> is a place holder for the executable file name
and <files> is a placeholder for the files to be compiled. Both are required.
When applicable serial and parallel compile statements in Pmetrics are listed in that order.
1. gfortran -m64 -w -O3 -o <exec> <files>
gfortran -O3 -w -fopenmp -fmax-stack-var-size=32768 -o <exec> <files>
2. g95: g95 -o -fstatic <exec> <files>
3. Intel Visual: ifort -o <exec> <files>
4. Lahey: lf90 <files> -fix -out <exec>
5. Other (define custom command)
6. Help, I don't have a Fortran compiler!
Enter the number of your compiler:
Enter the number of your compiler:
Enter the number of your compiler:
Enter the number of your compiler:
Enter the number of your compiler:
Enter the number of your compiler:
Is there a way to configure the default compiler by setting some option somewhere before running PMBuild()?
We've created a GitHub repo containing the sources for this problem.
Can anyone think of a workaround?

Answer 1

A file ~/.config/Pmetrics/FortConfig.txt can be created with the contents:
gfortran -m64 -w -O3 -o <exec> <files>
gfortran -O3 -w -fopenmp -fmax-stack-var-size=32768 -o <exec> <files>
In case you want to use the 1 proposed compiler.