This is a DNAnexus Asset Bundle [1,2], to support the running of VCFscope.
It essentially installs R 3.2.3, and the necessary dependencies. If you're not using DNAnexus, then the Makefile should work on an Ubuntu 14.04 instance. The combination of dxasset.json and Makefile creates a snapshot of a system, with the appropriate dependencies installed in the appropriate system locations.