setting up conda/anaconda

Note

There are many, many ways to install conda - I will link to two here. Note that you only need to choose one.

introduction

conda is an open-source package management system, intended to make it easier to work on different projects that may have different, potentially conflicting, package requirements. Originally developed for python packages, but it can be used to package and distribute software packages for any language, including R.

conda can be used from both the command-line as well as via a graphical user interface (GUI). The instructions below will help you install either a GUI frontend (Anaconda Navigator), or a command-line interface (mambaforge).

installing anaconda navigator

To begin, navigate to https://docs.anaconda.com/anaconda/install/, which contains detailed, operating-system dependent instructions for installing Anaconda. Anaconda is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems; most of the instructions for this course will be given using Windows, but I am happy to work with you on setting yourself up in another operating system if need be.

Follow the linked instructions for downloading and installing Anaconda. When the installation is finished, move on to the next step, setting up a conda environment.

installing mambaforge

If you feel comfortable using a command-line interface, I recommend installing mambaforge.

Go to the mambaforge GitHub page, and select the installer for your computer’s operating system.

Once it has downloaded, you can either double-click on the installer (Windows), or by following the instructions in the install section (Linux/MacOS).