Installing R

Installing R and RStudio

In this course, we will use R and RStudio to perform necessary visualizations, analyses and to create web-based reports.

If you have not already installed R and RStudio on your computer, please follow these instructions to do so.

  1. Install R: Install the latest version of R link
  2. Install RStudio: (Mac OS X | PC)

If you are using a Chromebook or other “web browsing only” computer that will not allow you to install software locally, then set up an account at RStudio Cloud instead of installing R and RStudio as shown here. Use your BYU-I email and user ID.

Just accept all of the default options when installing.

Detailed Instructions

To install the statistical analysis program RStudio you will first need to install a piece of software called R. Funny name, right? (There was originally a software called “S” for statistics, and then “R” was invented later on. Part of the reason they used “R” was to claim that “R” was a “leap ahead” of “S.”)

Install the R Software by clicking:

  1. Mac OS X M1-3 Chip (Most Common)
  2. Mac OS X Intel Chip
  3. PC

Once that download finishes, open the resulting file.

Click “Continue” or “Okay” or “Accept” for all of the several various windows that will appear.

Now that R is properly installed on your computer, we need to install RStudio. RStudio is an app that runs R inside of it and provides you with many other tools that go way beyond what R can do. This is why R must be installed first, so that RStudio can use it. You will never need to open R yourself. Just use RStudio. But without R, RStudio won’t work properly.

Install the RStudio app by clicking here: (Mac OS X | Windows).

Once the RStudio installer downloads, open the resulting file.

Again, work through the installation process, agreeing with all the defaults and terms of conditions.

Once the installation finishes you can use your computer’s search bar to search for “RStudio” in your apps.

Testing R-Studio

Throughout this course, you will download many files. The collection of files will be a valuable resource if you go on to use R in the future.

  1. Create a folder somewhere that is easy to find. Consider naming it “M221D” or another descriptive name
  2. Download the course material and move the Student_Work folder to your course folder created in step 1.
  3. Open the TestingTesting.qmd file in R-Studio from the 1-Data_Literacy folder.
  4. At the top of the R-Studio Window, there may be a prompt to Install some libraries. Click install.
  5. After the libraries have finished installing, click the “Render” button at the top of the document window.

This should open up a browser window with some text and a chart. If it runs, you’re technology is set up for success in this class. If not, ask the TA or Brother Cannon for help.

Troubleshooting

Mac Processing Chip

For Macs, Which version of R-Studio you download depends on which processing chip you have. If you followed the instructions above and R-Studio opens but gives you a big error, you need to download the other version of R linked above.