FAQ

Can I use a local install of Python and VSCode instead of using Jupyter Lab online?

The short answer is, yes! But you will need to install a specific versions of Python, Conda, and Jupyter Lab for everything to work as expected. You will also need to install the Python libraries we’re using as well as have Git installed on your computer. These are not extremely challenging things to get right, but they are not trivial either, particularly on certain operating systems. Myself and the TA are always happy to provide help with any computational questions when you’re working in the containers we have provided for you. If you’re working on your local setup, we can’t guarantee being able to resolve your issues, though we’re happy to try.

If you want to take this path, here is one pathway (but see the computing documentation on another, more guaranteed way):

• Download and install Python 3.12.0: https://www.python.org/downloads/
• Download and install Miniconda: https://docs.conda.io/projects/miniconda/en/latest/miniconda-install.html
• Install Jupyter Lab: https://jupyter.org/install
• Install VSCode: https://code.visualstudio.com/
• Install Git: https://happygitwithr.com/install-git.html
• Install any necessary packages in the terminal with pip install ___

And I’d like to reiterate again that successful installation of these software is not a learning goal of this course.