B Installing R

B.1 Why should I install R on my computer?

The R Server is cuts down on a lot of installation problems and it means that you have all the packages and functions you need already installed. However, it requires an internet connection to use and additional when it comes time to submit your R assessments, if you don’t have R on your computer it means that you won’t be able to open the files you download from the server to check they’re ok before you submit them.

There are some great detailed walkthrough videos by Danielle Narvarro on YouTube re: how to install R on both Windows and Mac.

B.2 Windows

If you are using Windows, you should download and install the following:

• R
• R Studio
• RTools

Once you’ve installed all three programs, restart your computer. Then, open RStudio (not R) and run the below code:

install.packages("tidyverse")

This will install the tidyverse package on your computer. If you have any problems installing R, please book into a GTA session as they should be able to help you with any installation problems.

B.3 Mac

If you are using a Mac, you should download and install the following:

• R
  
• R Studio
  
• XQuartz

If you have any issues installing R on your Mac, first, we recommend that you watch the walkthrough by Danielle Navarro.

If you have further issues on Mac, you may find this video helpful walkthrough video. Additionally, if you are using a Mac with the Catalina OS, we also recommend you read this troubleshooting guide

Once you’ve installed all three programs, restart your computer. Then, open RStudio (not R) and run the below code:

install.packages("tidyverse")

This will install the tidyverse package on your computer. If you have any problems installing R, please book into a GTA session as they should be able to help you with any installation problems.

B.4 Chromebooks

Please note that you cannot currently install R on a Chromebook, please use the R Server.