Installing R
Before you can run the R scripts that are an integral part of the learning process in this course, you need to install the R platform on your computer system. The R platform is available free of charge from the R Project website. You can choose the R platform specific to your operating system (e.g., Windows, Linux, Mac X, etc.) The download page contains the information you need to install and configure the R platform for writing and running R scripts. Below we provide a detailed description of the process of installing the R platform on Windows. The installation in other operating systems is similar.
Some students may find it more convenient to have the R platform available on a USB drive, which will allow for running the system on a foreign computer without actually installing it on that computer. Instructions for the installation on a USB drive can be found at this site: BGSU Department of Mathematics & Statistics. (n.d.). Installing R on a USB drive. https://web.archive.org/web/20150324011648/http://personal.bgsu.edu/~mrizzo/Rmisc/usbR.htm
Installing R on Windows1. Access the R Project site: The R Foundation. (n.d.). The R project for statistical computing. http://www.r-project.org
2. Select the link to CRAN.
3. Choose a mirror site with a fast connection to your location.
4. Choose the version for your operating system. In this example, you should select the link to Windows which directs you to a page titled “R for Windows”.
5. The link associated with the title “base” directs you to a page with a link to the installation file of the current R version.
6. Running that file initiates the installation process. At the end of the installation process, an icon with the R shape is added to the desktop.
