Pre-course setups and requirements

Author

Ronald Geskus and Tuyen Huynh

Published

April 4, 2025 – 07:16:32 (UTC)

About

Here we explain how to install R and RStudio on your own computer. This is required to ensure a smooth experience and reproducible results during the course.

Installation

R

  1. Go to the R website
  2. In the column on the left hand side, click on the CRAN link under the subheading Download
    • You now see a page with CRAN Mirrors. This is a list of servers from which the R software and extensions can be downloaded from
  3. Click on the first link
    • Now both the left hand side and the right hand side of the page change (This page can be saved as a bookmark/favorite)
  4. On the right hand side, click on the download link for your operating system
    • E.g. Windows users click on Download R for Windows, then click on base and download the program from there.
    • It is recommended to install the latest version as well as to upgrade the program if a new major version is released, which is about once per year
    • You can use the default installation options

RStudio Desktop

  1. Go to the download page
  2. Scroll down, look for 2: Install Rstudio and click on the button for downloading RStudio Desktop
  3. Download and install RStudio Desktop
    • You can use the default installation options
  4. Open Rstudio Desktop, to check that everything has been installed correctly
    • E.g. via the Start menu in Windows