# 2 Install Software

You will need to install both $$R$$ and $$R Studio$$, but $$\LaTeX$$ is optional.

## 2.1 The R Programing Language

The “Comprehensive R Archive Network” (CRAN) is a collection of sites which carry identical material, consisting of the $$R$$ distribution(s), the contributed extensions (packages), and documentation for $$R$$. From $$CRAN$$, you can obtain the latest official FREE release of BASE $$R$$.

Go to: www.r-project.org

• Choose a CRAN mirror close to your geographical location
• Select base $$R$$ for your computer (Windows, Mac, ect.)
• The defaults are good…don’t change them…just keep clicking ‘Next’

Each new release of $$R$$ is given a name that references a Peanuts strip or film. Read some of the past names and find out where they came from: blog post

## 2.2 The R Studio IDE

RStudio is a company that is also an active member of the $$R$$ community. They believe free and open source data analysis software is a foundation for innovative and important work in science, education, and industry. Their namesake software, $$RStudio$$, is an integrated development environment (IDE) for $$R$$. It includes a console, syntax-highlighting editor that supports direct code execution, as well as tools for plotting, history, debugging and workspace management.

Go to: www.rstudio.com

• Select the FREE Open Source Desktop Edition of $$R Studio$$
• The defaults are good…don’t change them…just keep clicking ‘Next’

Note: The $$R Consortium$$ is a collaboration between the $$R$$ Foundation, $$RStudio$$, $$Microsoft$$, $$TIBCO$$, $$Google$$, $$Oracle$$, $$HP$$ and others. It’s chartered to fund and inspire ideas that will enable $$R$$ to become an even better platform for science, research, and industry.

## 2.3 TeX (optional)

$$\TeX$$ or $$\LaTeX$$ is a typesetting or formatting system that is commonly used in printing and publishing, especially anything with formulas (see https://texfaq.org/FAQ-whatTeX). It is NOT NEEDED to run $$R$$, but $$R Studio$$ must have access to it in order to knit a $$R Notebook$$ into a .pdf file. There are many versions, but the following are the ones that work best with $$R$$, depending on your computer’s platform.

### 2.3.1 Mac - use MacTeX

Go to: http://tug.org/mactex/

• Download (5+ min) to a folder and them double click on the PKG file
### 2.3.3 New Option: the tinytex package???
tinyteX is still a relatively new project which strives to offer all the functionality of $$\LaTeX$$, but remain lightweight and easier to maintain. As it is so new, we are not adopting it currently, but keeping an eye on what is to come.