R is a programming language and environment for statistical computing, data analysis, and data visualization. It is open source software meaning that it is free for users and the source code is publicly available for distribution and modification. A major advantage of R is the online help and resources made available by the R community. Some of these resources include:
R is easy to use for beginning programmers. There are thousands of user-contributed packages available for installation that provide users with a bundle of code, data, documentation, and tests that can be easily replicated. In addition, R works well with large datasets as well as successfully integrates with other software such as Python, Bioconductor, WinBUGS, JAGS, and more.
Installing R on Windows machines is a fairly simple process. Start out at the The Comprehensive R Archive Network (https://cran.r-project.org)
1. Select Download R for Windows as your target operation system
2. A new window will open. You will be given options of "subdirectories". Select base
3. From there select Download R 3.3.2 for Windows
4. Open the downloaded .exe file
5. A dialog box will appear. Select Run
6. You may be asked what language to install it in. Select English
7. When the R Setup Wizard opens select Next
8. Click and accept the default install location by selecting Next
9. Continue to follow the instructions given in the R Setup Wizard. You can safely use the default settings by continuing to select Next
Installing R on Mac OS X machines is a fairly simple process. Start out at the The Comprehensive R Archive Network (https://cran.r-project.org)
1. Select Download R for (Mac) OS X as your target operation system
2. A new window will open. You will be given options of "Files". Select R-3.3.2.pkg
3. Open the downloaded .pkg file
4. Follow the installer prompts
5. Drag the R icon into the Applications folder
Downloading R for Linux is more complicated than either Windows or Mac installation. If you are a Ubuntu user, R-bloggers provides an explanation on getting the most current version of R on your system. This tutorial will show users how to install both R and RStudio using the command line.
Ubuntu users can also use the Ubuntu Software Center to download and install R.
Once installed, opening R on Windows is very simple.
1. Select the Windows icon on the bottom of the task bar
2. Select All Programs
3. Scroll through your programs until you see a folder called R. Select this folder
4. Select R x64 3.3.1
You are now ready to use R!
Once installed, opening R on Mac is very simple.
1. Go to the Applications folder
2. Find and select the R icon
You are now ready to use R!
Once installed, opening R on Linux is very simple in comparison to the download/installation process. Please note: the images display the RStudio icon instead of R. The steps are the same for both programs.
1. First, select the Ubuntu Software folder
2. Search for R
3. Select the R icon to open the program
Note: to lock R to your launcher, right click the R logo. Select Lock to Launcher
The R icon will now be displayed on your dock. To open, select the icon from the dock
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