Welcome

Who is this guide for?

This guide is designed for students in AGST 50104: Experimental Design who may have:

  • ✅ Never used R or RStudio before
  • ✅ Never used Visual Studio Code (VSCode)
  • ✅ Limited experience with coding or programming
  • ✅ Questions about GitHub accounts or GitHub Copilot

Our goal: Get you set up with all the tools you need for this course with clear, visual instructions.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this guide, you will have:

  1. ✅ A GitHub account (using your .edu email for free benefits)
  2. ✅ Visual Studio Code (VSCode) installed and configured
  3. ✅ Posit Cloud set up for cloud-based R development
  4. ✅ RStudio Desktop installed and configured locally
  5. ✅ Quarto installed and working in both IDEs
  6. ✅ AHPCC (Arkansas High Performance Computing Cluster) access configured
  7. ✅ GitHub Copilot set up for AI-powered coding assistance
  8. ✅ Confidence to start coding in this course!

How to Use This Guide

Pro Tips:

  • 📖 Follow chapters in order — each builds on the previous one
  • ⏸️ Pause the embedded videos to follow along at your own pace
  • ❓ Ask for help if something doesn’t work — reach out via email
  • 💾 Bookmark this guide — you may need to reference it throughout the semester

System Requirements

Before you begin, make sure your computer meets these minimum requirements:

0.0.1 Windows Users

  • OS: Windows 10 or newer
  • RAM: 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended)
  • Storage: 5 GB free space
  • Internet: Stable connection for downloads

0.0.2 macOS Users

  • OS: macOS 11 (Big Sur) or newer
  • RAM: 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended)
  • Storage: 5 GB free space
  • Internet: Stable connection for downloads

0.0.3 Linux Users

  • OS: Ubuntu 20.04+ / Fedora 35+ / Debian 11+
  • RAM: 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended)
  • Storage: 5 GB free space
  • Internet: Stable connection for downloads

Important: Some installations require administrator privileges on your computer. If you’re using a university-managed computer, you may need to contact IT support.

Estimated Time

Plan for 1-2 hours to complete this entire setup, depending on your internet speed and familiarity with software installation.

Chapter Task Est. Time
1 Prerequisites & Overview 5 min
2 GitHub Account Setup 10 min
3 VSCode Installation & Setup 20 min
4 Posit Cloud Setup 15 min
5 RStudio Installation & Setup 15 min
6 Quarto Installation 15 min
7 AHPCC Access 10 min
8 GitHub Copilot Setup 20 min

Ready to get started? Let’s begin with Chapter 1: Prerequisites!