Installing R and RStudio
Overview
Before we can start working with the tidyverse, you’ll need R and RStudio installed on your own computer. R must be installed first — RStudio is an interface that runs on top of R, not a replacement for it.
Download links
| Install | Link |
|---|---|
| R (install this first) | https://cran.r-project.org/ |
| RStudio Desktop | https://posit.co/download/rstudio-desktop/ |
| Posit Cloud (browser-based, no install) | https://posit.cloud/ |
If your laptop is old, low on storage, or the installer fails, Posit Cloud gives you a browser-based version of RStudio with no installation required — a good fallback for the first day of class.
Installation steps
1. Check your computer type
On Mac: Apple menu → About This Mac → check whether you have an Apple (M-series) chip or an Intel processor. This determines which R installer you need.
2. Download and install R first
Go to CRAN, choose your operating system, and download the base installer:
- Windows: choose “base”
- Mac: choose the installer matching the chip type found in Step 1
Run the installer with default settings. You won’t open R directly after this — it runs in the background for RStudio to use.
3. Download and install RStudio Desktop
Go to posit.co/download/rstudio-desktop. The page auto-detects your OS — download the free RStudio Desktop Open Source edition and run the installer with default settings.
4. Open RStudio and verify the setup
Launch RStudio (not R). You should see four panels. Click into the Console panel (bottom-left), type:
1 + 1and press Enter. If it returns 2, R and RStudio are correctly linked.
5. Handle Mac security warnings if needed
If macOS blocks RStudio with “cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified,” go to System Preferences → Privacy & Security and click “Open Anyway” next to the RStudio message.
Troubleshooting
- RStudio won’t open / no console appears: R was likely not installed, or was installed after RStudio. Reinstall R, then relaunch RStudio.
- “Developer cannot be verified” (Mac): System Preferences → Privacy & Security → “Open Anyway.”
- Very old operating system: current RStudio may not install. Archived older RStudio versions are available on the Posit downloads page.
- Package installation errors later in the course: usually resolved by updating to the newest version of R via CRAN.
If you’re still stuck, bring your laptop to office hours or book a slot through the Canvas appointment scheduler.