Downloading R and R Studio

Downloading R

R is freely maintained by an international team of developers and is available through The Comprehensive R Archive Network. Follow the instructions below to download R. If you are using an older computer or iPad, skip to 1.4 Using Posit Cloud for R.

• Go to The Comprehensive R Archive Network webpage:
  • https://cran.r-project.org
• To install R on Windows, click the “Download R for Windows” link.
• To install R on a Mac, click the “Download R for Mac” link.

Downloading RStudio

One way to picture what RStudio does is to compare it to Microsoft Word, a software application that allows us to write documents. RStudio, instead of being a platform to write text, helps us write in the coding language R. Follow the instructions below to download RStudio.

• Go to the Posit RStudio Desktop page.
• To install for Mac:
  • Scroll to the button that says “Install R on a Mac,” and click the “Download R for Mac OS 13+” link.
  • If you’re using an older version, click the “Previous Versions” link to find a version that works with your computer.
• To install for Windows:
  • Scroll to the button that says “Install R on Windows 10/11,” and click the link to download.

Using Posit Cloud for R

Posit Cloud is the most common cloud service used when working with RStudio and is free up to a point.

• First, choose the “Cloud Free” plan.
• Second, follow the Posit Cloud instructions to log in.
• Third, go to the “Tutorial” tab in the upper right corner, scroll to the bottom, and select “Getting Started with Tutorials,” then press the “Start Tutorial” button.
• You will work in a singular RProject space for the majority of the class.