Prior to the class, there are some required software installs for your computers. Prior experience using command line programs or programming in general can be helpful but is not necessary. Some excercises will be woven into class content or assignments given that help to develop foundational skills in approaching evolutionary biology research. I do not recommend anybody install something that I have not personally used or used in a teaching environment before.

Additional office hours will be created in advance of computational assignments to help ensure everyone is prepared and has a positive experience with class activities.

Some common prerequisites

If you do not already, please install the following:

  • install R and R Studio
  • install a text editor for editing or writing code if you do not already have one. I strongly suggest VSCode as well as another plain text editor with less features:
    • VSCode for all systems but with some extra features for coding
    • BBEdit for Mac users
    • Notepad++ for Windows users
  • install Python
    • there are now many ways to install Python and its associated package managers. If this is your first time installing Python, my honest opinion is that you want to install the version distributed through miniconda. This will not only get Python in the right place for you, but a lot of packages that many other Python packages are dependent on.
    • Please note that Anaconda Foundation products (including miniconda) have a terms of use agreement. It is free for you as an individual and for education and research. If you also work for a company or government agency with more than 500 employees, you should avoid using miniconda and other anaconda products to not violate the terms of use. Come talk to me if this is you.

For Windows users

  • install Git for Windows
    • This provides a UNIX-like environment on your windows machine. It will ensure everyone is on the same page for activities rather than having branching paths for Windows and UNIX-based users.