EDS 217 Cheatsheet

Setting up python

This guide will help you set up Python 3.11 and the Positron IDE on your local machine using Miniconda. We’ll also install core data science libraries.

Note

You do not need any of this for class. In EDS 217 we work in Positron on the Bren Posit Workbench server, where everything is already installed. This guide is here for when you want Python on your own machine.

Step 0: Opening a Terminal

Before we begin, you’ll need to know how to open a terminal (command-line interface) on your operating system:

For Windows:

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
  2. Type cmd and press Enter. Alternatively, search for β€œCommand Prompt” in the Start menu.

For macOS:

  1. Press Command + Space to open Spotlight Search.
  2. Type β€œTerminal” and press Enter. Alternatively, go to Applications > Utilities > Terminal.

For Linux:

  1. Most Linux distributions use Ctrl + Alt + T as a keyboard shortcut to open the terminal.
  2. You can also search for β€œTerminal” in your distribution’s application menu.

Step 1: Download and Install Miniconda

For Windows:

  1. Download the Miniconda installer for Windows from the official website.
  2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
  3. During installation, make sure to add Miniconda to your PATH environment variable when prompted.

For macOS:

  1. Download the Miniconda installer for macOS from the official website.

  2. Open Terminal and navigate to the directory containing the downloaded file.

  3. Run the following command:

    bash Miniconda3-latest-MacOSX-x86_64.sh

  4. Follow the prompts and accept the license agreement.

For Linux:

  1. Download the Miniconda installer for Linux from the official website.

  2. Open a terminal and navigate to the directory containing the downloaded file.

  3. Run the following command:

    bash Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh

  4. Follow the prompts and accept the license agreement.

Step 2: Set up Python 3.11 and Core Libraries

Open a new terminal or command prompt window to ensure the Miniconda installation is recognized.

Run the following commands:

conda install python=3.11
conda install jupyter ipykernel numpy pandas matplotlib seaborn

This will install Python 3.11, the Jupyter kernel machinery that Positron uses to run notebooks, and the core data science libraries in your base environment.

Alternative: Create a Dedicated EDS 217 Environment

For better package management, you can create a dedicated conda environment for this course:

# Create a new environment specifically for EDS 217
conda create -n eds217_2026 python=3.11

# Activate the environment
conda activate eds217_2026

# Install packages in the dedicated environment
conda install jupyter ipykernel numpy pandas matplotlib seaborn scipy scikit-learn

# Register the environment with Jupyter
python -m ipykernel install --user --name eds217_2026 --display-name "Python 3.11 (EDS 217 2026)"

In Positron, you can then select β€œPython 3.11 (EDS 217 2026)” in a notebook’s Kernel Selector, or in the interpreter dropdown in the top right corner.

Step 3: Verify Installation

  1. To verify that Python 3.11 is installed, run:

    python --version

  2. To check that the environment registered as a kernel, run:

    jupyter kernelspec list

    You should see eds217_2026 in the list.

Step 4: Install Positron

Download Positron from positron.posit.co and install it the way you would any other application. Open it, create a new notebook from the Command Palette (Create: New Jupyter Notebook), and choose the eds217_2026 kernel. You can now write notebooks on your own machine exactly as you do in class.

Additional Notes

  • To update Miniconda and installed packages in the future, use:

    conda update --all

  • While we’re using the base environment for this quick setup, it’s generally a good practice to create separate environments for different projects. You can explore this concept later as you become more familiar with conda.