Software

Warning

You should install and set everything here before the first day of class.

Install the core class software

  1. Sign up for Slack. You should have been sent a link to join in the course intro email. If not, email Professor Helveston for an invite link. I recommend using your @gwu.edu email to sign up, but if you use another email for another Slack then use that.

  2. Install the Slack app on your phone and Turn notifications on!. I’ll send all course communication via Slack, so please make sure your notifications are on so you don’t miss anything.

  3. Download and install R (version 4.0.2 or higher). We’ll still be doing all our analysis in R – this course just changes who’s typing the code, not the language.

  4. Install Positron, the IDE we’ll use all semester: download it here and follow the install instructions for your OS. Positron is Posit’s newer IDE (built by the same company behind RStudio) and is what we’ll use to work with R, Quarto, and Claude Code together in one place. We will not be using RStudio this semester.

  5. If you have a Mac, install XQuartz. This is needed for making some figures and is only for Mac (if you’re on Windows or Linux, skip this step).

  6. Download and install Quarto

  7. Install course R packages: Download this R file, then open it in Positron and run the code in the file in the R console (if you can’t find it, go to “View” -> “Console” from the menu bar). This will install all the packages listed in the file.

  8. Download and install GitHub Desktop

  9. Create your GitHub account: If you do not yet have a GitHub account, you’ll need to create one. Choose a user name that you like, recognizing that this will be viewed by many in the professional world (Professor Helveston’s is jhelvy), and use a personal email address that will follow you after leaving GW (I recommend not using your GW email as it eventually expires).

Install an agentic CLI tool

We will be learning agentic AI workflows in this class, so you will need to install an agentic CLI tool. I will use and teach Claude Code in class as the primary agentic tool I recommend, though you are welcome to use an alternative such as Google Gemini CLI.

Installing Claude Code

You install Claude Code from inside Positron. Work through these five steps before the first day of class. You will need macOS 13 or newer, or Windows 10 or newer.

Tip

Below are my suggested installation steps. If you have any difficulty, look over Anthropic’s Quickstart guide. If you’re still stuck, we can sort it out with you before or after class.

Step 1: Get a Claude subscription

If you do not already have one, sign up now. You’ll need at least a Claude Pro subscription to use Claude Code – a free account isn’t sufficient.

Step 2: Open a terminal inside Positron

Open Positron, then from the menu bar, choose Terminal > New Terminal. A panel opens along the bottom of the window. Everything below happens in that panel, so you never need to leave Positron.

Step 3: Run the installer

Paste the line for your computer into the terminal, then press Enter.

macOS

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Windows

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Step 4: Close that terminal, then open a new one

Use the trash icon on the terminal panel, then Terminal > New Terminal again. This step matters: the installer teaches your computer where claude lives, and only a freshly opened terminal knows about it.

To check that it worked, type claude --version and press Enter. You should see a version number such as 2.1.211 (Claude Code). If you instead see command not found, opening a new terminal is what fixes it nine times out of ten.

Step 5: Log in

Type claude and press Enter. A browser window opens: sign in with the Claude account you paid for in step 1. You only do this once.

Alternatives to Claude Code

Claude Code is not the only agent that works this way. Both of these below run in Positron’s terminal exactly like Claude Code does, and Gemini CLI is free with an ordinary Google account, though you can quickly run out of tokens using the free tier. The underlying skills we will cover (directing an agent, verifying its output) transfer. Just know that in-class instruction, troubleshooting help, and these materials will all assume Claude Code, so you’re on your own for translating anything tool-specific.

  • Gemini CLI: Google’s coding agent for the terminal. The closest free stand-in for Claude Code, and the one to pick if you would rather not pay. Free with a Google account.

  • Codex: OpenAI’s coding agent for the terminal. A good fit if you already pay for ChatGPT and want to stay in that account. Needs a paid ChatGPT plan.

That’s it - you’re all set for class!