Installing Git, Python and VS Code

There are several software tools used in the statschat course. The guidance below will help you to download, install and configure the software for your local machine. All of the software are free to use and should be relatively easy to set up. If you have any problems please do not hesitate to post a question on GitHub issues.

Git Logo Git

Git is a version control system used to track changes to local files.

Windows

  1. Download from git-scm.com
  2. Run the .exe installer
  3. Use default options unless advised otherwise

Check Git whether the installation has been successful by opening Git Bash from the Start Menu.

macOS

  1. Open the Terminal
  2. Type git and press Enter
  3. If not installed, follow prompts to install Xcode Command Line Tools

Alternatively install via Homebrew:

brew install git

Linux (Debian):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git-all

Python Logo Python

Python is an open source programming language with extensive libraries for working with LLMs.

Windows

  1. Download from python.org
  2. Critical: Check “Add Python to PATH” during installation
  3. Verify in Command Prompt:
python --version
pip --version

macOS

  1. Download .pkg installer from python.org
  2. Run installer and follow instructions
  3. Verify in Terminal:
python3 --version
pip3 --version

Linux (Ubuntu):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

VS Code Logo Visual Studio Code

VS Code is a free, industry-standard code editor with Git integration and Python support.

  1. Download from code.visualstudio.com
  2. Run installer (default settings recommended)
  3. Launch VS Code

There are a couple of essential extensions that you should install too:

Go to the Extensions tab (Ctrl+Shift+X) and install:

Further reading