Introduction to Python for Data Science: Setup

Installing Python

Python is a popular language for scientific computing, and great for general-purpose programming as well. Installing all of its scientific packages individually can be a bit difficult, however, so we recommend using [Miniconda Python Distribution][miniconda] from Anaconda for your OS. Miniconda is mini version of the [Anaconda Python Distribution][anaconda-distribution] that includes Python as well as the Conda environment and package management tool (and its core dependencies). If, however, you would prefer to install the full Anaconda Python Distribution, instructions are also provided below.

Prefer Miniconda to Anaconda

I suggest installing Miniconda which combines Conda with Python 3 (and a small number of core systems packages) instead of the full Anaconda distribution. Installing only Miniconda will encourage you to create separate environments for each project (and to install only those packages that you actually need for each project!). Project specific environments enhance portability and reproducibility of your research and workflows.

Besides, if you really want the full Anaconda distribution you can always create an new conda environment and install it using the following command.

$ conda create --name my-anaconda-env anaconda=5.3

We will discuss the above command in great depth in this lesson.

Regardless of how you choose to install it, please make sure you install Python 3 version of the installer. Also, please set up your python environment at least a day in advance of the workshop. If you encounter problems with the installation procedure, ask your workshop organizers via e-mail for assistance so you are ready to go as soon as the workshop begins.

Installing Python Using Miniconda

First check whether Conda has already been installed on your local machine by running the following command in a terminal if you are running macOS or Linux.

$ which conda
/Users/$USERNAME/miniconda3/bin/conda

If Conda has already been installed on your machine, then this command should return the absolute path to the conda executable.

Windows users will need to search for the “Anaconda Powershell Prompt”. If this program is already installed, then Conda has also already been installed on your machine.

If Conda has not been installed on your machine, then install the Python 3 version of [Miniconda][miniconda] from Anaconda for your OS. Miniconda is a mini version of the Anaconda Python distribution that includes only Conda and its dependencies.

Installing Python Using Anaconda

The exact procedure for installing the full Anaconda Python Distibution differs slightly depending on your OS.

Windows - Video tutorial

  1. Open https://www.anaconda.com/distribution/ with your web browser.

  2. Download the Python 3 installer for Windows.

  3. Double-click the executable and install Python 3 using the recommended settings. Make sure that Register Anaconda as my default Python 3.x option is checked - it should be in the latest version of Anaconda

Mac OS X - Video tutorial

  1. Visit https://www.anaconda.com/distribution/ with your web browser.

  2. Download the Python 3 installer for OS X. These instructions assume that you use the graphical installer .pkg file.

  3. Follow the Python 3 installation instructions. Make sure that the install location is set to “Install only for me” so Anaconda will install its files locally, relative to your home directory. Installing the software for all users tends to create problems in the long run and should be avoided.

Linux

Note that the following installation steps require you to work from the shell. If you run into any difficulties, please request help before the workshop begins.

  1. Open https://www.anaconda.com/distribution/ with your web browser.

  2. Download the Python 3 installer for Linux.

  3. Install Python 3 using all of the defaults for installation.

    a. Open a terminal window.

    b. Navigate to the folder where you downloaded the installer

    c. Type

    $ bash Anaconda3-

    and press tab. The name of the file you just downloaded should appear.

    d. Press enter.

    e. Follow the text-only prompts. When the license agreement appears (a colon will be present at the bottom of the screen) press the space bar until you see the bottom of the text. Type yes and press enter to approve the license. Press enter again to approve the default location for the files. Type yes and press enter to prepend Anaconda to your PATH (this makes the Anaconda distribution your user’s default Python).

Getting the Data

The data we will be using is taken from the gapminder dataset. To obtain it, download and unzip the file python-novice-gapminder-data.zip. In order to follow the presented material, you should launch the JupyterLab server in the root directory (see Starting JupyterLab).