A Setup Checklist
A.1 Accounts you will need to sign up for (action required)
-
CCSS-RS account (for computing access) - Select “Apply for Research account” and list Lars as a sponsor. Do not select “Request Secure Data Services account”. If prompted about using sensitive or restricted data, please select “No”. Otherwise, this will take you to a window to sign up for a CRADC account instead, which is not necessary. If you encounter this issue, please email the CISER help desk asking them cancel the CRADC account request.
- (no installation necessary on Windows, as it is pre-installed)
- If using a Mac and if “Microsoft Remote Desktop” is not already installed on Mac, install Remote Desktop Software from iTunes
- Once an account is set up, learn How to log on to CCSS-RS (also includes download links).
You must try this out before the first day of training! If you run into any issues, contact the CCSS-RS helpdesk at CCSS-ResearchSupport@cornell.edu
- You will need openICPSR account, in order to download pre-publication materials. Please be sure to use your Cornell e-mail!
A.2 Accounts you will be signed up for (no action required)
-
Atlassian account
- Bitbucket for access to the internal Git repos
- Jira account for the internal issue tracker
- Email is used for the mailing list ldi-lab-l@cornell.edu
A.3 Software to install on your laptop
- Windows Remote Desktop (see above)
- Git command line tool (download the software, then follow the guide on Installing Git on your computer
-
Command line (We will use the “Bash shell”, but PowerShell and Zsh will work, too)
- Windows: “Git bash” comes with the Git install above. You could also use WSL2 (OPTIONAL, Pro)
- macOS: Use the “Terminal” app (pre-installed)
- Linux: Use any “terminal” app (typically pre-installed)
-
Visual Studio Code (download location), a powerful text editor
- Set up settings sync (OPTIONAL, recommended)
- Install Plugins: Excel to Markdown table
- Install Plugins: Markdown Preview Enhanced
- Install Plugins: Auto-Open Markdown Preview (OPTIONAL, can sometimes be inconvenient)
- Install Plugins: markdownlint will debug your Markdown
Other software is optional. You will use statistical software on other computers that we will get you access to.
A.4 Text editor vs. Word processor
You want to use a text editor, not a word processor. The difference: a text editor creates simple text files, without fancy formatting.
If you are creating code in Stata, Matlab, or Rstudio, you are using a customized text editor, sometimes called an IDE = “Integrated Development Environment”. That is OK. But remember that all such program code is a straight text file.
General purpose text editors can view and edit them all, although they may lack some of the fancy features that make programming easier in the dedicated IDE.
A.5 Availability and Suggestions
| OS | Laptop | CCSS-RS | Custom node | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS Visual Studio Code | All | Suggested | Yes | |
| Atom | All | Yes | ||
| Notepad++ | Windows | Yes | Yes | |
| vi | Mac, Linux |
A.6 Note
- It is possible to synchronize VSCode settings and modules between your laptop, the cloud, and CISER.