Welcome to Biostat 203B: Introduction to Data Science.

Today

  • Introduction and course logistics
  • Linux basics

Zoom tips

  • Review some Zoom basics such as mute and unmute audio/video, raise hand, chat, and virtual background (so people don’t see your actual background).

  • Good internet connection is critical. For example WIFI at Starbucks will not work well. Have a plan where you are going to take classes on Zoom.

    Usual residential internet service seems sufficient. For example my home has ATT 50Mbps service. My Zoom sessions usually go smooth, even with >10 devices actively streaming at the same time (I have two kids at home).

    If you WIFI signal is not ideal, you may consider connecting your computer to the WIFI router directly using an ethernet cable.

  • When the connection is really bad, you can call in at one of following numbers. You can still keep your Zoom session on your computer so you can see the screen.

Join Zoom Meeting https://ucla.zoom.us/j/99440334928

Meeting ID: 994 4033 4928 One tap mobile +12133388477,,99440334928# US (Los Angeles) +16692192599,,99440334928# US (San Jose)

Dial by your location +1 213 338 8477 US (Los Angeles) +1 669 219 2599 US (San Jose) +1 602 753 0140 US (Phoenix) +1 720 928 9299 US (Denver) +1 971 247 1195 US (Portland) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 470 250 9358 US (Atlanta) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 651 372 8299 US (Minnesota) +1 786 635 1003 US (Miami) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) Meeting ID: 994 4033 4928 Find your local number: https://ucla.zoom.us/u/abSmuLdzow

  • It’s helpful to wear headphone or mute yourself while others are speaking in Zoom. Of course, remember to unmute yourself before you speak.

  • It’s good etiquette to keep your video on, unless you have limited internet bandwidth.

  • Please use your real name in Zoom so others know who they are talking to.

  • In most lectures, I will go over code (R, Linux, etc). It can be hard to follow the Zoom and at the same time run your own code on the same screen. If you have separate devices, for example, an iPad, then you can use the iPad for Zoom and run code on your laptop or PC.

Assignment (not graded)

  • Fill out a short survey. It helps me better tailor the course to your background.

  • Slack channel: https://ucla.slack.com/archives/C02SLT81N8L. You don’t have to use it; but Mitchell (TA) and I will try to answer your questions there at our earliest convenience.

  • If you have not used R/RStudio before,
    1. Download and install R v4.1 or later versions from a CRAN mirror, e.g., https://cran.rstudio.com/. Mac users pay attention to the Intel 64-bit build vs the Apple silicon arm64 build.
    2. Download and install RStudio Desktop Open Source Edition from https://www.rstudio.com/products/rstudio/#Desktop
    3. For Windows users, follow the instructions in this tutorial to install Git for Windows (Git Bash).
    4. For your information, in this class I am using R v4.1.2 and RStudio v2021.09.1 on MacOS Monterey (v12.0.1). The teaching server uses R v3.6.0 and RStudio Server v2021.09.1.
  • Install Git:
    1. For Mac user, type git at Terminal. If Git is not installed on your machine yet, it will prompt you to install the Command Line Developer Tools from Xcode. Just follow the instructions.
    2. For Windows users, install the Git for Windows.
  • Accessing the teaching server:
    1. There is a teaching server you use for exercise and homework. The ip address is server.ucla-biostat-203b.com or 34.94.166.42, accessible via SSH.
    2. Wifi: Be aware that UCLA_WEB is restricted to HTTP and HTTPS. Use UCLA_WIFI (Bruin ID credential) or eduroam (use UCLA gmail credential, e.g., joe_bruin@ucla.edu and password) for accessing teaching server. See https://humtech.ucla.edu/computing-support/wifi/ for details.
    3. An account has been created for those enrolled in the class as of Jan 2nd, 2022. Those enrolled the class after 1/2/2022 can ask instructor to create an account for you. The username is same as that in your email address in MyUCLA. The temporary password is 203b. E.g., if your email in MyUCLA is joe_bruin@ucla.edu, then the username for your account on teaching server is joe_bruin and the temporary password is 203b.
    4. Log in teaching server by ssh username@server.ucla-biostat-203b.com on Mac terminal or Git Bash on Windows.
    5. After log in using your temporary password, issue command passwd to change your password to a more secure one immediately. If you don’t change your password, anyone can log in your account and mess up your files.
    6. Later we will learn how to set up the more secure SSH key authentication.
    7. Both R and RStudio are installed on the teaching server. You can access and use RStudio on the server by pointing your browser to address http://server.ucla-biostat-203b.com:8787.
    8. This server is for education purpose. You are not allowed to run simulations or any program unrelated to this class.