---
title: "Before FOSS Starts"
description: "Accounts to create and software to install before the first FOSS session, including notes for Windows users."
type: Guide
tags:
  - Setup
  - Accounts
  - Software
generated:
  by: "claude/opus-5"
  at: "2026-09-11T00:00:00Z"
sources:
  - id: cyverse-foss
    resource: "https://github.com/CyVerse-learning-materials/foss/blob/86d4cc384976a59bd19cce2a6fdcf994b19051bd/docs/installation.md"
    title: "CyVerse FOSS: docs/installation.md"
    author: "team:cyverse"
    last_modified: "2024-09-05T10:56:33-07:00"
---

# Before FOSS Starts

Welcome to FOSS Online, we're happy you're here! To get you ready to hit the ground running, please set up the prerequisite accounts and software listed below before the course starts.

!!! note "Offering-specific links"

    The Slack workspace and HackMD notes below were set up for the CyVerse-run offering of FOSS.
    If you take FOSS through another offering, your instructors will share the equivalents.

## Account Creation

We will be using several services that require you to create a user account.

| Account | Notes |
| --- | --- |
| [:material-github: GitHub](https://github.com){target=_blank} |  GitHub will be used to store lecture materials and your own work. We will use [GitHub Education](https://education.github.com/){target=_blank} and its free features for hands-on.
| [:material-docker: Docker](https://hub.docker.com){target=_blank} | Link your GitHub account to the DockerHub. |
| [:material-slack: Slack](https://uadatascience.slack.com/){target=_blank} | We use the `UA Data Science`  Slack organization's foss channel, you should have received an invitation via email. You can use Slack in the browser, but the desktop app is usually less buggy. |
| [:material-language-markdown: HackMD](https://hackmd.io/){target=_blank} | We will use HackMD in order to facilitate daily discussions, questions and general notes. Link your HackMD using your GitHub account
| [Cyverse](https://user.cyverse.org/signup){target=_blank} | We will introduce you to Cyverse which is a powerful cloud computer with large data storage.


!!! info "Link to :material-language-markdown: HackMD"

    https://hackmd.io/-4TgToyFRU2eX7lmDZLRnQ?both

??? tip "Dual Monitors vs Side-by-Side"

    We strongly recommend you have dual monitors set-up while attending virtual FOSS Zoom lessons.

    We will be doing a lot of screen-sharing, and this will make your own interactive sessions less visible, or you will have to make them less than full screen.

    If you only have one monitor, make sure to exit full screen mode on Zoom and your browser, so you can view everything side-by-side

## Required Software

You will need to have the following software installed on your personal computer:

| Software | Notes |
| -------- | ----- |
| Web Browser | [:material-google-chrome: Chrome](https://www.google.com/chrome/dr/download/){target=_blank} or [:material-firefox: Firefox](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/){target=_blank}. |
| Text Editor | [:material-microsoft-visual-studio-code: VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/download){target=_blank} or [SublimeText](https://www.sublimetext.com/){target=_blank} |

!!! warning "**Attention** :material-microsoft-windows: Windows users"

    Much of what we are going to be teaching is based on open-source software which operates on cloud and is incompatible with Windows OS.

    Unix-based systems such as Linux [:material-ubuntu: Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/){target=_blank} and [:material-apple: MacOS X](https://www.apple.com/macos/){target=_blank}, as many scientific tools require a Unix Operating System (OS). 
    
    There are a number of software that allow Windows users to execute Unix commands, however we recommend the use of [:material-microsoft-windows: Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) 2.0](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install){target=_blank}.

    [:material-microsoft-visual-studio-code: VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/download){target=_blank} is a Microsoft product and integrates seamlessly with Unix systems, we therefore strongly encourage you to install Code on your Windows OS.

---

<p class="carc-provenance" markdown>Adapted from [CyVerse FOSS](https://github.com/CyVerse-learning-materials/foss/blob/86d4cc384976a59bd19cce2a6fdcf994b19051bd/docs/installation.md){target=_blank} (last source update 2024-09-05), CC BY 4.0. Spotted a problem? [Open an issue](https://github.com/UNM-CARC/foss/issues){target=_blank}.</p>