Appendix A. Installing Python, Jupyter Notebook, and PyTorch
This appendix covers
- How to install Anaconda on your computer based on your operating system
- Creating a Python virtual environment for projects in this book
- Installing Jupyter Notebook in the virtual environment
- Installing PyTorch based on whether you have a CUDA-enabled GPU
There exist various ways of installing Python and managing libraries and packages on your computer. This book uses Anaconda, an open-source Python distribution, package manager, and environment management tool. Anaconda stands out for its user-friendly nature and capacity to facilitate the effortless installation of numerous libraries and packages, which could be painful or downright impossible to install otherwise.
Specifically, Anaconda allows users to install packages through both 'conda install' and 'pip install,' broadening the spectrum of available resources. This appendix will guide you to create a dedicated Python virtual environment for all projects in this book. This segmentation ensures that the libraries and packages used in this book remain isolated from any libraries utilized in other, unrelated projects, thus eliminating any potential interference.