I didn't want to take up storage space on my laptop by installing Spark and extra Python libraries for my learning needs. So, I decided to search online for cloud-based solutions.
That's when I found GitHub Codespaces, a free service (with some limitations) that fulfilled my needs perfectly.
You can access it at this link: **https://github.com/codespaces**
To get started, simply click on the following link: **https://github.com/codespaces**. Of course, make sure to log in to your GitHub account. Once you're there, you'll have the option to choose from various templates that align with your planned activities.
I needed spark and python, so I created Jupyter Notebook.
Once the Codespace is ready, this is what you'll see. Feel free to explore the available notebooks and data, and so on.
Now, let me demonstrate how to install Spark and provide you with some basic code:
It's as simple as that. The best part is that I don't need to store anything locally on my computer. Sometimes, libraries can take up a significant amount of storage space.
Of course, Codespaces aren't completely free. There are certain limitations that you can always refer to on the following page: **https://github.com/settings/billing**. Here's a screenshot of how it appears:
Personally, I think the limits are more than enough for my learning process. So, I don't plan on buying any extra resources. However, if you're planning to do some serious work, you might want to consider the prices. Let me now in the comments, what you think about the prices!
The web interface is quite similar to Visual Studio Code, but personally, I prefer the latter. Connecting to your Codespace from Visual Studio Code is incredibly easy.