Loading SAS Version 8.2 onto a PC

Robin High
Statistical Programmer and Consultant
robinh@uoregon.edu

UO faculty, staff, and students who want to perform statistical analyses or need to manage one or more large data files may install SAS software on their personal computers. This includes laptops and computers located off-campus.

SAS installation is straightforward, but it requires you to take two preliminary steps:

Step 1. Fill out the SAS software request form at http://sas.uoregon.edu/ If you are off-campus and using a third party (not the UO) to connect to the Internet, then you need to install our VPN software to access this information, as well as the SAS documentation, remotely. For more information about VPN, see http://micro.uoregon.edu/getconnected/vpn_overview.html

The SAS software request form merely allows us to keep track of the number of SAS users in order to confirm their request and send each one an attached setinit.sss text file via email. The text file is actually a SAS program that contains the information SAS needs to verify its license is valid. After you receive this message, you need to transfer the setinit.sss file to your PC’s hard disk:

• Log in on Oregon, Darkwing, or Gladstone with a secure shell (ssh) connection and view the message with pine.
• Use s to save the attached file in your PC’s c:\ directory (it will already have its required name).
• Use a secure ftp client such as SSH to transfer this file to the root directory of your PC’s hard disk, either by direct transfer or via another portable disk. (When you begin to load SAS you will be prompted for the location of this file; SAS will expect the file to have this exact name, so don’t modify it.)

Step 2. The second step is to go to the Computing Center Documents Room (175 McKenzie) with your photo ID and check out the set of SAS installation CDs. You may want to call ahead to 346-4406 to make sure a set of disks is available.

The SAS CDs may be checked out for a maximum of 24 hours. Plan to take about an hour to install the software on your system. Approximately 700MB of free disk space will be required for the installation.

Installing SAS

Place the first disk marked “SET-UP” into your PC’s drive. At this point you will automatically be given a menu with several options. You should read Chapters 1 and 2 at the line labeled “Installation Instructions.”

When you are ready to install the program, click “SAS System Setup.” One of the first prompts you will receive is to specify the location of the valid setinit.sss file you downloaded in the first step.

For example, if you placed it in the root directory of your C drive you would enter

c:\

at that point and continue. If your computer uses a different letter designation for the hard drive, or if you placed this file in a subdirectory, you’ll need to include the drive and path name where it resides.

When you’re finished with each disk, SAS will prompt you to enter the next labeled disk. Most users will require only four of the ten disks that come with the installation set, and of these, Disk 2 requires the most installation time. When you’re finished loading SAS, return the installation CDs to the Computing Center Documents Room within the 24-hour time limit.

Now you’re ready to discover some of the many powerful data analysis and management tasks SAS can do for you! See “How to Design Your Data Entry for Transfer into SAS or SPSS” on page 14 to learn one of the ways you can use SAS to help you with a common data management chore.