[fn-mote]

I hate to second the grandparent, but perhaps the install process is the most difficult part for the instructor because it is at a stage where the instructor feels 90% responsible for the outcomes.

A criticism like “I didn’t understand recursive functions” is a student problem. A criticism like “the instructions to install the environment never worked” is much more clearly a problem of the instructions. Even if, as you said, there are subtleties.

I will maintain that the only way the install process is actually the most difficult part for the student is if they are already a competent programmer. Which seems unlikely for a class like this.

[belmarca]

OK, sure the concepts might be harder than setting up an environment. But setting things up is, by experience, a very real, very annoying and time-consuming blocker. We have students come in with tablets and it "just works"!