This guide introduces you to machine learning with {% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %}. You’ll build a simple image classifier, learn about some of the tools that come preinstalled in {% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %}, and find out how to open your codespace in JupyterLab.

We'll use a Jupyter notebook to build a simple image classifier.

Jupyter notebooks are sets of cells that you can execute one after another. The notebook we'll use includes a number of cells that build an image classifier using PyTorch. Each cell is a different phase of that process: download a dataset, set up a neural network, train a model, and then test that model.

We'll run all of the cells, in sequence, to perform all phases of building the image classifier. When we do this Jupyter saves the output back into the notebook so that you can examine the results.

1. Go to the github/codespaces-jupyter template repository. {% data reusables.codespaces.use-this-template %}

A codespace for this template will open in a web-based version of {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %}.

The default container image that's used by {% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %} includes a set of machine learning libraries that are preinstalled in your codespace. For example, Numpy, pandas, SciPy, Matplotlib, seaborn, scikit-learn, Keras, PyTorch, Requests, and Plotly. For more information about the default image, see "AUTOTITLE" and the devcontainers/images repository.

1. In the {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode_shortname %} editor, close any "Get Started" tabs that are displayed.
2. Open the notebooks/image-classifier.ipynb notebook file.

The image classifier notebook contains all the code you need to download a dataset, train a neural network, and evaluate its performance.

1. Click Run All to execute all of the notebook’s cells.

   

2. If you are prompted to choose a kernel source, select Python Environments, then select the version of Python at the recommended location.

   

3. Scroll down to view the output of each cell.

   

You can open your codespace in JupyterLab from the "Your codespaces" page at github.com/codespaces, or by using {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %}. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."

{% data reusables.codespaces.jupyterlab-installed-in-codespace %}

{% note %}

Note: This section only applies to customers who can create codespaces on machines that use a GPU. The ability to choose a machine type that uses a GPU was offered to selected customers during a trial period. This option is not generally available.

{% endnote %}

Some software requires you to install NVIDIA CUDA to use your codespace’s GPU. Where this is the case, you can create your own custom configuration, by using a devcontainer.json file, and specify that CUDA should be installed. For more information on creating a custom configuration, see "AUTOTITLE."

For full details of the script that's run when you add the nvidia-cuda feature, see the devcontainers/features repository.

1. Within the codespace, open the .devcontainer/devcontainer.json file in the editor.

2. Add a top-level features object with the following contents:

     "features": {
       "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/nvidia-cuda:1": {
         "installCudnn": true
       }
     }

   For more information about the features object, see the development containers specification.

   If you are using the devcontainer.json file from the image classifier repository you created for this tutorial, your devcontainer.json file will now look like this:

   {
     "customizations": {
       "vscode": {
         "extensions": [
           "ms-python.python",
           "ms-toolsai.jupyter"
         ]
       }
     },
     "features": {
       "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/nvidia-cuda:1": {
         "installCudnn": true
       }
     }
   }

3. Save the change. {% data reusables.codespaces.rebuild-command %} The codespace container will be rebuilt. This will take several minutes. When the rebuild is complete the codespace is automatically reopened.

4. Publish your change to a repository so that CUDA will be installed in any new codespaces you create from this repository in future. For more information, see "AUTOTITLE."