🚀 Start Here: Complete Setup Guide

Getting Ready for the CoPhil EO AI/ML Training

Date

November 17, 2025

🚀 Start Here: Complete Setup Guide

Your First Stop Before Day 1

This is the only setup guide you need to complete before starting the training. Follow these steps in order, and you’ll be ready for Day 1!

⏰ Complete This BEFORE Training Starts

Time Required: 20-30 minutes When: At least 2 days before Day 1 (Google Earth Engine approval takes 24-48 hours)

What You’ll Do: 1. ✅ Set up Google account 2. ✅ Test Google Colab 3. ✅ Register for Google Earth Engine (requires approval) 4. ✅ Verify all systems work

Already done? Jump to Verification Tests to confirm you’re ready.

Quick Check: Do You Have These?

Before we begin, let’s check if you already have the basics:

Google account (Gmail) - If yes, skip to Step 2
Reliable internet (5+ Mbps) - Test your speed
Modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge - updated in last 6 months)
Computer/laptop (4GB+ RAM recommended)

All checked? Great! Let’s continue. 👇

Missing something? No problem - we’ll walk you through each step below.

Prerequisites Checklist

Before starting the training, ensure you have:

A Google account (Gmail)
Google Earth Engine access (registration required)
Stable internet connection (minimum 5 Mbps recommended)
Modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)
Headphones/speakers for audio

Step 1: Google Account Setup

1.1 Create or Verify Google Account

You need a Google account to access Google Colaboratory and Google Earth Engine.

Already Have Gmail?

If you have a Gmail account, you’re all set! Skip to Step 2.

To create a new account:

Go to accounts.google.com
Click “Create account”
Follow the registration process
Verify your email address

Step 2: Google Colaboratory Setup

2.1 What is Google Colab?

Google Colaboratory (Colab) is a free cloud service that lets you write and execute Python code in your browser. It provides:

Free access to GPUs (Graphics Processing Units)
Pre-installed Python libraries (NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, etc.)
Cloud storage integration with Google Drive
Shareable notebooks

2.2 Access Google Colab

Go to colab.research.google.com
Sign in with your Google account
You’ll see the welcome screen with example notebooks

2.3 Test Your Colab Setup

Let’s verify everything works:

Create a new notebook:
- Click “File” → “New notebook”
- A new notebook opens with an empty code cell
Run a test:
- Copy and paste this code into the first cell:
```
import sys
print(f"Python version: {sys.version}")
print("Google Colab is working!")
```
- Press Shift + Enter to run the cell
- You should see the Python version and success message

Test package installation:

# Test common geospatial packages
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

print("✓ NumPy:", np.__version__)
print("✓ Pandas:", pd.__version__)
print("✓ Matplotlib:", plt.matplotlib.__version__)

First Run Takes Longer

The first time you run code in a new Colab session, it may take 30-60 seconds to allocate resources. This is normal.

Step 3: Google Earth Engine Registration

3.1 What is Google Earth Engine?

Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a cloud platform for planetary-scale geospatial analysis. It provides:

Access to petabytes of satellite imagery (Landsat, Sentinel, MODIS, etc.)
Cloud-based processing (no downloads needed)
Python and JavaScript APIs
Fast analysis over large areas and time periods

3.2 Register for Earth Engine

Registration Required

Earth Engine registration can take 24-48 hours for approval. Register well before the training starts!

Registration steps:

Go to: earthengine.google.com
Click “Get Started” or “Sign Up”
Sign in with your Google account
Choose account type:
- Select “Register a Noncommercial or Commercial Cloud project”
- For this training, select “Noncommercial” if applicable
Complete the registration form:
- Project type: Education/Research
- Organization: Your institution (e.g., “DOST-ASTI”, “NAMRIA”, “University of the Philippines”)
- Project description: “CoPhil EO AI/ML Training - Earth Observation data analysis for DRR/CCA/NRM applications”
- Intended use: Describe your interest in using EO data
Submit and wait for approval
- You’ll receive an email when approved (usually within 24-48 hours)
- Check your spam folder if you don’t see the approval email

3.3 Verify Earth Engine Access

Once approved, test your access:

Open Google Colab: colab.research.google.com
Create a new notebook
Authenticate Earth Engine:

# Install Earth Engine API (if needed)
!pip install earthengine-api --quiet

# Import and authenticate
import ee

# Authenticate (first time only)
ee.Authenticate()

# Initialize Earth Engine
ee.Initialize()

# Test: Get an image
image = ee.Image('COPERNICUS/S2/20230101T000000_20230101T000000_T48PYS')
print("✓ Earth Engine is working!")
print(f"Image ID: {image.id().getInfo()}")

Follow authentication prompts:
- Click the link that appears
- Sign in with your Google account
- Copy the authorization code
- Paste it back into Colab

Authentication Only Once

After the first authentication, Earth Engine will remember your credentials in future Colab sessions.

Step 4: Install Geospatial Python Packages

In Google Colab, most packages are pre-installed. For specialized geospatial libraries, we’ll install them when needed.

Common packages we’ll use:

Package	Purpose	Pre-installed?
`numpy`	Numerical computing	Yes ✓
`pandas`	Data manipulation	Yes ✓
`matplotlib`	Visualization	Yes ✓
`geopandas`	Vector data	No (we’ll install)
`rasterio`	Raster data	No (we’ll install)
`earthengine-api`	Google Earth Engine	No (we’ll install)
`folium`	Interactive maps	Yes ✓

Installation template for notebooks:

Each training notebook will include installation cells like this:

# Install geospatial packages
!pip install geopandas rasterio earthengine-api --quiet

# Import packages
import geopandas as gpd
import rasterio
import ee

print("✓ All packages installed successfully!")

Step 5: Google Drive Integration (Optional)

To save your work and access datasets, you can mount Google Drive in Colab:

from google.colab import drive
drive.mount('/content/drive')

Benefits: - Save notebooks directly to Drive - Access datasets stored in Drive - Work persists between sessions

Storage Limits

Free Google accounts get 15 GB of Drive storage. For large datasets, we’ll stream data directly from Earth Engine instead.

Step 6: Download Training Notebooks

All training notebooks will be provided during the sessions. You can:

Access via shared links (provided by instructors)
Download from the training portal (see Downloads)
Clone from GitHub (if repository is available)

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: “Runtime disconnected” in Colab

Cause: Colab sessions timeout after 90 minutes of inactivity (12 hours maximum)

Solution: - Reconnect by clicking “Reconnect” button - Re-run setup cells (imports, authentication) - Consider using Colab Pro for longer sessions

Issue 2: Earth Engine authentication fails

Cause: Not registered or registration not approved

Solution: - Verify registration status at earthengine.google.com - Wait for approval email (24-48 hours) - Check spam folder for approval notification

Issue 3: Package installation fails

Cause: Network issues or package conflicts

Solution:

# Force reinstall
!pip install --upgrade --force-reinstall geopandas

# Or use specific versions
!pip install geopandas==0.14.0

Issue 4: Slow performance in Colab

Cause: Limited free resources

Solutions: - Close other browser tabs - Restart runtime: Runtime → Restart runtime - Use GPU acceleration: Runtime → Change runtime type → GPU - Reduce data processing scope

Issue 5: Cannot access Google Drive

Cause: Permission not granted

Solution: - Re-run the mount command - Click the authorization link - Grant access to Google Drive

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Internet: 5 Mbps download speed
Browser: Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+, Edge 90+
RAM: 4 GB (8 GB recommended)
Screen: 1280x720 resolution minimum

Recommended Setup

Internet: 10+ Mbps for smooth streaming
Browser: Latest version of Chrome (best compatibility)
RAM: 8+ GB for comfortable multitasking
Screen: Dual monitors (one for presentation, one for coding)

Pre-Training Checklist

Before Day 1 starts, ensure:

Google account created and verified
Google Colab accessible and tested
Google Earth Engine registered and approved
Test notebook runs successfully
Earth Engine authentication completed
Browser and internet connection tested
Headphones/speakers working
Quiet workspace prepared

Getting Help

During Training

Ask questions in the live session chat
Consult teaching assistants
Check the FAQ for common issues

Before Training

Review this setup guide thoroughly
Test all components at least 1 day before
Contact training coordinators if you encounter issues

Technical Support Contacts

For urgent setup issues: - Email: skotsopoulos@neuralio.ai - WhatsApp Group: Join via link in confirmation email

Additional Resources

Google Colab Tutorials

Google Earth Engine Resources

Python for Geospatial

Ready to Start?

Once you’ve completed all setup steps, you’re ready for the training!

← Return to Home

::: ::: {.session-nav-link href=“../sessions/session1.qmd”} ::: {.session-nav-label} Next ::: ::: {.session-nav-title} Session 1: Copernicus & Philippine EO → ::: ::: :::

Setup questions? Contact the training coordinators or check the FAQ.