When we start learning and experimenting with the machine and deep learning, the most convenient way is to use Google Colab. There is no point in spending time setting up libraries, selecting operating systems and deciding if we will buy a laptop with a GPU or a desktop. The wisest thing is to buy a related book or watch a high-quality online lecture and practice, practice, practice!
Using Google Colab is obviously straightforward. After all, it follows the same concept as the already-known Jupiter Notebooks. One thing that I found challenging was uploading data and using them in training and validating scenarios. I experimented with Google Drive and various ways to access and utilise it. It works, but it’s not the easiest way. For our convenience, there is a specific folder that is designed for using it for data. The name of the folder is ‘content’. But what is so special about the ‘content’ folder?
The content folder in Google Colab is a particular folder used to store files uploaded to Colab. These files are stored in the cloud and can be accessed from any Colab notebook. The content folder is also used to store temporary files that are created during the execution of a Colab notebook. These temporary files are deleted when the notebook is closed.
One of the unique features of the content folder is that it is automatically mounted when you create a new Colab notebook. This means you can access the files in the content folder without mounting additional storage.
Another unique feature of the content folder is its limited size. The maximum size of the content folder is 100 GB. This means you cannot upload files larger than 100 GB to the content folder.
If you want to learn how to use it, wait until the next post!