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1---
2navhome: '/docs'
3next: True
4sort: 2
5title: Setup
6---
8# Getting started
10On disk your urbit is an append-only log and a checkpoint. Or, in simpler terms,
11a directory where we keep your urbit’s state. We call this a ‘pier’.
13## Initialize
15To create an urbit, we need an identity. This identity is both a network address
16and a memorable name.
18You are probably creating one of two kinds of urbit: a 32-bit "planet" or a
19128-bit "comet." For a quick terminology guide and high-level refresher, refer
20to this [handy reference sheet](/docs/about/glossary).
22If you have an Urbit invitation, you'll have a planet like `~fintud-macrep` and
23`~fortyv-tombyt-tabsen-sonres`. To create your pier:
25 $ urbit -w fintud-macrep -t fortyv-tombyt-tabsen-sonres
27This will create a directory `fintud-macrep/` and begin building your urbit.
28This may take a few minutes.
30If you do not have a ticket, you can still make a 'comet', a wild urbit drifting
31through cyberspace. Pick your own directory name, it doesn't matter:
33 $ urbit -c mycomet
35This will create the directory `mycomet/` and generate a 128-bit identity for
36your urbit.
38## Orientation
40When your urbit is finished booting you should see a `dojo>` prompt. Welcome!
42By default your urbit is quite bare-bones. Let's stroll through what's already
43running:
45### Shell — `:dojo`
47The command prompt in front of you is a simple shell and Hoon REPL. Let's make
48sure it works:
50 ~fitund-macrep:dojo> (add 2 2)
52Should produce:
54 > (add 2 2)
55 4
57Good.
59### Messaging — `:talk`
61Use `ctrl-x` to change your prompt. Let's join the main Urbit chat channel.
63For planets:
65 ~fitund-macrep:talk() ;join /urbit-meta
67For comets:
69 ~ticlen-nidrup-larwyl-rivtyc--folsel-tocwyl-hosrex-nimder:talk() ;join ~binzod/urbit-meta
71`:talk` is stateful, so your urbit will download a backlog. `/urbit-meta` is the
72place to ask questions, get help and talk about anything Urbit-related.
74### Web — `:tree`
76Urbit is also accessible through the web. Try opening:
78 http://localhost:8080/
80in your favorite browser. You'll be prompted to use `+code`. This page was
81generated by `:tree`, the basic Urbit web interface. You can also access your
82urbit through `http://fintud-macrep.urbit.org` (where `fintud-macrep` is your
83planet name).
85### Filesystem — `%clay`
87`%clay`, the Urbit filesystem, isn't mounted to unix by default. Switch to the
88`:dojo` prompt and run:
90 ~fitund-macrep:dojo> |mount %
92This should produce:
94 > |mount %
95 >=
97which indicates the command was processed.
99`|mount %` will cause a `home/` directory to appear inside your pier folder.
100Changes to these files are automatically synced into your urbit.
102## Learn more
104If you're eager to get started programming you're ready to head over to
105<a href="../../hoon/demo">the Hoon demo</a>.
107To learn more about using the system, let's keep going: