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1---
2navhome: /docs/
3navuptwo: true
4next: true
5sort: 2
6title: Setup
7---
9# Getting started
11On disk your urbit is an append-only log and a checkpoint. Or, in
12simpler terms, a directory where we keep your urbit’s state. We call
13this a ‘pier’.
15## Initialize
17To create an urbit, we need an identity. This identity is both a network
18address and a memorable name.
20You are probably creating one of two kinds of urbit: a 32-bit "planet"
21or a 128-bit "comet." For a quick terminology guide and high-level
22refresher, refer to this [handy reference sheet](/docs/about/glossary).
24If you have an Urbit invitation, you'll have a planet like
25`~fintud-macrep` and `~fortyv-tombyt-tabsen-sonres`. To create your
26pier:
28 $ urbit -w fintud-macrep -t fortyv-tombyt-tabsen-sonres
30This will create a directory `fintud-macrep/` and begin building your
31urbit. This may take a few minutes.
33If you do not have a ticket, you can still make a 'comet', a wild urbit
34drifting through cyberspace. Pick your own directory name, it doesn't
35matter:
37 $ urbit -c mycomet
39This will create the directory `mycomet/` and generate a 128-bit
40identity for your urbit.
42## Orientation
44When your urbit is finished booting you should see a `dojo>` prompt.
45Welcome!
47By default your urbit is quite bare-bones. Let's stroll through what's
48already running:
50### Shell — Dojo
52The command prompt in front of you is a simple shell and Hoon REPL.
53Let's make sure it works:
55 ~your-urbit:dojo> (add 2 2)
57Should produce:
59 > (add 2 2)
60 4
62Good.
64### Messaging — Talk
66Use `ctrl-x` to change your prompt. Let's join the main Urbit chat
67channel, `/urbit-meta`:
69 ~your-urbit:talk[] ;join ~samzod/urbit-meta
71Talk is stateful, so your urbit will download a backlog.
72`/urbit-meta` is the place to ask questions, get help and talk about
73anything Urbit-related.
75### Web — Tree
77Urbit is also accessible through the web. Try opening:
79 http://localhost:8080/
81in your favorite browser. You'll be prompted to use `+code` in your Dojo
82to retrive your password and log in. This page was generated by Tree,
83the basic Urbit web interface. You can also access your urbit through
84`http://your-urbit.urbit.org`. Note that this latter approach is slower
85for the time being because we proxy over the Urbit network, Ames, but a
86better, faster solution for this is in the works.
88### Filesystem — Clay
90Clay, the Urbit filesystem, isn't mounted to Unix by default. Switch
91to the Dojo prompt and run:
93 ~your-urbit:dojo> |mount %
95This should produce:
97 > |mount %
98 >=
100which indicates the command was processed.
102`|mount %` will cause a `home/` directory to appear inside your pier
103folder. Changes to these files are automatically synced into your urbit.
105## Learn more
107If you're eager to get started programming you're ready to head over to
108<a href="../../hoon/demo">the Hoon demo</a>.
110To learn more about using the system, let's keep going: