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urbit.org/docs/using/setup.md
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1---
2next: true
3sort: 2
4title: Setup
5navhome: /docs
6---
8# Getting started
10On disk your urbit is an append-only log and a checkpoint. Or, in simpler terms, a directory where we keep your urbit’s state. We call this a ‘pier’.
12## Initialize
14To create an urbit, we must make a pier and assign it an identity. An urbit with an identity is a 'planet', if it was generated by a 'star' (an urbit that makes more urbits. Accordingly, a 'galaxy' is an urbit that makes stars).
16To make a planet, you need a ticket from a star. If you have a ticket, like `~fortyv-tombyt-tabsen-sonres`, start your planet `~fintud-macrep` like so:
18 $ bin/urbit -w fintud-macrep -t fortyv-tombyt-tabsen-sonres
20This will create a directory `fintud-macrep/` and begin building your urbit. Assembling a planet may take a few minutes.
22If you do not have a ticket, you can still make a 'comet', a parentless urbit drifting thorugh cyberspace. You can specify any name you like.
24 $ bin/urbit -c comet
26This will create the directory `comet/` and generate a 64-bit identity for your urbit.
28## Orientation
30When your urbit is finished booting you should see a `dojo>` prompt. Welcome!
32By default your urbit is quite bare-bones. Let's stroll through what's already running:
34### Shell — `:dojo`
36The command prompt in front of you is a simple shell and Hoon REPL. Let's make sure it works:
38 ~fitund-macrep:dojo> (add 2 2)
40Should produce:
42 > (add 2 2)
43 4
45Good.
47### Messaging — `:talk`
49Use `^X` (ctrl-x) to change your prompt. Let's join the main Urbit chat channel:
51 ~fitund-macrep:talk() ;join ~doznec/urbit-meta
53`:talk` is stateful, so your urbit will download a backlog. `/urbit-meta` is the place to ask questions, get help and talk about anything Urbit-related.
55### Web — `:tree`
57Urbit is also accessible through the web. Try opening:
59 http://localhost:8080/
61in your favorite browser. You'll be prompted to use `+code`. This page was generated by `:tree`, the basic Urbit web interface. You can also access your urbit through `http://fintud-macrep.urbit.org` (where `fintud-macrep` is your planet name).
63### Filesystem — `%clay`
65`%clay`, the Urbit filesystem, isn't mounted to unix by default. Switch to the `:dojo` prompt and run:
67 ~fitund-macrep:dojo> |mount %
69This should produce:
71 > |mount %
72 >=
74which indicates the command was processed.
76`|mount %` will cause a `home/` directory to appear inside your pier folder. Changes to these files are automatically synced into your urbit.
78## Learn more
80We go into much greater detail about using each of these components in our walkthroughs:
82<list src="."></list>
84With your urbit up and running, you know enough to start learning to program:
86<list src="../hoon/"></list>