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urbit.org/docs/user/launch.md
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1---
2hide: true
3next: true
4sort: 10
5title: Launch
6---
8# Launch procedure
10An urbit is a persistent server on the Urbit P2P network.
11You'll create one of these servers now. To understand what
12you're building, you need to know a little about the network.
14## Launch instructions
16If you have an invitation, it's a planet like `~fintud-macrep`
17and a ticket like `~fortyv-tombyt-tabsen-sonres`. Run
19 urbit -w fintud-macrep -t fortyv-tombyt-tabsen-sonres
21(You can leave the `~` on, but it annoys some Unix shells.)
23If you don't have an invitation, pick a nickname for your comet,
24like `mycomet`. Urbit will randomly generate a 128-bit plot:
26 urbit -c mycomet
28Either way, creating your urbit will take some time. Some of
29this time involves creating keys; some of it involves downloading
30code over Urbit itself. Go get a cup of coffee, and/or absorb
31the miscellaneous true facts below:
33## Network architecture
35An Urbit address is a number, or *plot*, under 2^128. Every
36server on the Urbit network has one unique plot.
38Since Urbit is designed as a personal server, a plot is both a
39network address and a digital identity. There is no additional
40human-meaningful name layer like the DNS. Plots will never be
41meaningful; but to make them as memorable as possible, we type
42them in a phonemic syntax with one byte per syllable, like
43`~harlyx-rocsev` for `0x510b.9441`.
45Urbit address space is cryptographic property, like Bitcoin, but
46Urbit doesn't use a blockchain. Plots are digital land, not
47digital currency; you own your urbit cryptographically, but you
48don't get it by mining. In land, transfers are infrequent and
49not frictionless. (Right now, all keys are test keys, and there
50are no transfers, only initial invitations.)
52Urbit is semi-decentralized: it overlays a 64-bit hierarchical
53structure on the low end of a 128-bit fingerprint namespace. If
54you have an invitation, it's a *ticket* that lets you create a
5532-bit plot, aka *planet*. If you don't have an invitation, you
56have to create a 128-bit plot, aka *comet*.
58As a comet, you're not necessarily a bad person. But you could
59be anyone, so you have zero reputation. You have no official
60access to any Urbit services. Any connectivity you may enjoy
61could be shut off at any time, and it probably will be. If the
62Internet has proven one thing, it's that positive default
63reputation and effectively infinite number of identities don't mix.
65## Substrate interactions
67Urbit doesn't run on bare chips and wires, at least not at
68present. It runs as a Unix process and sends UDP packets.
70Since Urbit is a P2P network that runs over random UDP ports,
71some firewalls may not like it. Urbit without connectivity still
72works as an interpreter, but it can't launch without the network.
74If run as `root`, the `urbit` process can only read and write
75inside the `fintud-macrep` or `mycomet` directory, which we call
76your *pier*. A pier is portable; any Urbit install on any OS can
77execute the same pier. (But don't *ever* run the same pier or
78plot on two computers at once.)
80In the pier directory is a set of user-level mount points. Mount
81points are synced Dropbox style, with Unix file changes
82autocommitted to the Urbit revision control system (`%clay`) and
83vice versa. (Urbit does not have its own editor -- you edit
84Urbit code either with an Unix editor on a mounted file, or with
85a Web editor from your browser.)
87Also within the pier is a system directory, `.urb/`, which
88contains an event log (`egz.hope`), a checkpoint (`.chk`), and
89I/O directories for uploads and downloads (`put` and `get`).
90You can compact the pier by deleting the checkpoint, although
91that means Urbit needs to re-execute its entire event history.
92This will take some time. Go have a beer.
94Also in `.urb` is a file like `code.~rosrev-dinnul`. This is
95your passcode; all data in the pier [XX: not yet the checkpoint]
96is encrypted with it. For extra security, print out or memorize
97the contents of this file, then delete it; Urbit will prompt for
98the passcode on startup. Please be warned that Urbit is not at
99present secure in any way!
101## Complete launch procedure
103Wait until you see a prompt, either
105 ~fintud-macrep:talk()
106or
108 ~fintud-macrep:dojo>
110and then press ^D to quit.
112Your urbit is launched! Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space.