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title: Setup
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# Getting started

On 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’.

## Initialize

To create an urbit, we need an identity. This identity is both a network
address and a memorable name.

You are probably creating one of two kinds of urbit: a 32-bit "planet"
or a 128-bit "comet." For a quick terminology guide and high-level
refresher, refer to this [handy reference sheet](/docs/about/glossary).

If you have an Urbit invitation, you'll have a planet like
`~fintud-macrep` and `~fortyv-tombyt-tabsen-sonres`. To create your
pier:

    $ urbit -w fintud-macrep -t fortyv-tombyt-tabsen-sonres

This will create a directory `fintud-macrep/` and begin building your
urbit. This may take a few minutes.

If you do not have a ticket, you can still make a 'comet', a wild urbit
drifting through cyberspace. Pick your own directory name, it doesn't
matter:

    $ urbit -c mycomet

This will create the directory `mycomet/` and generate a 128-bit
identity for your urbit.

## Orientation

When your urbit is finished booting you should see a `dojo>` prompt.
Welcome!

By default your urbit is quite bare-bones. Let's stroll through what's
already running:

### Shell — Dojo

The command prompt in front of you is a simple shell and Hoon REPL.
Let's make sure it works:

    ~your-urbit:dojo> (add 2 2)

Should produce:

    > (add 2 2)
    4

Good.

### Messaging — Talk

Use `ctrl-x` to change your prompt. Let's join the main Urbit chat
channel, `/urbit-meta`:

    ~your-urbit:talk[] ;join ~samzod/urbit-meta

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.

### Web — Tree

Urbit is also accessible through the web. Try opening:

    http://localhost:8080/

in your favorite browser. You'll be prompted to use `+code` in your Dojo
to retrive your password and log in. This page was generated by Tree, 
the basic Urbit web interface. You can also access your urbit through 
`http://your-urbit.urbit.org`. Note that this latter approach is slower
for the time being because we proxy over the Urbit network, Ames, but a
better, faster solution for this is in the works.

### Filesystem — Clay

Clay, the Urbit filesystem, isn't mounted to Unix by default. Switch
to the Dojo prompt and run:

    ~your-urbit:dojo> |mount %

This should produce:

    > |mount %
    >=

which indicates the command was processed.

`|mount %` will cause a `home/` directory to appear inside your pier
folder. Changes to these files are automatically synced into your urbit.

## Learn more

If you're eager to get started programming you're ready to head over to
<a href="../../hoon/demo">the Hoon demo</a>.

To learn more about using the system, let's keep going: