---
next: true
sort: 2
title: Setup
navhome: /docs
---

# 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 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).

To 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:

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

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

If 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.

    $ bin/urbit -c comet

This will create the directory `comet/` and generate a 64-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:

    ~fitund-macrep:dojo> (add 2 2)

Should produce:

    > (add 2 2)
    4

Good.

### Messaging — `:talk`

Use `^X` (ctrl-x) to change your prompt.  Let's join the main Urbit chat channel:

    ~fitund-macrep:talk() ;join ~doznec/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`.  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).  

### Filesystem — `%clay`

`%clay`, the Urbit filesystem, isn't mounted to unix by default.  Switch to the `:dojo` prompt and run:

    ~fitund-macrep: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

We go into much greater detail about using each of these components in our walkthroughs:

<list src="."></list>

With your urbit up and running, you know enough to start learning to program:

<list src="../hoon/"></list>