---
title: Get Started
description: Install Mist and run your first program.
icon: Download
---

# Get Started

This guide will help you install the Mist CLI, understand its basic commands, and compile your first program.

## Installation

Mist is distributed through Cargo.

Install the Mist compiler using:

```bash title="Terminal"
cargo install mist-lang@0.0.1-alpha2
```

Verify using

```bash title="Terminal"
mist version
```

## Usage

```bash title="Compiles the project in the current directory"
mist build
```

```bash title="Prints the compiler version"
mist version
```

```bash title="Shows the help message and available commands"
mist help
```

## Hello World

On your existing cargo project project (`cargo init` or `cargo new <name>`).

```json title="mist.json"
{
  "src": "src",
  "output": "build"
}
```

```toml title="Cargo.toml"
[[bin]]
name = "main"
path = "build/main.rs"
```

```bash title=".gitignore"
/build
```

```cpp title="src/main.mist"
void main() {
    println!("Hello World!");
}
```