---
title: Get Started
description: This guide will walk you through installing the Mist CLI, setting up your development environment, and compiling your very first program.
icon: Rocket
---

## 1. Installation

Mist is currently distributed as a Cargo crate. To get started, you'll need to have the Rust toolchain installed.

Run the following command to install the Mist compiler:

```bash title="Terminal"
cargo install mist-lang@0.0.2-alpha0
```

Once the installation finishes, verify it by checking the version:

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

---

## 2. Setting Up Your Project

Mist works alongside Cargo to handle the heavy lifting. Follow these steps to prepare your environment for your first "Hello World" program.

### Initialize a New Project

If you haven't already, create a new Cargo project and navigate into the directory:

```bash title="Terminal"
cargo new my-mist-app
cd my-mist-app
```

### Configure Mist

Create a `mist.json` file in your root directory. This tells the compiler where to look for your source code and where to place the generated Rust files.

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

### Link Cargo to Mist

Since Mist compiles down to Rust, you need to point Cargo to the generated output. Update your `Cargo.toml` to include the following:

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

> **Pro Tip:** You’ll probably want to add `/build` to your `.gitignore` file to keep your repository clean!

---

## 3. Your First Program

Now for the fun part! Create a new file at `src/main.mist` and add the following code:

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

### Build and Run

To turn your Mist code into an executable, use the `run` command:

```bash title="Terminal"
mist run
```

> **Pro Tip:** If you encounter any rust errors, head to the build directory and analyze the output, if you see anything unusual in the output, report the issue at https://github.com/mist-go/mist

Or if you only want to transpile to rust

```bash title="Terminal"
mist transpile
```


---

## Command Reference

| Command          | Description                                     |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `mist run`       | Runs the project in the current directory       |
| `mist build`     | builds the project in the current directory     |
| `mist transpile` | transpiles the project in the current directory |
| `mist version`   | prints the compiler version                     |
| `mist help`      | prints this message                             |