% Installing Rust

The first step to using Rust is to install it! There are a number of ways to
install Rust, but the easiest is to use the `rustup` script. If you're on Linux
or a Mac, all you need to do is this:

> Note: you don't need to type in the `$`s, they just indicate the start of
> each command. You’ll see many tutorials and examples around the web that
> follow this convention: `$` for commands run as your regular user, and
> `#` for commands you should be running as an administrator.

```bash
$ curl -sf -L https://static.rust-lang.org/rustup.sh | sh
```

If you're concerned about the [potential insecurity][insecurity] of using `curl
| sh`, please keep reading and see our disclaimer below. And feel free to
use a two-step version of the installation and examine our installation script:

```bash
$ curl -f -L https://static.rust-lang.org/rustup.sh -O
$ sh rustup.sh
```

[insecurity]: http://curlpipesh.tumblr.com

If you're on Windows, please download the appropriate [installer][install-page].
**NOTE:** By default, the Windows installer will not add Rust to the %PATH%
system variable. If this is the only version of Rust you are installing and you
want to be able to run it from the command line, click on "Advanced" on the
install dialog and on the "Product Features" page ensure "Add to PATH" is
installed on the local hard drive.


[install-page]: https://www.rust-lang.org/install.html

## Uninstalling

If you decide you don't want Rust anymore, we'll be a bit sad, but that's okay.
Not every programming language is great for everyone. Just run the uninstall
script:

```bash
$ sudo /usr/local/lib/rustlib/uninstall.sh
```

If you used the Windows installer, just re-run the `.msi` and it will give you
an uninstall option.

## That disclaimer we promised

Some people, and somewhat rightfully so, get very upset when we tell you to
`curl | sh`. Basically, when you do this, you are trusting that the good
people who maintain Rust aren't going to hack your computer and do bad things.
That's a good instinct! If you're one of those people, please check out the
documentation on [building Rust from Source][from-source], or [the official
binary downloads][install-page].

[from-source]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust#building-from-source

## Platform support

Oh, we should also mention the officially supported platforms:

* Windows (7, 8, Server 2008 R2)
* Linux (2.6.18 or later, various distributions), x86 and x86-64
* OSX 10.7 (Lion) or later, x86 and x86-64

We extensively test Rust on these platforms, and a few others, too, like
Android. But these are the ones most likely to work, as they have the most
testing.

Finally, a comment about Windows. Rust considers Windows to be a first-class
platform upon release, but if we're honest, the Windows experience isn't as
integrated as the Linux/OS X experience is. We're working on it! If anything
does not work, it is a bug. Please let us know if that happens. Each and every
commit is tested against Windows just like any other platform.

## After installation

If you've got Rust installed, you can open up a shell, and type this:

```bash
$ rustc --version
```

You should see the version number, commit hash, and commit date. If you just
installed version 1.2.0, you should see:

```bash
rustc 1.2.0 (082e47636 2015-08-03)
```

If you did, Rust has been installed successfully! Congrats!

If you didn't and you're on Windows, check that Rust is in your %PATH% system
variable. If it isn't, run the installer again, select "Change" on the "Change,
repair, or remove installation" page and ensure "Add to PATH" is installed on
the local hard drive.

This installer also installs a copy of the documentation locally, so you can
read it offline. On UNIX systems, `/usr/local/share/doc/rust` is the location.
On Windows, it's in a `share/doc` directory, inside wherever you installed Rust
to.

If not, there are a number of places where you can get help. The easiest is
[the #rust IRC channel on irc.mozilla.org][irc], which you can access through
[Mibbit][mibbit]. Click that link, and you'll be chatting with other Rustaceans
(a silly nickname we call ourselves), and we can help you out. Other great
resources include [the user’s forum][users], and
[Stack Overflow][stackoverflow].

[irc]: irc://irc.mozilla.org/#rust
[mibbit]: http://chat.mibbit.com/?server=irc.mozilla.org&channel=%23rust
[users]: https://users.rust-lang.org/
[stackoverflow]: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/rust