Merge branch '1608-api-documentation'
[arvados.git] / doc / user / getting_started / check-environment.textile
1 ---
2 layout: default
3 navsection: userguide
4 navmenu: Getting Started
5 title: "Checking your environment"
6 navorder: 10
7 ---
8
9 h1. Checking your environment
10
11 First you should "log into an Arvados VM instance":{{site.basedoc}}/user/getting_started/ssh-access.html#login if you have not already done so.
12
13 Check that you are able to access the Arvados API server using the following command:
14
15 notextile. <pre><code>$ <span class="userinput">arv user current</span></code></pre>
16
17 If @arv user current@ is able to access the API server, it will print out the unique identifier associated with your account.  Here is an example (you will receive a different identifier):
18
19 bc. qr1hi-xioed-9z2p3pn12yqdaem
20
21 However, if you receive the following message:
22
23 bc. ARVADOS_API_HOST and ARVADOS_API_TOKEN need to be defined as environment variables
24
25 Then follow the instructions for "getting an API token,":{{site.basedoc}}/user/reference/api-tokens.html and return to this document.
26
27 The unique identifier represents your identity in the Arvados system and is similar to the concept of a pointer or a foreign key.  You may de-reference (get the contents of) any identifier returned by the "arv" command using the @-h@ command line option.  For example:
28
29 <notextile>
30 <pre><code>$ <span class="userinput">arv -h user current</span>
31 {
32  "href":"https://qr1hi.arvadosapi.com/arvados/v1/users/qr1hi-xioed-9z2p3pn12yqdaem",
33  "kind":"arvados#user",
34  "etag":"8u0xwb9f3otb2xx9hto4wyo03",
35  "uuid":"qr1hi-tpzed-92d3kxnimy3d4e8",
36  "owner_uuid":"qr1hi-tpqed-23iddeohxta2r59",
37  "created_at":"2013-12-02T17:05:47Z",
38  "modified_by_client_uuid":"qr1hi-xxfg8-owxa2oa2s33jyej",
39  "modified_by_user_uuid":"qr1hi-tpqed-23iddeohxta2r59",
40  "modified_at":"2013-12-02T17:07:08Z",
41  "updated_at":"2013-12-05T19:51:08Z",
42  "email":"you@example.com",
43  "full_name":"Example User",
44  "first_name":"Example",
45  "last_name":"User",
46  "identity_url":"https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawnhlZr-pQ_Ic2f2W22XaO02oL3avJ322k1",
47  "is_active": true,
48  "is_admin": false,
49  "prefs":{}
50 }
51 </code></pre>
52 </notextile>
53
54 You are now ready proceed to the first tutorial: "Storing and retrieving data using Arvados Keep.":{{site.basedoc}}/user/tutorials/tutorial-keep.html