---
layout: default
navsection: userguide
title: Welcome to Arvados!
navorder: 0
---

h1. Welcome to Arvados!

This guide is intended to introduce new users to the Arvados system.  It covers initial configuration required to use the system and then presents several tutorial on using Arvados to do data processing.

h2. Prerequisites

To get the most value out of this guide, you should be comfortable with the following:

# Using a secure shell client such as @ssh@ or @putty@ to log on to a remote server 
# Using the unix command line shell @bash@
# Viewing and editing files using a unix text editor such as @vi@, @emacs@, or @nano@
# Programming in @python@

It will also be helpful (but not essential) if you are familiar with revision control using @git@.

The examples in this guide uses the public Arvados instance located at "https://workbench.{{ site.arvados_api_host }}/":https://workbench.{{ site.arvados_api_host }}/ .  You must have an account in order to use this service.  If you would like to request an account, please send an email to "arvados@clinicalfuture.com":mailto:arvados@clinicalfuture.com .

If you are using a different Arvados instance replace @{{ site.arvados_api_host }}@ with your private instance in all of the examples in this guide.

h1. Arvados Workbench

You may access the Arvados workbench using this link:

"https://workbench.{{ site.arvados_api_host }}/":https://workbench.{{ site.arvados_api_host }}/

If you are accessing Arvados for the first time, you will be asked to log in using a Google account.  Arvados only uses Google services for identification, and will never access any personal information.  Once you are logged in, the Workbench page may indicate your account status is *New / inactive*.  If this is the case, contact the administrator of the Arvados instance to activate your account.

Once your account is active, logging in to the Workbench will present you with a system status dashboard.  This gives a summary of data, configuration, and activity in the Arvados instance.

Next, we will "configure your account for ssh access to an Arvados virtual machine (VM) instance.":ssh-access.html