---
layout: default
navsection: userguide
-navmenu: Getting Started
title: "Checking your environment"
-
...
-h1. Checking your environment
-
-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.
-
-Check that you are able to access the Arvados API server using the following command:
-
-notextile. <pre><code>$ <span class="userinput">arv user current</span></code></pre>
+First, log into an Arvados VM instance (instructions for "Unix":{{site.baseurl}}/user/getting_started/ssh-access-unix.html#login or "Windows":{{site.baseurl}}/user/getting_started/ssh-access-windows.html#login) or install the Arvados "Command line SDK":{{site.baseurl}}/sdk/cli/install.html and "Python SDK":{{site.baseurl}}/sdk/python/sdk-python.html on your workstation.
-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):
-
-bc. qr1hi-xioed-9z2p3pn12yqdaem
-
-However, if you receive the following message:
-
-bc. ARVADOS_API_HOST and ARVADOS_API_TOKEN need to be defined as environment variables
-
-Then follow the instructions for "getting an API token,":{{site.basedoc}}/user/reference/api-tokens.html and return to this document.
-
-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:
+Check that you are able to access the Arvados API server using @arv user current@. If it is able to access the API server, it will print out information about your account:
<notextile>
-<pre><code>$ <span class="userinput">arv -h user current</span>
+<pre><code>$ <span class="userinput">arv user current</span>
{
"href":"https://qr1hi.arvadosapi.com/arvados/v1/users/qr1hi-xioed-9z2p3pn12yqdaem",
"kind":"arvados#user",
</code></pre>
</notextile>
-You are now ready proceed to the first tutorial: "Storing and retrieving data using Arvados Keep.":{{site.basedoc}}/user/tutorials/tutorial-keep.html
+However, if you receive the following message:
+
+bc. ARVADOS_API_HOST and ARVADOS_API_TOKEN need to be defined as environment variables
+
+follow the instructions for "getting an API token,":{{site.baseurl}}/user/reference/api-tokens.html and try @arv user current@ again.