# Getting started

For every field, default, constraint and complete example, see the [TOML configuration reference](configuration.md)。

Panda RPKI v0.1.0 is a Linux command-line application. You can use Docker without
installing Rust, or build a native binary. It requires outbound HTTPS to RPKI
repositories, a writable state directory, and enough disk space for repository
objects and outputs. Resource use depends on the selected trust anchors.

## Prepare trust anchors

A trust anchor defines what you trust. Obtain its TAL from the responsible RIR.
Panda RPKI checks the TAL public key and either uses a configured DER certificate
or refreshes a certificate from the TAL's HTTPS/rsync URI. Automatic refresh
stores a validated last-known certificate beside the protocol state; it never
changes the TAL itself.

For example, the [RIPE NCC trust-anchor page](https://www.ripe.net/manage-ips-and-asns/resource-management/rpki/ripe-ncc-rpki-trust-anchor-structure/)
publishes the RIPE NCC TAL. From the project root:

```bash
mkdir -p input
curl --fail --location --proto '=https' --proto-redir '=https' \
  --connect-timeout 15 --max-time 120 \
  https://tal.rpki.ripe.net/ripe-ncc.tal -o input/anchor.tal
# Optional: download a TA certificate only for fixed mode.
curl --fail --location --proto '=https' --proto-redir '=https' \
  --connect-timeout 15 --max-time 120 \
  https://rpki.ripe.net/ta/ripe-ncc-ta.cer -o input/anchor.cer
```

Check the TAL's current certificate URI before downloading. The
[RIR trust-anchor directory](https://www.ripe.net/manage-ips-and-asns/resource-management/rpki/rir-trust-anchor-statistics/)
links the other regional anchors. Use their official TALs and corresponding
certificate locations when preparing a multiple-anchor deployment. Store inputs
outside version control, keep TA certificates current, and retain local policy
files alongside the appropriate TALs. For all five RIRs, use the complete
[five-RIR input guide](trust-anchors.md), including official sources, download
commands, input checks, and the filenames used by Compose.

## Docker first run

Follow the [README Quick start](../README.md#quick-start). The only application
argument is `--config`; all paths, anchors, workers and logging belong in that
TOML file. It creates `output/summary.json`, `output/vrps.csv` and
`output/result.ccr`. State is retained under `state/repository/repository-db/` and the
automatic TA cache is a sibling `state/repository.ta-cache/` directory.

## Build from source

Install Rust 1.92 or newer. On Debian/Ubuntu, native build dependencies include:

```bash
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends build-essential clang libclang-dev \
  pkg-config ca-certificates rsync time
cargo build --locked --release
target/release/panda-rpki --help
```

Create a configuration file (paths are relative to the file, or use absolute
container paths):

```toml
config-version = 1
mode = "validate"
out = "output/native"
rrdp-state-dir = "state"
ccr-out = "output/native/result.ccr"

[[anchors]]
id = "anchor"
tal = "input/anchor.tal"
# ta = "input/anchor.cer" # uncomment for fixed mode
```

Run with that configuration:

```bash
target/release/panda-rpki validate --config validate.toml
```

Use `validate --config validate.toml --check-config` before a run for a read-only local check, or
`validate --config validate.toml --print-config` to inspect absolute paths, defaults and field sources.

For tests, install `python3-cryptography` and `openssl`. See
[Development](development.md) and [Usage](usage.md) for next steps.