> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://compflowlab.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> This guide walks you through running your first CompFlowLab simulation (sod shock tube) in just a few minutes.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Prerequisites">
    CompFlowLab can be run on both Windows and Linux. This package has been tested both using python and anaconda. Python 3.9 or newer is required. Also, pip is needed for installing compflowlab and it's dependencies.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install Dependencies">
    CompFlowLab can be installed using`pip`:

    ```bash theme={null}
    pip install compflowlab
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run Your First Simulation">
    Navigate to the root CompFlowLab directory. CompFlowLab requires two inputs: (1) the working directory where results will be saved (it is recommended to use the test case folder), and (2) the input configuration files`.inp` file. The following command runs a 1D shock tube simulation.

    ```bash theme={null}
    python -O ./main.py ./examples/sod_shock_tube ./examples/sod_shock_tube/input_file.inp
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Results">
    CompFlowLab saves each solution as a separate binary NumPy `.npy` file in the working directory. Depending on the solver mode, CompFlowLab creates a results folder named after the mode; for the default full-order-model FOM mode, the folder name is `FOM_results`.

    For each snapshot, CompFlowLab writes two solution files: one labeled `cons` and one labeled `prim`. The `cons` files contain conservative variables such as mass, momentum, total energy, and species mass fractions, while the `prim` files contain primitive variables such as density, velocity, pressure, temperature and species mass fractions.
  </Step>
</Steps>


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.