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# Getting started
Butane (formerly the Fedora CoreOS Config Transpiler) is a tool that consumes a Butane Config and produces an Ignition Config, which is a JSON document that can be given to a Fedora CoreOS machine when it first boots. Using this config, a machine can be told to create users, create filesystems, set up the network, install systemd units, and more.
Butane configs are YAML files conforming to Butane's schema. For more information on the schema, take a look at the [configuration specifications][spec].
### Getting Butane
`butane` can be run from a container image with `podman` or `docker`, installed from Fedora package repositories or downloaded as a standalone binary.
Using the official container images is the recommended option.
#### Container image
This example uses `podman`, but `docker` can also be used.
```bash
# Pull the container image release
podman pull quay.io/coreos/butane:release
# Run Butane using standard input and standard output
podman run --interactive --rm quay.io/coreos/butane:release \
--pretty --strict < your_config.bu > transpiled_config.ign
# Run Butane using a file as input and standard output
podman run --interactive --rm --security-opt label=disable \
--volume ${PWD}:/pwd --workdir /pwd quay.io/coreos/butane:release \
--pretty --strict your_config.bu > transpiled_config.ign
```
You may also add the following alias in your shell configuration:
```
alias butane='podman run --rm --interactive \
--security-opt label=disable \
--volume "${PWD}":/pwd --workdir /pwd \
quay.io/coreos/butane:release'
```
Alternatively you may also create a wrapper script at `~/.local/bin/butane`:
```bash
#!/bin/sh
exec podman run --rm --interactive \
--security-opt label=disable \
--volume "${PWD}":/pwd --workdir /pwd \
quay.io/coreos/butane:release \
"${@}"
```
Make sure that `~/.local/bin` is in your `$PATH`, or choose another path like `/usr/local/bin`.
#### Distribution packages
`butane` is available from the Fedora package repositories:
```
$ sudo dnf install -y butane
```
#### Standalone binary
Download the latest version of `butane` and the detached signature from the [releases page](https://github.com/coreos/butane/releases). Verify it with gpg:
```
gpg --verify