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+.. _config_getting_started:
+
+=======================================
+Getting started with the configuration
+=======================================
+
+After a successful installation, VPP installs a startup config file named
+*startup.conf* in the */etc/vpp/* directory. This file can be tailored to
+make VPP run as desired, but contains default values for typical installations.
+
+Below are more details about this file and some of the the parameters and values
+it contains.
+
+Command-line Arguments
+----------------------
+
+Before we describe details of the startup configuration file (startup.conf) it
+should be mentioned that VPP can be started without a startup configuration
+file.
+
+Parameters are grouped by a section name. When providing more than one
+parameter to a section, all parameters for that section must be wrapped in
+curly braces. For example, to start VPP with configuration data via the
+command line with the section name *'unix'*:
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+    $ sudo /usr/bin/vpp unix { interactive cli-listen 127.0.0.1:5002 }
+
+The command line can be presented as a single string or as several; anything
+given on the command line is concatenated with spaces into a single string
+before parsing. VPP applications must be able to locate their own executable
+images. The simplest way to ensure this will work is to invoke a VPP
+application by giving its absolute path. For example:
+*'/usr/bin/vpp <options>'*  At startup, VPP applications parse through their
+own ELF-sections [primarily] to make lists of init, configuration, and exit
+handlers.
+
+When developing with VPP, in gdb it's often sufficient to start an application
+like this:
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+    (gdb) run unix interactive
+
+
+Configuration File (startup.conf)
+-----------------------------------------
+
+The more typical way to specify the startup configuration to VPP is with the
+startup configuration file (startup.conf).
+
+The path of the file is provided to the VPP application on the command line.
+This is typically at /etc/vpp/startup.conf. If VPP is installed as a package
+a default startup.conf file is provided at this location.
+
+The format of the configuration file is a simple text file with the same content
+as the command line.
+
+**A very simple startup.conf file:**
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+    $ cat /etc/vpp/startup.conf
+    unix {
+      nodaemon
+      log /var/log/vpp/vpp.log
+      full-coredump
+      cli-listen localhost:5002
+    }
+
+    api-trace {
+      on
+    }
+
+    dpdk {
+      dev 0000:03:00.0
+    }
+
+VPP is instructed to load this file with the -c option. For example:
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+    $ sudo /usr/bin/vpp -c /etc/vpp/startup.conf
+\ No newline at end of file