# 1. Quick start

There are three general phases of using Open MPI: installing Open MPI, building MPI applications, and running MPI applications.

The links below take you to “quick start” sections at the beginning of each chapter. These “quick start” sections provide a good starting point, and may be all that many users need to read. However, if the “quick start” sections are not enough, the remainder of each chapter provides significantly more detailed information.

1. Quick start: Installing Open MPI

2. Quick start: Building MPI applications

3. Quick start: Launching MPI applications