# Quickstart

This quickstart gets **EventSourcingDB** running on your machine in a few minutes: you start it with **Docker**, write a **first event**, and read it back. It uses a **temporary setup for development and testing** – for all other options, see the links at the end.

## Starting EventSourcingDB

Start EventSourcingDB with the following command. On the first start, Docker downloads the image:

```shell
docker run -it -p 3000:3000 \
  thenativeweb/eventsourcingdb run \
  --api-token=secret \
  --data-directory-temporary \
  --http-enabled \
  --https-enabled=false \
  --with-ui
```

This starts EventSourcingDB on port `3000`, with the API token `secret`, a **temporary data directory** that is cleaned up on shutdown, unencrypted HTTP, and the **management UI**.

> **For Development and Testing Only**
>
> These settings simplify the setup but are not secure for production. For production-ready configurations, see **[Running EventSourcingDB](/docs/eventsourcingdb/v1.1/running-eventsourcingdb)** and the **[CLI Overview](/docs/eventsourcingdb/v1.1/cli)**.

To verify that EventSourcingDB is running, send a ping:

```shell
curl http://localhost:3000/api/v1/ping
```

If the response contains the message `Oh my God, it's full of stars.`, EventSourcingDB is ready.

## Writing an Event

Events are written with a `POST` request to the `/api/v1/write-events` endpoint, authenticated with the API token. The following event records that the library acquired a book:

```shell
curl \
  -i \
  -X POST \
  -H "authorization: Bearer secret" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d "{
    \"events\": [
      {
        \"source\": \"https://library.eventsourcingdb.io\",
        \"subject\": \"/books/42\",
        \"type\": \"io.eventsourcingdb.library.book-acquired\",
        \"data\": {
          \"title\": \"2001 – A Space Odyssey\",
          \"author\": \"Arthur C. Clarke\",
          \"isbn\": \"978-0756906788\"
        }
      }
    ]
  }" \
  http://localhost:3000/api/v1/write-events
```

## Reading the Event

To read the events of the subject `/books/42`, send a `POST` request to the `/api/v1/read-events` endpoint:

```shell
curl \
  -i \
  -X POST \
  -H "authorization: Bearer secret" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d "{
    \"subject\": \"/books/42\",
    \"options\": {
      \"recursive\": false
    }
  }" \
  http://localhost:3000/api/v1/read-events
```

The response contains the event you have just written.

## Opening the Management UI

To see the state of the database and run queries, point your browser to `http://localhost:3000`. For details, see **[Using the Management UI](/docs/eventsourcingdb/v1.1/management-ui)**.

## Shutting Down

Press Ctrl+C to shut down EventSourcingDB. Since the data directory is temporary, the event is gone afterwards.

## Next Steps

- **[Installing EventSourcingDB](/docs/eventsourcingdb/v1.1/installing-eventsourcingdb)** covers all ways to install it, including pre-built binaries for macOS, Linux, and Windows.
- **[Running EventSourcingDB](/docs/eventsourcingdb/v1.1/running-eventsourcingdb)** explains how to run it with Docker and as a binary.
- **[First Steps with EventSourcingDB](/learn/tutorials/first-steps-with-eventsourcingdb)** builds the library example step by step.
- **[Subjects](/docs/eventsourcingdb/v1.1/subjects)** and **[Event Types](/docs/eventsourcingdb/v1.1/event-types)** explain the fundamentals behind the example.