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# Dat 1.0 docs
-Documentation resources for upcoming [dat](https://github.com/maxogden/dat) 1.0 release and the surrounding ecosystem.
+Documentation resources for [dat](https://github.com/maxogden/dat) 1.0 release candidate 1 and the surrounding ecosystem.
+
+## Installation
+
+```
+npm install -g dat@next
+```
+
+## Sharing data
+
+Dat is a peer to peer file sharing tool. To share data, first `cd` into a directory you want to share, and type:
+
+```
+$ dat link
+```
+
+This will create a link, that looks like `dat://...`. This is a unique hash, generated by the contents of the files (including those in subdirectories) inside the current directory. Dat ignores hidden files.
+
+Your output might look something like this:
+
+```
+$ dat link
+Scanning folder, found 98 files in 5 directories. 47.12 MB total.
+dat://a9933c3d00e1134e5814a0fe2b0f1166885f523dfe0d135a39a2ca4b43840d83
+Serving data (1 connection(s))
+```
+
+The data will now available on the Internet. If I want to share this data with someone else, I'll need to open port 3282 (DATA) on my local network.
+
+On another computer, I can type:
+
+```
+dat dat://a9933c3d00e1134e5814a0fe2b0f1166885f523dfe0d135a39a2ca4b43840d83
+```
+
+And the files will be downloaded inside of the current directory. The process will stay open, re-hosting the data to ensure redundancy of the data.
+
+## Versioning
+
+If you change any file inside the directory, you will get a different link. Each link is unique to the file list and data contents inside each file.
+
+Everything about the filesystem is replicated between two dat hosts, including directory structure, file modes, and time modified (mtime), among other filesystem metadata (TODO: link to more info here). For example, changing the file mode of a single file will create an entirely different link.
## Hosting
By default, dat looks to host on port 3282, and if taken, will choose a random open port.
-## Hidden folder
+## Local storage
Dat stores its data in a hidden folder that is stored by default in the user's home directory.
@@ -33,4 +74,3 @@ The file sharing network dat uses to distribute files and data. A technical spec
#### [discovery-channel](https://github.com/maxogden/discovery-channel)
This is the module dat uses to find peers on the local network or the internet who are sharing the same files and data that you are.
-