# Start beLow

On a local installation, starting beLow server and runners is simplified by the use of the beLowCTL application.

{% hint style="info" %}
Before running beLowCTL, please make sure that Docker service is running.
{% endhint %}

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Linux" %}
If using Gnome, open the Activities menu and click on beLowCTL.

![beLowCTL on Gnome](/files/03d7eb63c1b7594750a5e2f5797674d1b255a322)

Alternatively, run beLowCTL from a terminal to see live logs (useful for troubleshooting or support requests):

{% code title="Terminal" %}

```bash
belowctl
```

{% endcode %}

Running beLowCTL graphically requires the AppIndicator extension to be enabled (name may vary by UI environment).

{% hint style="warning" %}
On RHEL8 the graphical version of beLowCTL is not available. Prefer the terminal version or run the "beLowCTL - Headless" application instead.
{% endhint %}

When beLowCTL is running (graphical or terminal), an icon appears in the system tray (top bar on Gnome). Click the icon and then click Start in the menu to start beLow services.

![beLowCTL tray and Start](/files/4a6fe7a8be26c3978679290f0d365afd75df7797)

Running beLow services for the first time can take a few minutes depending on internet speed and CPU performance because Docker images need to be downloaded and extracted.

To run the beLow UI after services are started, open the beLow application from Activities / Start menu.

![beLow start page](/files/6d8558a8a38f64ddf679d5c0853246d5f088fe0b)
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Windows" %}
Click on beLowCTL in the Start menu.

![beLowCTL on Windows Start menu](/files/bd5276a37307b19903e36df586ce6b408e2f1d94)

Alternatively, run beLowCTL from a terminal to see live logs (useful for troubleshooting or support requests):

{% code title="Terminal" %}

```bash
belowctl-cli
```

{% endcode %}

When beLowCTL is running, an icon appears in the system tray (bottom-right icons on Windows). Click the icon and then click Start in the menu to start beLow services.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Start beLow services

1. Launch beLowCTL (graphical or terminal).
2. Click the system tray icon and choose Start (or use the terminal command which shows live logs).
3. Wait for Docker images to download and services to initialize (first run may take several minutes).
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Open beLow UI

After services are started, open the beLow application from Activities / Start menu to access the login page and UI.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

If you encounter problems running the services or the UI, see the Troubleshooting section: <https://docs.wedolow.com/below-technical-documentation/faq-troubleshooting/troubleshooting>

Let's now sign up and [log in to beLow](/documentation/below/quickstart/sign-up-log-in.md).


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.wedolow.com/documentation/below/quickstart/start-below.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.