[[bbv2.installation]]
= Installation

To install B2 from an official release or a nightly build, as
available on the http://boost.org/boost-build2[official web site],
follow these steps:

1.  Unpack the release. On the command line, go to the root of the
unpacked tree.
2.  Run either `.\bootstrap.bat` (on Windows), or `./bootstrap.sh` (on
other operating systems).
3.  Run
+
[source,shell]
----
$ ./b2 install --prefix=PREFIX
----
+
where PREFIX is a directory where you want B2 to be installed.
4.  Optionally, add `PREFIX/bin` to your PATH environment variable.

If you are not using a B2 package, but rather the version
bundled with the Boost {CPP} Libraries, the above commands should be run
in the `tools/build` directory.

Now that B2 is installed, you can try some of the examples.
Copy `PREFIX/share/boost-build/examples/hello` to a different directory,
then change to that directory and run:

[source,shell]
----
$ PREFIX/bin/b2
----

A simple executable should be built.