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+# How to Obtain and Install JPF #
+
+The JPF core and most of its extensions are pure Java applications, so they are not many platform requirements other than sufficient memory and a reasonably fast machine. Use of IDEs is optional, but most JPF modules include out-of-the-box configuration files for both Eclipse and Netbeans.
+
+You can obtain JPF sources from the [Mercurial](http://mercurial.selenic.com/wiki/) repositories, but it is not recommended to clone this directory itself (you most likely would get old sub-repository revisions). You need at least the core of JPF, [jpf-core](../jpf-core/index) which can be built with [Ant](http://ant.apache.org) from the command line, or directly opened as a [NetBeans](http://www.netbeans.org) or [Eclipse](http://www.eclipse.org) project.
+
+The JPF core project already come with its configuration file, but you have to create a per-site [site.properties](site-properties) file.
+
+If you use the JPF shells (graphical JPF front-ends), you might also want to install the corresponding NetBeans or Eclipse adapter plugins, although shells are standalone Java (swing) applications that can also be used without an IDE.
+
+Here are the details:
+
+ - [System requirements](requirements)
+ - [Downloading binary snapshots](snapshot)
+ - [Downloading sources from the Mercurial repositories](repositories)
+ - [Creating a site properties file](site-properties)
+ - [Building, testing, and running](build)
+ - [Installing the Eclipse plugin](eclipse-plugin)
+ - [Installing the NetBeans plugin](netbeans-plugin)
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