---
title: "Chapter 0: Introduction / Getting Started"
description: "The 12 lessons of chapter 0: Introduction / Getting Started, in teaching order."
url: "https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/"
last_updated: "2026-06-11"
---

# Chapter 0: Introduction / Getting Started

- [0.1 Introduction to these tutorials](https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/introduction-to-these-tutorials.md): What this free Rust course covers, how it's organized, and how to get the most out of every lesson.
- [0.2 Introduction to programs and languages](https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/introduction-to-programs-and-languages.md): What a program is, machine code, assembly, and high-level languages: where Rust fits in the world of programming.
- [0.3 Introduction to Rust](https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/introduction-to-rust.md): A short history of the Rust programming language, what makes it different, and answers to the questions every beginner asks.
- [0.4 Introduction to Rust development](https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/introduction-to-rust-development.md): The seven steps of developing a program, why design is the neglected one, and the true story of the first computer bug.
- [0.5 The compiler, Cargo, and crates](https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/the-compiler-cargo-and-crates.md): What the Rust compiler does, what Cargo is for, and what crates and the standard library are.
- [0.6 Installing Rust](https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/installing-rust.md): Installing Rust with rustup on Windows, macOS, and Linux, including the Build Tools prerequisite, verification, and updating.
- [0.7 Setting up a code editor](https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/setting-up-a-code-editor.md): Choosing and installing a Rust code editor: VS Code with rust-analyzer, RustRover, and the setups to avoid.
- [0.8 Compiling your first program](https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/compiling-your-first-program.md): Create your first Rust project with cargo new, run it with cargo run, and meet Cargo.toml, main.rs, and the target folder.
- [0.9 A few common problems](https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/a-few-common-problems.md): Fixes for the most common Rust setup problems: command not found, linker errors, antivirus quarantines, and more.
- [0.10 Build configurations: debug and release](https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/build-configurations.md): Rust's dev and release build profiles: what each is for, how much speed release buys, and which to use when.
- [0.11 Warnings, lints, and Clippy](https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/warnings-lints-and-clippy.md): Rust compiler warnings, why they're on by default, the underscore convention, and the Clippy and rustfmt tools.
- [0.12 Rust editions](https://learnrust.net/chapter-0/rust-editions.md): What Rust editions are (2015, 2018, 2021, 2024), why they exist, and why you barely need to think about them.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://learnrust.net/sitemap.md) for all pages.