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+# Getting started
+
+- First, create a virtual environment of your choice (anaconda, venv, pyenv, poetry etc.). If you need assistance with virtual environments, [here's a guide](https://berkeleybop.github.io/best_practice/python_environments) to help you setup pyenv and use poetry with it.
+- Install the [cruft](https://github.com/cruft/cruft) package. Cruft enables keeping projects up-to-date with future updates made to this original template.
+
+    ```
+    pip install cruft
+    ```
+- Create a project using the [mapping-commons-cookiecutter](https://github.com/mapping-commons/mapping-commons-cookiecutter) template.
+    ```
+    cruft create https://github.com/mapping-commons/mapping-commons-cookiecutter
+    ```
+
+This kickstarts an interactive session where you declare the following:
+- `project_name`: Name of the project. [defaults to: my-commons-name]
+- `github_org`: Name of the github org the project belongs to. [defaults to: my-org]
+- `project_description`: Description of the project [defaults to: 'This is the project description.']
+- `full_name`: Name of the author [defaults to: 'My Name']
+- `email`: Author's email [defaults to: 'my-name@my-org.org']
+- `yo`: Choose from [1]: Yes, [2]: No [**TEST OPTION FOR NOW**]
+- `license`: Choose from [1]: Yes, [2]: No [**TEST OPTION FOR NOW**]
+
+# What does this do?
+
+The following files and directories are autogenerated in the project:
+# TODO
+
+# Version control
+## GitHub
+
+1. Go to [https://github.com/new] and follow the instructions, being sure to
+   NOT add a README or .gitignore file (this cookiecutter template will take
+   care of this for you)
+
+2. Add the remote to your local git repository
+
+   ```bash
+   git remote add origin https://github.com/my-user-or-organization/my-commons-name.git
+   git branch -M main
+   git push -u origin main
+   ```
+
+## GitLab
+
+### TODO
+
+# Future updates to the project's boilerplate code
+
+In order to be up-to-date with the template, first check if there is a mismatch between the project's boilerplate code and the template by running:
+```
+cruft check
+```
+
+This indicates if there is a difference between the current project's boilerplate code and the latest version of the project template. If the project is up-to-date with the template:
+```
+SUCCESS: Good work! Project's cruft is up to date and as clean as possible :).
+```
+
+Otherwise, it will indicate that the project's boilerplate code is not up-to-date by the following:
+```
+FAILURE: Project's cruft is out of date! Run `cruft update` to clean this mess up.
+```
+
+For viewing the difference, run `cruft diff`. This shows the difference between the project's boilerplate code and the template's latest version.
+
+After running `cruft update`, the project's boilerplate code will be updated to the latest version of the template.
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