> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://academy.pentaho.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://academy.pentaho.com/getting-started/pentaho-academy.md).

# Getting Started with Pentaho

{% hint style="warning" icon="triangle-exclamation" %}
**Sandbox — for testing purposes only.** This is a sandbox version of the new Getting Started section, published so it can be tested. Some links and details are still being verified, and REPLACE-ME markers are intentional. The current Academy is at [academy.pentaho.com](https://academy.pentaho.com/).
{% endhint %}

## Pick how you'll run Pentaho

Three install options. Run Pentaho Data Integration in a **2-hour browser lab** with nothing to install, **download and install Developer Edition** on your own machine, or run an **Enterprise Edition trial with the Pentaho team** alongside you. They differ in how fast you start, whether you install anything, and whether a person from Pentaho is involved.

<button type="button" class="button primary" data-action="ask" data-icon="gitbook-assistant">Which option is right for me?</button>

<button type="button" class="button secondary" data-action="ask" data-query="I want to try Pentaho Data Integration right now without installing anything. Where do I start?" data-icon="bolt">Try it now</button><button type="button" class="button secondary" data-action="ask" data-query="What is the difference between Pentaho Developer Edition and Enterprise Edition?" data-icon="scale-balanced">DE vs EE</button><button type="button" class="button secondary" data-action="ask" data-query="How do I connect Pentaho Data Integration to my own database?" data-icon="database">Use my own data</button><button type="button" class="button secondary" data-action="ask" data-query="What are the system requirements for installing Pentaho Developer Edition?" data-icon="list-check">System requirements</button>

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="files"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><h4><i class="fa-bolt" style="color:$primary;">:bolt:</i></h4></td><td><strong>Try it right now</strong></td><td><p><strong>~2 minutes.</strong></p><p>A hosted Pentaho Data Integration session in your browser. Nothing to install, no form. The session lasts 2 hours.</p></td><td><a href="https://academy.pentaho.com/getting-started/start-here/evaluate-online">https://academy.pentaho.com/getting-started/start-here/evaluate-online</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><h4><i class="fa-laptop-code" style="color:$primary;">:laptop-code:</i></h4></td><td><strong>Install on my machine</strong></td><td><p><strong>~15 minutes.</strong></p><p>Install Developer Edition and keep it for 15 days — for individual learners and not-for-profit organisations such as universities, colleges and charities. Best if you want to work against your own data.</p></td><td><a href="https://academy.pentaho.com/getting-started/start-here/developer-edition">https://academy.pentaho.com/getting-started/start-here/developer-edition</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><h4><i class="fa-building" style="color:$primary;">:building:</i></h4></td><td><strong>Evaluate Pentaho</strong></td><td><strong>2–3 business days.</strong> Request a trial on pentaho.com. A Pentaho Account Executive validates it and supports you through the evaluation.</td><td><a href="https://academy.pentaho.com/getting-started/start-here/enterprise-trial">https://academy.pentaho.com/getting-started/start-here/enterprise-trial</a></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" icon="circle-question" %}
**Not sure?** Start with the browser lab. Two minutes, nothing needed from you, and you can move to another option afterwards.
{% endhint %}

***

### How the options fit together

Every option ends the same way: with Pentaho running and ready to use. The difference is what it costs you to get there, and what you can do once you arrive. The browser lab is a look. Developer Edition is a workbench. The Enterprise trial is a proof of concept with a named person alongside you — and you can move between them at any time.

<figure><img src="/files/y4909QpcMoIU4aLkEsZU" alt="The three options: browser lab, Developer Edition, and Enterprise trial all lead from Start here to Pentaho up and running"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

## The three options in detail

Each option below links to a full walkthrough — prerequisites, install commands, and what to do if something goes wrong. This is the short version, with enough detail to pick confidently and arrive prepared.

### Option 1 · Try it in your browser — the 2-hour lab

A full PDI design client (Spoon) running in a browser tab, with a prepared dataset already connected. Nothing to install, nothing to configure.

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="230"></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Who it's for</strong></td><td>Everyone — no form, no restrictions</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Time to start</strong></td><td>~2 minutes</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Session length</strong></td><td>2 hours — the environment is torn down at the end</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Install or form?</strong></td><td>Neither</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Data</strong></td><td>Prepared dataset, already connected</td></tr><tr><td><strong>You get</strong></td><td>The PDI design client (Spoon), fully working</td></tr><tr><td><strong>You don't get</strong></td><td>Pentaho Server, Pipeline Designer, Enterprise features, your own data</td></tr></tbody></table>

**What happens:**

1. Launch the lab — it opens in a new tab and provisions in about a minute.
2. Explore Spoon against the prepared dataset — build, run, and inspect a pipeline.
3. Export anything you want to keep **before the session ends** — nothing survives the teardown.
4. Decide what's next: install Developer Edition to keep building, or request an Enterprise trial.

{% hint style="info" %}
On a corporate VPN? Networks that block WebSocket traffic can stop the lab connecting — if the tab stays blank, try without the VPN.
{% endhint %}

<p align="center"><a href="https://academy.pentaho.com/getting-started/start-here/evaluate-online" class="button primary" data-icon="bolt">Open the browser lab guide</a></p>

### Option 2 · Download and install Developer Edition

Pentaho on your own machine for 15 days. Developer Edition is made for **individual learners and not-for-profit organisations** — universities, colleges, charities — who want to learn at their own pace and prototype against their own data. Evaluating for a commercial organisation? That's Option 3.

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="230"></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Who it's for</strong></td><td>Individual learners and not-for-profit organisations — universities, colleges, charities</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Time to install</strong></td><td>~15 minutes</td></tr><tr><td><strong>How long you keep it</strong></td><td>15 days</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Runs on</strong></td><td>Windows 11, or macOS 15 (Sequoia) / 14 (Sonoma) — Intel and Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Java</strong></td><td>Java 21 (certified) or Java 17 (supported) — Oracle JDK, OpenJDK, Temurin or Azul Zulu builds</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Hardware</strong></td><td>2 GB RAM dedicated to PDI, 2 GB free disk after install</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Your own data?</strong></td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Enterprise features?</strong></td><td>No — the server platform, scheduling and Pipeline Designer need the Enterprise trial</td></tr></tbody></table>

**Before you download:**

* Run `java -version` and check it against the requirement — this is where most installs go wrong.
* On Windows, pick an install path with **no spaces in it**: `C:\Pentaho` works, `C:\Program Files\Pentaho` causes problems later.
* On macOS, the app comes from outside the App Store, so the first launch may be blocked — right-click **Data Integration.app** and choose **Open** the first time.

**What happens:**

1. Download the archive — a single file.
2. Extract it and run `spoon.bat` (Windows) or open **Data Integration.app** (macOS). First launch is the slow one.
3. Verify the Spoon welcome screen opens — if it does, you're set up.
4. Your 15 days run from REPLACE-ME (first launch / download date) — plan your evaluation around it.

<p align="center"><a href="https://academy.pentaho.com/getting-started/start-here/developer-edition" class="button primary" data-icon="laptop-code">Open the full install guide</a></p>

### Option 3 · Run an Enterprise trial with the Pentaho team

The full product — design tools plus the Pentaho Server — with a named Pentaho account executive alongside you. Take this option if you're building a real proof of concept rather than learning the tool.

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="230"></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Who it's for</strong></td><td>Organisations evaluating Pentaho for commercial use</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Response time</strong></td><td>2–3 business days, from a named person (not a no-reply address)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>What you get</strong></td><td>Full Enterprise Edition: design tools, Pentaho Server, enterprise security, scheduling</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Trial length</strong></td><td>Agreed with your AE, sized to your evaluation deadline</td></tr><tr><td><strong>The form</strong></td><td>Lives on pentaho.com — choose the <strong>trial</strong> option, not demo or sales</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Best for</strong></td><td>Evaluating with your own data at real volume</td></tr></tbody></table>

**Have these ready before you fill in the form** — they determine how well your trial goes:

* **What you're trying to prove** — the specific thing, not "we're looking at ETL tools". Your AE uses this to size the trial and bring in the right technical help.
* **Roughly when you need to decide** — this sets your trial length.
* **Your work email address** — requests from personal addresses take longer to validate.

**What happens:**

1. Submit the form on pentaho.com — and **bookmark the trial guide first**, because your licence email contains a download link but not the install instructions.
2. While you wait, use the browser lab — you can be exploring Spoon the same day.
3. Your AE sends a download URL and licence key together. Install, apply the licence, verify the server and design tools both start.
4. Start your evaluation — and bring specifics to your AE check-in: what you connected to, what you proved, where you got stuck.

<p align="center"><a href="https://academy.pentaho.com/getting-started/start-here/enterprise-trial" class="button primary" data-icon="building">Open the Enterprise trial guide</a></p>

***

### Compare the options

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="230"></th><th></th><th></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td><strong>Browser lab</strong></td><td><strong>Developer Edition</strong></td><td><strong>Enterprise trial</strong></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Who it's for</strong></td><td>Everyone</td><td>Individuals &#x26; not-for-profits</td><td>Commercial organisations</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Time to first pipeline</strong></td><td>~2 minutes</td><td>~15 minutes</td><td>2–3 business days</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Install anything?</strong></td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Runs on</strong></td><td>Any modern browser</td><td>Windows 11 or macOS 14/15</td><td>Windows or Linux servers</td></tr><tr><td><strong>How long you keep it</strong></td><td>2-hour session</td><td>15 days</td><td>Set with your AE</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Form to fill in?</strong></td><td>No</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Someone contacts you?</strong></td><td>No</td><td>No</td><td>Yes — a named AE</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Your own data?</strong></td><td>No — prepared dataset</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Enterprise features</strong></td><td>No</td><td>No</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Best for</strong></td><td>A first look</td><td>Learning and prototyping</td><td>A real proof of concept</td></tr></tbody></table>


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## 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, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://academy.pentaho.com/getting-started/pentaho-academy.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

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.