# Getting started Four steps from nothing installed to a note pinned to something. If you're building your own canvas rather than just using Caspian, the [reference page](../) is what you want instead. ## 1. Download the app Caspian ships as a single desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux, no account and no cloud workspace required. Grab the build for your platform from the [download page](../../index.html#download) and install it like any other desktop app. ## 2. Pick a Workbench folder The first time Caspian opens, it asks you to pick or create a Workbench folder - an ordinary directory on your disk. That's the whole setup: no sign-up, no server to configure. Every note Caspian creates from then on is a plain Markdown file inside that folder, readable in any text editor even without Caspian installed. ## 3. Install or create a workspace A workspace in Caspian is called a canvas - a picture, map, 3D model, live feed, or your own interface, with notes pinned to the parts that matter. From **Create a new canvas** you can describe what you're working on (from a prompt or an API endpoint) and let Caspian build the workspace for you, or pick one of the built-in kinds (image, 3D model, map, webpage) and point it at your own file or URL. > **Building your own canvas instead?** The [reference page](../) covers the full authoring contract: folder layout, the manifest, the bridge API, and a minimal working example. ## 4. Pin your first note Click (or drop a pin, or draw a region, depending on the canvas) on the part of the workspace your note is about, and start writing in plain Markdown. The note is saved straight to your Workbench folder as you go - there's nothing separate to sync or publish for it to be "saved."