---
title: Start a new project
description: When you extract the IDM .zip file, you have a default project under /path/to/openidm.
component: pingidm
version: 8.1
page_id: pingidm:install-guide:new-project
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/8.1/install-guide/new-project.html
keywords: ["Installation", "Project"]
---

# Start a new project

When you extract the IDM .zip file, you have a default *project* under `/path/to/openidm`.

|   |                                                                                                            |
| - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | You can use this project to test customizations, but you should not run the default project in production. |

Set up a new project as follows:

1. Create a directory for your new project:

   ```
   mkdir /path/to/my-project
   ```

2. Set up a minimal configuration:

   * If your project will be similar to any of the [sample configurations](../samples-guide/preface.html), copy the contents of the sample to your new project.

     For example:

     ```
     cp -r /path/to/openidm/samples/sync-with-ldap/* /path/to/my-project/
     ```

     You can then customize the sample configuration according to your requirements.

   * If you do not want to start with one of the sample configurations, copy the `conf/` and `script/` directories from the default project to your new project directory:

     ```
     cp -pr /path/to/openidm/conf /path/to/my-project/
     cp -pr /path/to/openidm/script /path/to/my-project/
     ```

     You can then customize the default configuration according to your requirements.

3. [Select a repository](chap-repository.html)

4. Start your new project as follows:

   ```
   /path/to/openidm/startup.sh -p /path/to/my-project
   ```