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+Getting a Micro Python REPL prompt
+==================================
+
+REPL stands for Read Evaluate Print Loop, and is the name given to the
+interactive Micro Python prompt that you can access on the pyboard.  Using
+the REPL is by far the easiest way to test out your code and run commands.
+You can use the REPL in addition to writing scripts in ``main.py``.
+
+To use the REPL, you must connect to the serial USB device on the pyboard.
+How you do this depends on your operating system.
+
+Windows
+-------
+
+You need to install the pyboard driver to use the serial USB device.
+The driver is on the pyboard's USB flash drive, and is called ``pybcdc.inf``.
+
+To install this driver you need to go to Device Manager
+for your computer, find the pyboard in the list of devices (it should have
+a warning sign next to it because it's not working yet), right click on
+the pyboard device, select Properties, then Install Driver.  You need to
+then select the option to find the driver manually (don't use Windows auto update),
+navigate to the pyboard's USB drive, and select that.  It should then install.
+After installing, go back to the Device Manager to find the installed pyboard,
+and see which COM port it is (eg COM4).
+
+You now need to run your terminal program.  You can use HyperTerminal if you
+have it installed, or download the free program PuTTY:
+[`putty.exe`](http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html).
+Using your serial program you must connect to the COM port that you found in the
+previous step.  With PuTTY, click on "Session" in the left-hand panel, then click
+the "Serial" radio button on the right, then enter you COM port (eg COM4) in the
+"Serial Line" box.  Finally, click the "Open" button.
+
+Mac OS X
+--------
+
+Open a terminal and run::
+
+    screen /dev/tty.usbmodem*
+    
+When you are finishend and want to exit screen, type CTRL-A CTRL-\\.
+
+Linux
+-----
+
+Open a terminal and run::
+
+    screen /dev/ttyACM0
+    
+You can also try ``picocom`` or ``minicom`` instead of screen.  You may have to
+use ``/dev/ttyACM1`` or a higher number for ``ttyACM``.  And, you may need to give
+yourself the correct permissions to access this devices (eg group ``uucp`` or ``dialout``,
+or use sudo).
+
+Using the REPL prompt
+---------------------
+
+Now let's try running some Micro Python code directly on the pyboard.
+
+With your serial program open (PuTTY, screen, picocom, etc) you may see a blank
+screen with a flashing cursor.  Press Enter and you should be presented with a
+Micro Python prompt, i.e. ``>>>``.  Let's make sure it is working with the obligatory test::
+
+    >>> print("hello pyboard!")
+    hello pyboard!
+
+In the above, you should not type in the ``>>>`` characters.  They are there to
+indicate that you should type the text after it at the prompt.  In the end, once
+you have entered the text ``print("hello pyboard!")`` and pressed Enter, the output
+on your screen should look like it does above.
+
+If you already know some python you can now try some basic commands here. 
+
+If any of this is not working you can try either a hard reset or a soft reset;
+see below.
+
+Go ahead and try typing in some other commands.  For example::
+
+    >>> pyb.LED(1).on()
+    >>> pyb.LED(2).on()
+    >>> 1 + 2
+    3
+    >>> 1 / 2
+    0.5
+    >>> 20 * 'py'
+    'pypypypypypypypypypypypypypypypypypypypy'
+
+Resetting the board
+-------------------
+
+If something goes wrong, you can reset the board in two ways. The first is to press CTRL-D
+at the Micro Python prompt, which performs a soft reset.  You will see a message something like ::
+
+    >>> 
+    PYB: sync filesystems
+    PYB: soft reboot
+    Micro Python v1.0 on 2014-05-03; PYBv1.0 with STM32F405RG
+    Type "help()" for more information.
+    >>>
+
+If that isn't working you can perform a hard reset (turn-it-off-and-on-again) by pressing the RST
+switch (the small black button closest to the micro-USB socket on the board). This will end your
+session, disconnecting whatever program (PuTTY, screen, etc) that you used to connect to the pyboard.
+
+If you are going to do a hard-reset, it's recommended to first close your serial program and eject/unmount
+the pyboard drive.