If you meet all the [requirements](mar-forecast-intro) to set up a MAR-based weather forecast, follow the next steps carefully to first set up a folder hierarchy that will act as the backbone of the forecast.
1. On your target computer (i.e. where the forecast will run), e.g. a cluster, create a new directory at a suitable location to store the software and main resources of the operational forecast chain. **This directory must be permanent** as it will both contain the main software, the `MARsim` archives used for the forecast as well as logs written by various parts of the operational chain. This directory will be subsequently refered to as `$DIR`.
2. Copy the following contents from this `git` repository in `$DIR`: `bin`, `python`, `MAR_forecast.bash` and `MAR_hindcast_ERA5T.bash`. Make sure all `.bash` scripts are executable (``chmod +x my_script.bash``).
2. Copy the following contents from the [ESPECES/MAR/forecast](https://gitlab.uliege.be/especes/mar/forecast) repository in `$DIR`: `bin`, `python`, `MAR_forecast.bash` and `MAR_hindcast_ERA5T.bash`. Make sure all `.bash` scripts are executable (``chmod +x my_script.bash``).
3. Review the folders listed in ``bin/variable.bash``, starting from line 50, and create new empty folders with the same names in `$DIR`.
