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Getting Started

Welcome to HOLMES (HydrOLogical Modeling Educational Software), a web-based tool designed to teach operational hydrology. This section will guide you through installing HOLMES and getting your first model calibration running.

What is HOLMES?

HOLMES is educational software developed at Université Laval, Québec, Canada. It provides an interactive web interface for:

  • Calibrating hydrological models (GR4J, Bucket) against observed streamflow data
  • Simulating streamflow using calibrated model parameters
  • Projecting future streamflow under climate change scenarios

What You'll Learn

This Getting Started guide covers:

Section Description
Installation Installing HOLMES via pip or from source
Quickstart Your first calibration in 5 steps
Configuration Customizing server settings

Prerequisites

Before installing HOLMES, ensure you have:

  • Python 3.11 or newer installed on your system
  • A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)

Quick Install

Install HOLMES with:

pip install holmes-hydro

Then start the server:

holmes

The web interface opens automatically in your default browser. If needed, you can also access it manually at http://127.0.0.1:8000.

For detailed installation instructions, see the Installation page.

Next Steps

  • Follow the Quickstart tutorial to run your first calibration
  • Read the User Guide for comprehensive interface documentation
  • Explore the Concepts section to understand the hydrological models