# Getting started with the Amazon SDK for C\$1\$1
<a name="getting-started"></a>

Amazon SDK for C\$1\$1 is a modularized, cross-platform, open-source library you can use to connect to Amazon Web Services.

The Amazon SDK for C\$1\$1 uses [CMake](https://cmake.org/) to support multiple platforms over multiple domains, including video games, systems, mobile, and embedded devices. CMake is a build tool that you can use to manage your application’s dependencies and to create makefiles suitable for the platform you’re building on. CMake removes the parts of the build that are not used for your platform or application.

Before you run code to access Amazon resources, you must establish how your code authenticates with Amazon.
+  [Authenticating with Amazon using Amazon SDK for C\$1\$1](credentials.md)

To use the Amazon SDK for C\$1\$1 in your code, obtain the SDK executables by building the SDK source directly or by using a package manager.
+  [Getting the Amazon SDK for C\$1\$1 from source code](sdk-from-source.md)
+  [Getting the Amazon SDK for C\$1\$1 from a package manager](sdk-from-pm.md)

If you run into build issues regarding CMake, see [Troubleshooting Amazon SDK for C\$1\$1 build issues](troubleshooting-cmake.md).