diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 921d1fe..7d9e4ff 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 *.dll
 *.so
 *.dylib
+config.json
+zmaplist.txt
 
 # Test binary, built with `go test -c`
 *.test
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fa688a8..edcb311 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,89 @@
 # geoscan
 
-a tool in Golang for scanning the world wide internet
\ No newline at end of file
+a tool in Golang for scanning the world wide internet
+
+## how to set up
+disclaimer: this guide assumes you have a Linux/Unix capable host with the bash shell installed
+
+installing prequisities:
+- zmap
+- mySQL/mariaDB (optional, canner can use sqlite)
+```Bash
+sudo apt update
+sudo apt install zmap
+```
+
+then compile the backend scanner
+```Bash
+go mod tidy
+chmod +x release.sh
+./release.sh
+```
+this will compile the main.go scanner
+
+then make the configuration file in JSON
+
+example config for mySQL
+```JSON
+{
+  "zmapfile": "zmaplist.txt",
+  "channelfeeders": 20,
+  "db": {
+    "dbdriver": "mysql",
+    "username": "root",
+    "password": "admin",
+    "dbname": "scannerdb"
+  },
+  "web": {
+    "port": 9000,
+    "username": "admin",
+    "password": "admin"
+  }
+}
+```
+note to change the username and password to the mySQL/MariaDB database you have installed, to create the database for the scanner, run the following query
+```SQL
+CREATE DATABASE scannerdb;
+CREATE USER 'Scanner'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'Scannerpass123';
+GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON scannerdb.* TO 'Scanner'@'localhost';
+FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
+```
+config file for SQLite
+```JSON
+{
+  "zmapfile": "zmaplist.txt",
+  "channelfeeders": 20,
+  "db": {
+    "dbdriver": "sqlite",
+    "username": "",
+    "password": "",
+    "dbname": "scanner.db"
+  },
+  "web": {
+    "port": 9000,
+    "username": "admin",
+    "password": "admin"
+  }
+}
+```
+then to start scanning, run zmap that was installed earlier
+
+```Bash
+sudo zmap -p 80 -o zmaplist.txt
+```
+leave zmap running for some time, to evenutally build a list of active IPs
+then run the scanner with the IP file you got from zmap
+```
+./main
+```
+make sure the database config is correct, otherwise an error will be seen of being unable to connect to the database *if using mySQL*
+
+then after we are done scanning, we wanna see our data
+
+## making and using the frontend
+
+- first, compile the frontend
+  ```Bash
+  go build -ldflags "-s -w" -trimpath frontend.go
+  ```
+  a frontend binary will appear, run with ./frontend
\ No newline at end of file