diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0fe8518..a6e56e3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,8 +2,66 @@
 
 personal nixos configuration files
 
-## how to deploy
+## how to deploy the config
 
 ```bash
 $ sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake path:/home/aaron/git/nixconfig#default
 ```
+
+## how to upgrade the system
+
+```bash
+$ sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake --upgrade path:/home/aaron/git/nixconfig#default
+```
+
+## basic system installation
+
+```bash
+NAME          MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE  MOUNTPOINT
+sda             8:0    0 233.8G  0 disk
+├─sda1          8:1    0   500M  0 part  /boot
+└─sda2          8:2    0 233.3G  0 part
+  └─root      254:0    0 233.3G  0 crypt
+    ├─vg-swap 254:1    0     8G  0 lvm   [SWAP]
+    └─vg-root 254:2    0 225.3G  0 lvm   /
+``` 
+
+```bash
+# format the boot partition
+mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/sda1 -n "nixboot"
+# create an encrypted partition
+cryptsetup luksFormat -y --label="nixcrypt" /dev/sda2
+# open the encrypted partition and map it to /dev/mapper/cryptroot
+cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/sda2 cryptroot
+
+# create the physical volume
+pvcreate /dev/mapper/cryptroot
+# create a volume group inside
+vgcreate lvmroot /dev/mapper/cryptroot
+# create the swap volume
+lvcreate --size 8G lvmroot --name nwap
+# if you desire, create a home volume
+lvcreate --size 150G lvmroot --name home
+# create the root volume
+lvcreate -l 100%FREE lvmroot --name root
+
+# format as usual for root partition
+mkfs.ext4 -L "nixroot" /dev/mapper/lvmroot-root
+# if you previously made the home partition, do it too
+mkfs.ext4 -L "nixhome" /dev/mapper/lvmroot-home
+# format the swap partition
+mkswap -L "nixswap" /dev/mapper/lvmroot-swap
+
+# mount root
+mount /dev/disk/by-label/nixroot /mnt
+# mount boot
+mount --mkdir /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot
+# again, if you did the home volume
+mount --mkdir /dev/disk/by-label/nixhome /mnt/home
+# turn on swap
+swapon /dev/disk/by-label/nixswap
+```
+
+## author
+
+aaron <aaron@0x29a.ch>