diff --git a/cmd/ysvd/main.go b/cmd/ysvd/main.go
index da29a2c..dfe130e 100644
--- a/cmd/ysvd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ysvd/main.go
@@ -1,4 +1,54 @@
 package main
 
-func main() {
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"net/http"
+	"os"
+
+	"mcquay.me/ysv"
+
+	"github.com/kelseyhightower/envconfig"
+)
+
+const usage = `ysvd
+
+environment vars:
+
+YSV_PORT: tcp listen port
+`
+
+type config struct {
+	Port int
+}
+
+func main() {
+	c := &config{
+		Port: 4040,
+	}
+	if err := envconfig.Process("ysv", c); err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "problem processing environment: %v", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	if len(os.Args) > 1 {
+		switch os.Args[1] {
+		case "env", "e", "help", "h":
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%s\n", usage)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+	}
+	hostname := "localhost"
+	if hn, err := os.Hostname(); err != nil {
+		log.Printf("problem getting hostname:", err)
+	} else {
+		hostname = hn
+	}
+	log.Printf("serving at: http://%s:%d/", hostname, c.Port)
+	sm := http.NewServeMux()
+	ysv.NewServer(sm)
+	addr := fmt.Sprintf(":%d", c.Port)
+	if err := http.ListenAndServe(addr, sm); err != nil {
+		log.Printf("problem with http server: %v", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 }
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eba1deb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package ysv
+
+import "net/http"
+
+type Server struct {
+}
+
+func NewServer(sm *http.ServeMux) *Server {
+	s := &Server{}
+	addRoutes(sm, s)
+	return s
+}
+
+func addRoutes(sm *http.ServeMux, s *Server) {
+}
diff --git a/ysv.go b/ysv.go
index cb92fb0..882e808 100644
--- a/ysv.go
+++ b/ysv.go
@@ -5,6 +5,24 @@ when searching for packages:
 
 <meta name="go-import" content="import-prefix vcs repo-root">
 
+this is simply a service for aggregating a collection of prefix, vcs, and
+repo-root tuples, and serving the appropriate header over http.
+
+API
+
+In order to add a new package POST a json object to the following route:
+
+POST /v0/package/
+
+A sample json object:
+
+	{
+		"path": "mcquay.me/ysv",
+		"repo": "https://s.mcquay.me/sm/ysv"
+	}
+
+Naming
+
 ysv stands for You're so Vain, the song by Carly Simon.
 */
 package ysv