diff --git a/agora-bootstrap.md b/agora-bootstrap.md
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/agora-bootstrap.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# agora bootstrap
+
+- the agora runs in a user in your computer. I use `agora`.
+  - `sudo adduser agora`
+  - `sudo su - agora`.
+- you can optionally set up this user so it auto-starts all agora services you want to run.
+  - `sudo loginctl enable-linger agora` to have user services stick across restarts
+  - then set up [[systemd]] user services for [[agora server]] (frontend/reader) and [[agora bridge]] (writer) in the `agora` user (more details to come soon)
+- [[clone repos]]
+  - agora: `git clone https://github.com/flancian/agora.git`
+  - agora-server: `git clone https://github.com/flancian/agora-server.git`
+  - agora-bridge: `git clone https://github.com/flancian/agora-server.git`
diff --git a/you-can-run-a-flancian-in-your-laptop.md b/you-can-run-a-flancian-in-your-laptop.md
index 353721f2c..836b2b5d3 100644
--- a/you-can-run-a-flancian-in-your-laptop.md
+++ b/you-can-run-a-flancian-in-your-laptop.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
   - git repositories with code and data I use
   - VMs
   - window manager state, including which programs I'm running and (pending program support) which content it's loaded in them
-  - currently also include browser tabs.
+    - currently including browser tabs.
+  - state at different levels can be restored optionally
 - [[pull]] [[project snapshot]]
 
diff --git a/you-can-run-an-agora-in-your-laptop.md b/you-can-run-an-agora-in-your-laptop.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1335fbb96
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+++ b/you-can-run-an-agora-in-your-laptop.md
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+# you can run an agora in your laptop
+
+- [[agora bootstrap]]
+