diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 6e844dd..6a193d8 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 default:
   image: rust:latest
 
+stages:
+  - build
+  - test
+  - release
+
 compile-with-posix-features:
   stage: build
   script:
@@ -15,20 +20,7 @@ compile-implicit-load:
   stage: build
   script:
     - cargo build -F implicit-load
-
-compile-release:
-  stage: build
-  script:
-    - cargo build --release
-  artifacts:
-    paths:
-      - target/release/flesh
-  only:
-    variables:
-      - $CI_COMMIT_TAG =~ /^v\d+.\d+.\d+-?.*$/
-  except:
-    - branches
-
+ 
 unit-tests:
   stage: test
   script:
@@ -38,3 +30,52 @@ userlib-tests:
   stage: test
   script:
     - cargo run --no-default-features snippets/userlib.f snippets/userlib-tests.f
+
+prepare-release:
+  stage: release
+  script:
+    - cargo build -F implicit-load --release
+    - |
+      tar -czf flesh-$CI_COMMIT_TAG.tar.gz \
+        --xform='s,target/release/,,' \
+        --xform='s,snippets/,,' \
+        --xform='s,snippets/release/,,' \
+        --xform='s,release/,,' \
+        target/release/flesh \
+        Readme.org Writing.org Shell.org \
+        snippets/flesh-mode.el \
+        snippets/genbind.f \
+        snippets/interactive-devel.f \
+        snippets/userlib.f \
+        LICENSE.md \
+        snippets/release/default_fleshrc.f \
+        snippets/release/release_contents.txt \
+        snippets/release/install.sh
+    - echo $CI_COMMIT_TAG > VERSION
+    - echo $CI_JOB_ID > ID
+  artifacts:
+    paths:
+      - flesh-$CI_COMMIT_TAG.tar.gz
+      - VERSION
+      - ID
+  rules:
+    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_TAG =~ "/^v\d+.\d+.\d+/"'
+
+create-release:
+  stage: release
+  image: registry.gitlab.com/gitlab-org/release-cli:latest
+  needs:
+    - job: prepare-release
+      artifacts: true
+  script:
+    - echo "running job for release!"
+  rules:
+    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_TAG =~ "/^v\d+.\d+.\d+/"'
+  release:
+    name: 'Release $(cat VERSION)'
+    description: 'This release was cut automatically from a git tag. See release_contents.txt for more information on the contents of the release.'
+    tag_name: $CI_COMMIT_TAG
+    assets:
+      links:
+        - name: Get the release here
+          url: https://gitlab.com/whom/relish/-/jobs/`cat ID`/artifacts/file/flesh-`cat VERSION`.tar.gz
diff --git a/Readme.org b/Readme.org
index a8cab6a..1e2e6f0 100644
--- a/Readme.org
+++ b/Readme.org
@@ -166,9 +166,6 @@ Note: this section only tracks the state of incomplete TODO items. Having everyt
 - Can pass args to flesh scripts (via command line)
 - Can pass args to flesh scripts (via interpreter)
 - declare macros
-- Release CI
-- Make an icon if you feel like it
-- Post release to relevant channels
 ** TODO v1.1 tasks
 - all autocomplete is done via configurable userfunction, default documented with 1:1 functionality
 - Pipe also operates on stderr
diff --git a/logo.png b/logo.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9285dd2
Binary files /dev/null and b/logo.png differ
diff --git a/snippets/release/default_fleshrc.f b/snippets/release/default_fleshrc.f
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13a6e30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/snippets/release/default_fleshrc.f
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env flesh
+
+(set (q CFG_FLESH_POSIX) true)
+(set (q CFG_FLESH_ENV)   true)
+
+(def snippets        'flesh conf snippets' (concat HOME "/.flesh/"))
+(def _user_libraries 'flesh support libs'
+  ((concat snippets '/userlib.f')
+   (concat snippets '/genbind.f')
+   (concat snippets '/interactive-devel.f')
+   ;; add your own scripts here
+   ))
+
+(def loadlibs        'load all flesh libs'
+  (lambda ()
+    (let ((lib-iter (pop _user_libraries)))
+      (while (gt? (len lib-iter) 1)
+        (let ((lib  (car lib-iter))
+              (next (cdr lib-iter)))
+            (call lib)
+            (def lib-iter '' (pop next)))))))
+;(loadlibs)
+
+(def user-paths 'custom path entries'
+  ((concat HOME "/bin")
+   ;; add more here
+   ))
+
+;; add path if not already included
+;; only you can stop $PATH pollution
+(map
+  (lambda (entry) (if (not (contains? (get-paths) entry))
+                    (add-path entry)
+                    ()))
+  user-paths)
+
+(def _fancy-cwd 'prints (up to) last three segments of current path'
+  ()
+  (let ((cdir (load-to-string pwd))
+        (dir-segs (split cdir '/'))
+        (dir-iter (dq dir-segs))
+        (i 0))
+    (if (lte? (len dir-segs) 4)
+      cdir
+      (let ((final ""))
+        (while (lt? i 3)
+          (set (q final) (concat "/" (car dir-iter) final))
+          (set (q dir-iter) (dq (cdr dir-iter)))
+          (inc i))
+        (concat "..." final)))))
+
+;; (def CFG_FLESH_CD_CB "directory based configs" ....... )
+(def CFG_FLESH_L_PROMPT "left prompt"  ()
+  (concat
+    "[" USER "]" "\t"
+    (_fancy-cwd)
+    "\n" ;; newline before delimiter
+    ))
+
+(def CFG_FLESH_R_PROMPT "right prompt" ()
+ (concat
+   "(" (load-to-string date "+%H:%M") ")" ))
+
+(def CFG_FLESH_PROMPT_DELIMITER "delimiter" ()
+  "  -> ")
diff --git a/snippets/release/install.sh b/snippets/release/install.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd1e1ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/snippets/release/install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+if [ "$USER" != "root" ]; then
+    echo you will likely need root to place in /bin.
+    echo comment out this test to continue without it
+    exit
+fi
+
+if [ ! -n "$SUDO_USER" ]; then
+    echo SUDO_USER not set, so I dont know where to install to
+    exit
+fi
+
+libdir=/home/$SUDO_USER/.flesh/
+
+if [ ! -d "$libdir" ]; then
+    mkdir $libdir
+fi
+
+if [ -d "/home/$SUDO_USER/.emacs.d" ]; then
+    mv flesh-mode.el /home/$SUDO_USER/.emacs.d/
+    chown $SUDO_USER:$SUDO_USER /home/$SUDO_USER/.emacs.d/flesh-mode.el
+fi
+
+mv userlib.f $libdir
+mv genbind.f $libdir
+mv interactive-devel.f $libdir
+mv default_fleshrc.f /home/$SUDO_USER/.fleshrc
+chown -R $SUDO_USER:$SUDO_USER $libdir
+chown $SUDO_USER:$SUDO_USER /home/$SUDO_USER/.fleshrc
+
+mv flesh /bin/flesh
+chmod +x /bin/flesh
diff --git a/snippets/release/release_contents.txt b/snippets/release/release_contents.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf225ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/snippets/release/release_contents.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+This file elaborates on the contents of this release zip
+
+1. LICENSE.md:  A copy of the license these procedures are offered under
+2. Readme.org:  A snapshot of the readme at time of release
+3. Writing.org: A snapshot of the language spec at time of release
+4. Shell.org:   A snapshot of the shell spec at time of release
+5. flesh:       A binary executable for the flesh interpreter
+                  This binary will have been build with the
+                  implicit-load flag
+6. flesh-mode.el: A copy of the Emacs flesh mode
+7. genbind.f:   A snapshot of the genbind library, mostly included
+                  as an example of metaprogramming in flesh.
+
+8. interactive-devel.f: A snapshot of the interactive development features.
+9. userlib.f:   A snapshot of the userlib at time of release
+10: default_fleshrc.f: An example .fleshrc
+11: install.sh  An install script in shell for first time users.
+                  this will overwrite .fleshrc with the example
+                  this will install libraries to ~/.flesh/...
+                  this will install flesh-mode.el in ~/.emacs.d if it exists
+                  this will add the flesh binary to /bin/flesh
+                  IT IS THE USER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO EDIT /etc/shells
+                  Or to perform whatever tasks are desired to run flesh