diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f768ded..eda29cf 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 .vscode/
+.idea/
 node_modules/
 package-lock.json
 yarn.lock
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a0ea95a..ee83893 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,9 +4,31 @@ control your blinkstick via http requests
 
 ## requirements
 
-- nodejs 8.x
+- nodejs
 - yarn / npm
-- node-gyp (probably; to build the node-hid module)
+- [nvm](https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm)
+
+**the node-hid module is a bit picky about node.js's version - use node.js 8.x or 15.x**
+
+## setup 
+
+- clone the project  
+`git clone https://git.velvettear.de/velvettear/blinky.git`
+
+- enter the cloned directory  
+`cd blinky`
+
+- install and switch to a supported node.js version (automatically done via .nvmrc file) 
+`nvm install`
+
+- install the required modules  
+`npm install`
+
+- switch back to your system's default node.js version
+`nvm deactivate`
+
+- run it  
+`nvm run 15 blinky.js`
 
 ### scripts
 
diff --git a/blinky.js b/blinky.js
index 81ad62f..a5dbe02 100644
--- a/blinky.js
+++ b/blinky.js
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ function main() {
 
 // ... and it all comes crashing down
 function exit(err, code) {
-    if (code == undefined) {
+    if (code === undefined) {
         code = 0;
-        if (err != undefined) {
+        if (err !== undefined) {
             code = 1;
         }
     }
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ function exit(err, code) {
 }
 
 function handleInterrupts() {
-    for (var index = 0; index < INTERRUPTS.length; index++) {
+    for (let index = 0; index < INTERRUPTS.length; index++) {
         process.once(INTERRUPTS[index], (code) => {
             exit(null, code);
         });
diff --git a/libs/blinkstick.js b/libs/blinkstick.js
index 8373a2b..53da118 100644
--- a/libs/blinkstick.js
+++ b/libs/blinkstick.js
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@ const blinkstick = require('blinkstick');
 const hexcolor = require('hex-color-regex');
 
 // constants
-const RANDOM = 'random'
+const RANDOM = 'random';
 const ANIMATION_STATE_INPROGRESS = 1;
 const ANIMATION_STATE_FINISH = 0;
 
-// variables
+// letiables
 let led;
 let animation = {};
 
@@ -56,14 +56,14 @@ function parseColor(value) {
 
 // parse rgb color values
 function parseRGBColor(value) {
-    if (value.indexOf(',') == -1 && isRGBValue(value)) {
+    if (value.indexOf(',') === -1 && isRGBValue(value)) {
         return convertRGBToHex(parseInt(value) || 0, 0, 0);
     } else {
         const splittedValues = value.split(',');
         let color = {};
         for (let index = 0; index < splittedValues.length; index++) {
             const value = splittedValues[index];
-            if (index == 0) {
+            if (index === 0) {
                 color.red = parseInt(value) || 0;
             } else if (index === 1) {
                 color.green = parseInt(value) || 0;
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ function parseRGBColor(value) {
 
 // check a single rgb value
 function isRGBValue(value) {
-    return value != undefined && !isNaN(value) && value >= 0 && value <= 255;
+    return value !== undefined && !isNaN(value) && value >= 0 && value <= 255;
 }
 
 // convert rgb to hex color values
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ function convertRGBToHex(red, green, blue) {
 
 // parse hex color values
 function parseHexColor(value) {
-    if (value[0] != '#') {
+    if (value[0] !== '#') {
         value = '#' + value;
     }
     if (value.length === 4) {
@@ -155,11 +155,11 @@ function morph(blinkstickConfig, resolve, reject) {
 
 // start pulsing
 function startPulsing(blinkstickConfig, resolve, reject) {
-    if (animation.state == ANIMATION_STATE_FINISH || (blinkstickConfig.options.pulse.max > 0 && (blinkstickConfig.options.pulse.done && blinkstickConfig.options.pulse.done == blinkstickConfig.options.pulse.max))) {
+    if (animation.state === ANIMATION_STATE_FINISH || (blinkstickConfig.options.pulse.max > 0 && (blinkstickConfig.options.pulse.done && blinkstickConfig.options.pulse.done === blinkstickConfig.options.pulse.max))) {
         clearAnimationProperties();
         return resolve('finished pulsing color \'' + blinkstickConfig.color + '\'');
     }
-    if (animation.id && animation.id != blinkstickConfig.id) {
+    if (animation.id && animation.id !== blinkstickConfig.id) {
         stopAnimation()
             .then(logger.info)
             .then(function () {
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ function startPulsing(blinkstickConfig, resolve, reject) {
 
 // set properties for the current animation
 function setAnimationProperties(blinkstickConfig) {
-    if (animation.id == blinkstickConfig.id) {
+    if (animation.id === blinkstickConfig.id) {
         return;
     }
     led.animationsEnabled = true;
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ function waitForAnimation(timestamp, resolve, reject) {
 
 // is currently an animation in progress
 function isAnimationInProgress() {
-    return animation != undefined && animation.state != undefined;
+    return animation !== undefined && animation.state !== undefined;
 }
 
 // exports
diff --git a/libs/logger.js b/libs/logger.js
index 118d410..86ca691 100644
--- a/libs/logger.js
+++ b/libs/logger.js
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ const LOGLEVEL_INFO = 1;
 const LOGLEVEL_WARNING = 2;
 const LOGLEVEL_ERROR = 3;
 
-var loglevel = getLogLevel();
-var timestamp = getTimestamp();
+let loglevel = getLogLevel();
+let timestamp = getTimestamp();
 
 function initialize() {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-        if (global.config == undefined) {
+        if (global.config === undefined) {
             reject('could not initialize logger, config is undefined');
         }
         loglevel = getLogLevel();
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ function initialize() {
 
 // get the loglevel
 function getLogLevel() {
-    if (global.config == undefined || global.config.log == undefined || global.config.log.level == undefined) {
+    if (global.config === undefined || global.config.log === undefined || global.config.log.level === undefined) {
         return LOGLEVEL_INFO;
     }
     switch (global.config.log.level) {
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ function getLogLevel() {
 
 // get the timestamp format
 function getTimestamp() {
-    if (global.config != undefined && global.config.log != undefined && global.config.log.format != undefined) {
+    if (global.config !== undefined && global.config.log !== undefined && global.config.log.format !== undefined) {
         return global.config.log.timestamp;
     }
     return "DD.MM.YYYY HH:mm:ss:SS";
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ function getTimestamp() {
 
 // log a http request
 function http(request) {
-    if (request == undefined) {
+    if (request === undefined) {
         return;
     }
     let message = '[' + request.method + '] url: \'' + request.url + '\'';
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ function error(message) {
     if (loglevel > LOGLEVEL_ERROR) {
         return;
     }
-    if (message.errors != undefined) {
-        for (var index = 0; index < message.errors.length; index++) {
+    if (message.errors !== undefined) {
+        for (let index = 0; index < message.errors.length; index++) {
             trace(message.errors[index], 'error');
         }
         return;
@@ -141,4 +141,4 @@ module.exports = {
     debug,
     error,
     http
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libs/server.js b/libs/server.js
index e5e0ba1..7fe3e9f 100644
--- a/libs/server.js
+++ b/libs/server.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const logger = require('./logger');
 const blinkstick = require('./blinkstick');
 // third party requirements
 const express = require('express');
-const favicon = require('serve-favicon')
+const favicon = require('serve-favicon');
 const parser = require('body-parser');
 
 // setup express, blinkstick and other stuff
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ function getHTML() {
         "</table>" +
         "</div>" +
         "</body>" +
-        "</html>"
+        "</html>";
     return welcomeMessage;
 }
 
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ function parseRequest(data) {
             }
         }
     };
-    if (data.index != undefined) {
+    if (data.index !== undefined) {
         blinkstickConfig.options.index = parseInt(data.index);
         if (blinkstickConfig.options.index < 0) {
             blinkstickConfig.options.index = 0;
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ function parseRequest(data) {
     if (blinkstickConfig.options.duration < 100) {
         blinkstickConfig.options.duration = 100;
     }
-    if (blinkstickConfig.options.steps == undefined || blinkstickConfig.options.steps == 0) {
+    if (blinkstickConfig.options.steps === undefined || blinkstickConfig.options.steps === 0) {
         blinkstickConfig.options.steps = blinkstickConfig.options.duration / 10;
     }
     return blinkstickConfig;
diff --git a/libs/util.js b/libs/util.js
index 5dc77d4..cf7ccb8 100644
--- a/libs/util.js
+++ b/libs/util.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const stat = require('fs').stat;
 
 function fileExists(file) {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-        if (file == undefined) {
+        if (file === undefined) {
             reject('can not check the existence of an undefined file');
         }
         resolvePath(file)
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ function fileExists(file) {
 
 function resolvePath(file) {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-        if (file == undefined) {
+        if (file === undefined) {
             reject('can not resolve a path to an undefined file');
         }
         realpath(file, (err, resolvedPath) => {
@@ -36,4 +36,4 @@ function resolvePath(file) {
 module.exports = {
     fileExists,
     resolvePath
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+};
\ No newline at end of file