diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index cf7c602..d2d5986 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+config.json
 node_modules/
-config.json
\ No newline at end of file
+npm-debug.log
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.nvmrc b/.nvmrc
index 19c7bdb..8e2afd3 100644
--- a/.nvmrc
+++ b/.nvmrc
@@ -1 +1 @@
-16
\ No newline at end of file
+17
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
index 9e124d0..a38205e 100644
--- a/.vscode/launch.json
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     "configurations": [
         {
             "type": "pwa-node",
-            "runtimeVersion": "16",
+            "runtimeVersion": "17",
             "request": "launch",
             "name": "remex",
             "skipFiles": [
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 880f86d..85b8dfa 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,23 +2,69 @@
 
 execute local commands remotely via http requests
 
+## requirements
+
+- node.js
+- [nvm](https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm)
+
+## setup (as root)
+
+- install nvm  
+
+- to load nvm restart your terminal or `source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh`  
+
+- clone the project (to '/opt/remex')  
+`git clone https://git.velvettear.de/velvettear/remex.git /opt/remex`
+
+- 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`
+
+- execute remex  
+`nvm run remex.js`
+
+## systemd
+
+**for security reasons it is highly recommended to not run remex with root permissions!**
+
+- create a new system user  
+`useradd -U -r -s /usr/bin/nologin node`
+
+- make your install of nvm available to the new user  
+`cp -R ~/.nvm /opt/nvm`  
+`chown -R node /opt/nvm`
+
+- symlink the provided systemd-service file and modify it according to your needs  
+`ln -s /opt/remex/remex.service /etc/systemd/system/remex.service`
+
+- reload systemd-services  
+`systemctl daemon-reload`
+
+- enable and start the remex as a systemd-service  
+`systemctl enable --now remex`
+
 ## configuration
 
 configuration is done entirely within the file `config.json`. 
 
 ### server: [*object*]  
-- listen: [*string*] listen address
+- address: [*string*] server address to listen on (`0.0.0.0` to listen on all interfaces)
 - port: [*number*] port to listen on
 
 ### log: [*object*]  
 - level: [*string*] verbosity of the log; either `debug`, `info`, `warning` or `error`  
 - timestamp: [*string*] format string for the timestamp; review [moment.js](https://momentjs.com/docs/#/displaying/format/) for further information
 
-### api: [*object-array*]
-- url: [*string*] endpoint url; example: `/example`
-- method: [*string*] http request method 
-- command: [*string*] command to execute
+### api: [*object-array*]  
+- url: [*string*] url of the endpoint  
+- type: [*string*] http request method for the endpoint (either `get` or `post`)
+- command: [*string*] command / path to script to execute  
 - args: [*string-array*] arguments to pass to the executed command
-- options: [*object*]
-    - detach [*boolean*] detach from the executed command / do not wait for the command to finish
-    - unique [*boolean* or *string*] if set to `true` the command can not be executed again until it has finished; if set to `restart` the command will be killed (if active) and started again; if set to `toggle` the command will either be killed if active or started if not active
+- timeout [*number*] max amount of time in milliseconds until the executed command times out and gets killed
+- detach [*boolean*] detach from the executed command 
+- unique [*boolean* or *string*] if set to `true` the command can not be executed again until it has finished; if set to `restart` the command will be killed (if active) and started again; if set to `toggle` the command will either be killed if active or started if not active
diff --git a/sample-config.json b/example_config.json
similarity index 100%
rename from sample-config.json
rename to example_config.json