diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fa5320b..69061e3 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 redis
-docker-compose.yml
+.env
diff --git a/docker-compose.example.yml b/docker-compose.yml
similarity index 87%
rename from docker-compose.example.yml
rename to docker-compose.yml
index 995c85b..9ce70c8 100644
--- a/docker-compose.example.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ services:
     build: .
     ports: [ "80:80" ]
     environment:
-      - SECRET=secret
+      - SECRET=${SECRET}
   redis:
     image: redis:7
     volumes: [ "./redis:/data" ]
diff --git a/readme b/readme
index 614061f..c1ac13c 100644
--- a/readme
+++ b/readme
@@ -2,3 +2,29 @@ sus
 ===
 
 simple URL shortener
+
+
+usage
+-----
+
+running the server
+
+1. generate the secret used to create and delete shortlinks
+
+	echo SECRET=`pwgen -s 64 1` >> .env
+
+2. run the services
+
+	docker-compose up -d --build
+
+setting up susmng
+
+1. install susmng
+
+	make install-susmng
+
+2. create config files
+
+	susmng init
+
+3. edit config files (~/.config/susmng/config.json) to add your secrets
diff --git a/susmng.py b/susmng.py
index 290b08e..9b1b0b5 100755
--- a/susmng.py
+++ b/susmng.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import hmac
 import hashlib
 import pathlib
 import os
+import json
 
 
 def get_args():
@@ -13,26 +14,43 @@ def get_args():
 
     import argparse
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
-    parser.add_argument('susserver')
     parser.add_argument('command')
-    parser.add_argument('shortlink')
-    parser.add_argument('value')
-    parser.add_argument('--secret-file', type=pathlib.Path, default=pathlib.Path(os.path.expanduser('~/.susmng_secret')))
-    parser.add_argument('--http', action='store_true')
+    parser.add_argument('-s', '--server', default="")
+    parser.add_argument('-l', '--shortlink', default="")
+    parser.add_argument('-v', '--value', default="")
+    parser.add_argument('-c', '--config', type=pathlib.Path, default=pathlib.Path(os.path.expanduser('~/.config/susmng/config.json')))
+    parser.add_argument('-H', '--http', action='store_true')
     return parser.parse_args()
 
 
 def main(args):
     """ Entry point for script """
 
-    if not args.secret_file.exists():
-        print(f"secret file does not exist at: {args.secret_file}")
+    if args.command == "init":
+        print(f"creating config file and quitting")
+
+        if args.config.exists():
+            print("config file exists... doing nothing")
+            return
+
+        with open(args.config, 'w+') as fp:
+            json.dump({ 'secrets': { 'sus.example.com': 'secret' } }, fp, indent=2)
+
         return
 
-    with open(args.secret_file) as fp:
-        secret = fp.read().strip()
+    with open(args.config) as fp:
+        config = json.load(fp)
 
-    r = requests.post(f"{'http' if args.http else 'https'}://{args.susserver}",
+    server = args.server
+    if server == "":
+        server = list(config['secrets'].keys())[0]
+
+    secret = config['secrets'][server]
+
+    if args.command == "delete" and args.value != "confirm":
+        print("--value not set to 'confirm'... delete operation may fail")
+
+    r = requests.post(f"{'http' if args.http else 'https'}://{server}",
             data = {
                 'Command': args.command,
                 'Shortlink': args.shortlink,