diff --git a/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc b/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
index 13c6970..2e2f8e3 100644
--- a/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
+++ b/.config/sxhkd/sxhkdrc
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 # terminal emulator
 super + Return
-	xfce4-terminal
+	alacritty
 
 # web browser (firefox)
 super + alt + b
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4e5f6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*~
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.zshrc b/.zshrc
index e2ca723..9554e4c 100644
--- a/.zshrc
+++ b/.zshrc
@@ -99,9 +99,10 @@ source $ZSH/oh-my-zsh.sh
 # alias ohmyzsh="mate ~/.oh-my-zsh"
 
 # load aliases, functions, exports
+source $HOME/scripts/shell/exports.sh 2>/dev/null
 source $HOME/scripts/shell/aliases.sh 2>/dev/null
 source $HOME/scripts/shell/functions.sh 2>/dev/null
-source $HOME/scripts/shell/exports.sh 2>/dev/null
+
 
 # Load zsh-syntax-highlighting; should be last
 source $ZSH/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh 2>/dev/null
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7636a21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# emacs/spacemacs
+echo "Setting up emacs/spacemacs..."
+
+# only create the link if it either doesn't exist or is not a link
+if ! [[ -e ~/.spacemacs ]] || ! [[ -L ~/.spacemacs ]]; then
+    echo " --> linking .spacemacs to home"
+    ln -sf $PWD/.spacemacs ~/.spacemacs
+else
+    echo " --> .spacemacs is already linked!"
+fi
+
+echo " --> setting up spacemacs folder (.emacs.d)"
+if ! [[ -d $HOME/.emacs.d ]] ; then
+    printf "\nNo .emacs.d folder found - downloading spacemacs...\n"
+    git clone https://github.com/syl20bnr/spacemacs $HOME/.emacs.d
+elif [[ -d ~/.emacs.d ]] && ! [[ -e ~/.emacs.d/spacemacs.mk ]] ; then
+    printf "\n.emacs.d present, but not spacemacs. Let's get it.\n\n"
+    echo " --> renaming .emacs.d to .emacs.d.old"
+    mv ~/.emacs.d ~/.emacs.d.OLD
+    git clone https://github.com/syl20bnr/spacemacs $HOME/.emacs.d
+else
+    echo "Spacemacs already present! Skipping download."
+fi
+
+# zsh
+echo ; echo "Setting up zsh"
+
+# only create the link if it either doesn't exist or is not a link
+if ! [[ -e ~/.zshrc ]] || ! [[ -L ~/.zshrc ]]; then
+    echo " --> backing up and linking .zshrc to home"
+    cp ~/.zshrc ~/.zshrc.bak 2>/dev/null
+    ln -sf $PWD/.zshrc ~/.zshrc
+else
+    echo " --> .zshrc is already linked!"
+fi
+
+echo " --> setting up plugins and linked files..."
+echo " --> setting up oh-my-zsh"
+
+if ! [[ -d ~/.oh-my-zsh ]]; then
+    echo " --> no oh-my-zsh - cloning..."
+    git clone https://github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh ~/.oh-my-zsh
+else
+    echo " --> oh-my-zsh folder already exists"
+fi
+
+echo " --> setting up zsh-syntax-highlighting..."
+if ! [[ -d ~/.oh-my-zsh/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting ]]; then
+   echo " --> cloning zsh-syntax-highlighting..."
+   git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting ~/.oh-my-zsh/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting
+else
+    echo " --> zsh-syntax-highlighting already installed!"
+fi
+
+echo "Adding functions, aliases, and exports..."
+echo " --> creating ~/scripts/shell"
+mkdir -p ~/scripts/shell
+
+echo " --> linking files..."
+ln -sf $PWD/scripts/shell/aliases.sh ~/scripts/shell/aliases.sh
+ln -sf $PWD/scripts/shell/functions.sh ~/scripts/shell/functions.sh
+ln -sf $PWD/scripts/shell/exports.sh ~/scripts/shell/exports.sh
+
+echo "Sourcing ~/.zshrc"
+source ~/.zshrc
+
+echo ; echo "Done!"
diff --git a/scripts/shell/aliases.sh b/scripts/shell/aliases.sh
index b6073f9..b15139f 100644
--- a/scripts/shell/aliases.sh
+++ b/scripts/shell/aliases.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@ alias se="sudo -e"
 alias readme='pandoc README.md | lynx -stdin'
 alias bd='base64 -d'
 alias em='emacs -nw'
-alias ogh="$BROWSER https://github.com/tobraha"
+alias ogh="$BROWSER -P Ambitions https://github.com/tobraha &"
+alias ffa="$BROWSER -P Ambitions & "
+alias ffc="$BROWSER -P Charles-IT & "
+alias fft="$BROWSER -P Tommy & "
 
 alias datto='ssh partner@partner-ssh.datto.com'
 alias bpytop='git -C $HOME/repo/bpytop pull --rebase > /dev/null 2>&1 ; $HOME/repo/bpytop/bpytop.py'