diff --git a/mpackage.sh b/mpackage.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6a94f01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mpackage.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,290 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+usage()
+{
+	cat << EOF
+
+USAGE:
+  --target  TARGEET            target triplet
+  --subset  SUBSET             the name of a file containing a list of packages
+                               to be added to the distribution; otherwise,
+                               the name of a project-provided subset; multiple
+                               subsets are allowed and may overlap in one or
+                               more packages
+
+  --minroot MINIPIX_ROOT       location of the top-level minipix directory
+  --objroot OBJECT_ROOT        location of the top-level object directory
+
+  --usrpkgs USER_PKGS          a folder containing user-provided distribution tarballs
+  --usrdata USER_DATA          a folder containing user-provided installation files
+
+  --tmproot TEMPORARY_ROOT     where temporary files should be created
+  --pkgroot PACKAGE_ROOT       where package tarballs should be created
+  --sysroot SYSTEM_ROOT        where the live distribution should be created
+
+  --zipfile ZIPFILE_NAME       name of the zipfile to be created (optional)
+
+EOF
+	exit 1
+}
+
+error_msg()
+{
+	echo $@ >&2
+	exit 2
+}
+
+init_vars()
+{
+	# project
+	mb_project_dir=$(cd `dirname $0` ; pwd)
+	mb_pwd=`pwd`
+
+	# subsets
+	mb_subset=
+	mb_subsets=
+	mb_pkglist=
+
+	# target
+	mb_target=$TARGET
+
+	# midipix_build directories
+	mb_minroot=$MINIPIX_ROOT
+	mb_objroot=$OBJECT_ROOT
+
+	# user directories
+	mb_usrpkgs=$USER_PKGS
+	mb_usrdata=$USER_DATA
+
+	# mpackage directories
+	mb_tmproot=$TEMPORARY_ROOT
+	mb_pkgroot=$PACKAGE_ROOT
+	mb_sysroot=$SYSTEM_ROOT
+
+	# and voila
+	mb_zipfile=$ZIPFILE_NAME
+}
+
+validate_args()
+{
+	[ -z "$mb_target" ]  && error_msg "!! target not set, quitting..."
+
+	[ -z "$mb_minroot" ] && error_msg "!! minroot not set, quitting..."
+	[ -z "$mb_objroot" ] && error_msg "!! objroot not set, quitting..."
+
+	[ -z "$mb_tmproot" ] && error_msg "!! tmproot not set, quitting..."
+	[ -z "$mb_pkgroot" ] && error_msg "!! pkgroot not set, quitting..."
+	[ -z "$mb_sysroot" ] && error_msg "!! sysroot not set, quitting..."
+
+
+	if ! [ -d "$mb_minroot" ]; then
+		error_msg "!! $mb_minroot: minroot directory not found, quitting..."
+	fi
+
+	if ! [ -d "$mb_objroot" ]; then
+		error_msg "!! $mb_objroot: objroot directory not found, quitting..."
+	fi
+
+
+	if ! [ -z "$mb_usrpkgs" ] && ! [ -d "$mb_usrpkgs"]; then
+		error_msg "!! $mb_usrpkgs: usrpkgs directory does not exist, quitting..."
+	fi
+
+	if ! [ -z "$mb_usrdata" ] && ! [ -d "$mb_usrdata"]; then
+		error_msg "!! $mb_usrdata: usrdata directory does not exist, quitting..."
+	fi
+
+	if ! [ -z "$mb_zipfile" ] && ! [ -d `dirname "$mb_zipfile"` ]; then
+		error_msg "!! $mb_zipfile: zipfile directory does not exist, quitting..."
+	fi
+
+
+	if [ -d "$mb_tmproot" ]; then
+		error_msg "!! $mb_tmproot: tmproot directory already exists, quitting..."
+	fi
+
+	if [ -d "$mb_pkgroot" ]; then
+		error_msg "!! $mb_pkgroot: pkgroot directory already exists, quitting..."
+	fi
+
+	if [ -d "$mb_sysroot" ]; then
+		error_msg "!! $mb_sysroot: sysroot directory already exists, quitting..."
+	fi
+}
+
+init_dirs()
+{
+	mkdir "$mb_tmproot" || exit 2
+	mkdir "$mb_pkgroot" || exit 2
+	mkdir "$mb_sysroot" || exit 2
+
+	mb_minroot=$(cd "$mb_minroot" ; pwd)
+	mb_objroot=$(cd "$mb_objroot" ; pwd)
+
+	mb_tmproot=$(cd "$mb_tmproot" ; pwd)
+	mb_pkgroot=$(cd "$mb_pkgroot" ; pwd)
+	mb_sysroot=$(cd "$mb_sysroot" ; pwd)
+
+	if ! [ -z "$mb_usrpkgs" ]; then
+		mb_usrpkgs=$(cd "$mb_usrpkgs" ; pwd)
+	fi
+
+	if ! [ -z "$mb_usrpkgs" ]; then
+		mb_usrdata=$(cd "$mb_usrdata" ; pwd)
+	fi
+
+	if ! [ -z "$mb_zipfile" ]; then
+		mb_zipdir=$(cd `dirname "$mb_zipfile"` ; pwd)
+		mb_zipbase=`basename "$mb_zipfile"`
+		mb_zipfile="$mb_zipdir/$mb_zipbase"
+	fi
+}
+
+init_pkglist()
+{
+	if [ -z "$mb_subsets" ]; then
+		mb_pkglist=''
+	else
+		mb_srclist=''
+
+		for subset in $mb_subsets; do
+			if [ -f $subset ]; then
+				mb_srclist="$mb_srclist $subset"
+			elif [ -f "$mb_project_dir/subset/$subset" ]; then
+				mb_srclist="$mb_srclist $mb_project_dir/subset/$subset"
+			else
+				error_msg "!! $subset: subset not found, quitting..."
+			fi
+		done
+
+		mb_pkglist=`cat $mb_srclist | grep -v '#' | sort --unique`
+
+		echo "$mb_pkglist"
+	fi
+}
+
+gen_tarballs()
+{
+	for pkg in $mb_pkglist; do
+		pkgdir="$mb_tmproot/$pkg"
+		objdir="$mb_objroot/$pkg-native-$mb_target/destdir"
+
+		cp  -av "$objdir" "$pkgdir"           || exit 2
+		cd "$pkgdir"                          || exit 2
+		tar -cvzf "$mb_pkgroot/$pkg.tar.gz" * || exit 2
+	done
+
+	# common, distro
+	for pkg in common distro; do
+		cd "$mb_project_dir/$pkg"
+		tar -cvzf "$mb_pkgroot/$pkg.tar.gz" * || exit 2
+	done
+}
+
+gen_sysroot()
+{
+	# layout
+	mkdir "$mb_sysroot/tarballs"    || exit 2
+	mkdir "$mb_sysroot/updates"     || exit 2
+
+	# minipix
+	cd "$mb_minroot"                || exit 2
+	cp -av * "$mb_sysroot"          || exit 2
+
+	# common
+	cd "$mb_project_dir/common"     || exit 2
+	cp -av * "$mb_sysroot"          || exit 2
+
+	# once
+	cd "$mb_project_dir/once"       || exit 2
+	cp -av * "$mb_sysroot"          || exit 2
+
+	# tarballs
+	cd "$mb_pkgroot"                || exit 2
+	cp -av * "$mb_sysroot/tarballs" || exit 2
+
+	# user packages
+	if ! [ -z "$mb_usrpkgs" ]; then
+		cd "$mb_usrpkgs"                || exit 2
+		cp -av * "$mb_sysroot/tarballs" || exit 2
+	fi
+
+	# user installation scripts
+	if ! [ -z "$mb_usrdata" ]; then
+		cd "$mb_usrdata"                || exit 2
+		cp -av * "$mb_sysroot"          || exit 2
+	fi
+}
+
+gen_zipfile()
+{
+	if [ -z "$mb_zipfile" ]; then
+		return 0
+	fi
+
+	cd "$mb_sysroot"         || exit 2
+	zip -rv9 "$mb_zipfile" * || exit 2
+}
+
+# one: vars
+init_vars
+
+# two: args
+for arg ; do
+	case "$arg" in
+		--help)	usage
+			;;
+		--target=*)
+			mb_target=${arg#*=}
+			;;
+		--minroot=*)
+			mb_minroot=${arg#*=}
+			;;
+		--objroot=*)
+			mb_objroot=${arg#*=}
+			;;
+		--usrpkgs=*)
+			mb_usrpkgs=${arg#*=}
+			;;
+		--usrdata=*)
+			mb_usrdata=${arg#*=}
+			;;
+		--tmproot=*)
+			mb_tmproot=${arg#*=}
+			;;
+		--pkgroot=*)
+			mb_pkgroot=${arg#*=}
+			;;
+		--sysroot=*)
+			mb_sysroot=${arg#*=}
+			;;
+		--zipfile=*)
+			mb_zipfile=${arg#*=}
+			;;
+		--subset=*)
+			mb_subset=${arg#*=}
+			mb_subsets="$mb_subsets $mb_subset"
+			;;
+		*)
+			error_msg ${arg#}: "unsupported script argument."
+			exit 2
+			;;
+	esac
+done
+
+# three: sanity
+validate_args
+
+# four:  dirs, package list
+init_dirs
+init_pkglist
+
+# five:  tarballs, sysroot
+gen_tarballs
+gen_sysroot
+
+# six:   zipfile
+gen_zipfile
+
+# all done
+exit 0