diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-release.yml b/.github/workflows/build-release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed62ffa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+name: Build Release
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [workflows] # FIXME: replace w/ main before merging
+
+env:
+  CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
+
+jobs:
+  build_serial:
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        platform:
+          - os: ubuntu-latest
+            build_name: serial
+          - os: windows-latest
+            build_name: serial.exe
+          - os: macos-latest
+            build_name: serial
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform.os }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Build serial
+        run: cargo build --bin serial --release
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: serial-${{ matrix.platform.os }}
+          path: ./target/release/${{ matrix.platform.build_name }}
+          if-no-files-found: error
+  build_rootshell_and_rayhunter:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+        with:
+          targets: armv7-unknown-linux-gnueabihf
+      - name: Install cross-compilation dependencies
+        uses: awalsh128/cache-apt-pkgs-action@latest
+        with:
+          packages: build-essential libc6-armhf-cross libc6-dev-armhf-cross gcc-arm-linux-gnueabihf
+          version: 1.0
+      - name: Build rootshell (arm32)
+        run: cargo build --bin rootshell --target armv7-unknown-linux-gnueabihf --release
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: rootshell
+          path: target/armv7-unknown-linux-gnueabihf/release/rootshell
+          if-no-files-found: error
+      - name: Build rayhunter-daemon (arm32)
+        run: cargo build --bin rayhunter-daemon --target armv7-unknown-linux-gnueabihf --release
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: rayhunter-daemon
+          path: target/armv7-unknown-linux-gnueabihf/release/rayhunter-daemon
+          if-no-files-found: error
+  build_release_zip:
+    needs:
+      - build_serial
+      - build_rootshell_and_rayhunter
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+      - name: Setup release directory
+        run: mv rayhunter-daemon/rayhunter-daemon rootshell/rootshell serial-* dist
+      - name: Archive release directory
+        uses: thedoctor0/zip-release@0.7.5
+        with:
+          type: 'zip'
+          filename: 'release.zip'
+          directory: 'dist'
+      # TODO: have this create a release directly
+      - name: Upload release
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: release.zip
+          path: dist/release.zip
+          if-no-files-found: error
diff --git a/config.toml.example b/dist/config.toml.example
similarity index 100%
rename from config.toml.example
rename to dist/config.toml.example
diff --git a/dist/install-common.sh b/dist/install-common.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a02b30d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/install-common.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#!/bin/env bash
+
+install() {
+    if [[ -z "${SERIAL_PATH}" ]]; then
+        echo "SERIAL_PATH not set, did you run this from install-linux.sh or install-mac.sh?"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    check_adb
+    force_debug_mode
+    setup_rootshell
+    setup_rayhunter
+}
+
+check_adb() {
+    if ! command -v adb &> /dev/null
+    then
+        echo "adb not found, please ensure it's installed or check the README.md"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
+force_debug_mode() {
+    # Force a switch into the debug mode to enable ADB
+    $(SERIAL_PATH) AT
+    echo -n "adb enabled, waiting for reboot"
+    until adb shell true 2> /dev/null
+    do
+        echo -n .
+        sleep 1
+    done
+    echo
+    echo "it's alive!"
+}
+
+setup_rootshell() {
+    _adb_push rootshell /tmp/
+    $(SERIAL_PATH) "AT+SYSCMD=mv /tmp/rootshell /bin/rootshell"
+    sleep 1
+    $(SERIAL_PATH) "AT+SYSCMD=chown root /bin/rootshell"
+    sleep 1
+    $(SERIAL_PATH) "AT+SYSCMD=chmod 4755 /bin/rootshell"
+    echo "we have root!"
+    adb shell /bin/rootshell -c id
+}
+
+_adb_push() {
+    adb push "$(dirname "$0")/$1" "$2"
+}
+
+setup_rayhunter() {
+    adb shell '/bin/rootshell -c "mkdir /data/rayhunter"'
+    _adb_push config.toml.example /data/rayhunter/config.toml
+    _adb_push rayhunter-daemon /data/rayhunter/
+    _adb_push scripts/rayhunter_daemon /tmp/rayhunter_daemon
+    _adb_push scripts/misc-daemon /tmp/misc-daemon
+    adb shell '/bin/rootshell -c "mv /tmp/rayhunter_daemon /etc/init.d/rayhunter_daemon"'
+    adb shell '/bin/rootshell -c "mv /tmp/misc-daemon /etc/init.d/misc-daemon"'
+    adb shell '/bin/rootshell -c "chmod 755 /etc/init.d/rayhunter_daemon"'
+    adb shell '/bin/rootshell -c "chmod 755 /etc/init.d/misc-daemon"'
+    adb shell '/bin/rootshell -c "/etc/init.d/rayhunter_daemon start"'
+}
diff --git a/dist/install-linux.sh b/dist/install-linux.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b188f9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/install-linux.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/bin/env bash
+
+set -e
+export SERIAL_PATH="./serial-ubuntu-latest/serial"
+. "$(dirname "$0")"/install-common.sh
+install
diff --git a/dist/install-mac.sh b/dist/install-mac.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90c6064
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/install-mac.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+#!/bin/env bash
+
+set -e
+export SERIAL_PATH="./serial-mac-latest/serial"
+. "$(dirname "$0")"/install-common.sh
+install
diff --git a/dist/install-windows.bat b/dist/install-windows.bat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..05276bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/install-windows.bat
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ECHO TODO
diff --git a/scripts/misc-daemon b/dist/scripts/misc-daemon
similarity index 100%
rename from scripts/misc-daemon
rename to dist/scripts/misc-daemon
diff --git a/scripts/rayhunter_daemon b/dist/scripts/rayhunter_daemon
similarity index 100%
rename from scripts/rayhunter_daemon
rename to dist/scripts/rayhunter_daemon