diff --git a/tools/bldr b/tools/bldr
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9ecbdb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/bldr
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env /bin/sh
+# bldr - build a binary package from an Everest package file
+
+pkgs=("${@}")
+
+usage() {
+	printf "${0} - Build a binary package from an Everest package file\n"
+	printf "usage: ${0} [-h] [-v] [-b] PACKAGE\n"
+	printf "\n"
+	printf "${0} {-h --help}	Show this message\n"
+	printf "${0} {-v --version}	Show the current version\n"
+	printf "${0} {-b --build}	Build specified packages\n"
+	printf "\n"
+	printf "bldr is free software.\n"
+	printf "See the GNU GPL version 3 for details.\n"
+}
+
+usage_small() {
+	printf "usage: ${0} [-h] [-v] [-b] PACKAGE\n"
+}
+
+check_if_input_is_blank() {
+	if [[ "${@}" == "" ]]; then
+		printf "No package(s) specified.\n"
+		exit 1
+	fi
+}
+
+get_pkg_sources() {
+	pkgs=("${@}")
+	for p in $pkgs; do
+		source ${p}
+		getsource
+	done
+}
+
+mkpkg() {
+	pkgs=("${@}")
+	for p in $pkgs; do
+		source ${p}
+		buildpkg
+		installpkg
+	done
+}
+
+case $1 in
+	-h|--help)
+		usage "$@"
+		exit 0
+	;;
+	-v|--version)
+		printf "bldr v1.0.0\n"
+		printf "everest-build-tools v1.0.0\n"
+		exit 0
+	;;
+	-b|--build)
+		shift
+		check_if_input_is_blank "$@"
+		get_pkg_sources "$@"
+		mkpkg "$@"
+	;;
+	*)
+		usage_small "$@"
+		exit 1
+esac
+
+usage_small "$@"
+exit 1
diff --git a/tools/everest-disinfo.dist b/tools/everest-disinfo.dist
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd12586
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/everest-disinfo.dist
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+VER=1.0.0
+TARGET=x86-musl
diff --git a/tools/mkimg b/tools/mkimg
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..7958e16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/mkimg
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+RELEASE_FILE=$(pwd)/everest-distinfo
+if [ -f ${RELEASE_FILE} ]; then
+	source ${RELEASE_FILE}
+else
+	printf "${RELEASE_FILE} does not exist.\n"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+tar Jcfv ${1}
+mv ${1}.tar.xz everestlinux-${VER}-${TARGET}-img.tar.xz
diff --git a/tools/mkskel b/tools/mkskel
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e594dfd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/mkskel
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# mkskel - create a filesystem layout
+
+# (C) 2023 Everest Linux
+# See the GNU GPL Version 3 for copyright details
+
+ROOT_DIR=${2}
+
+mkdirs() {
+	mkdir -pv ${ROOT_DIR}/{dev,home,mnt,proc,run,srv,sys,boot,etc,lost+found}
+	mkdir -pv ${ROOT_DIR}/{opt,root,var,tmp,include,share}
+	mkdir -pv ${ROOT_DIR}/glacier
+
+	for DIR in bin lib sbin; do
+		mkdir -pv ${ROOT_DIR}/${DIR}
+		mkdir -pv ${ROOT_DIR}/usr/${DIR}
+	done
+
+	case $(uname -m) in
+		x86_64)
+			ln -sv ${ROOT_DIR}/lib ${ROOT_DIR}/lib64
+			ln -sv ${ROOT_DIR}/usr/lib ${ROOT_DIR}/usr/lib64
+		;;
+	esac
+
+	mkdir -pv ${ROOT_DIR}/rescue
+	mkdir -pv ${ROOT_DIR}/rescue/{dev,mnt,proc,run,etc,lost+found}
+	mkdir -pv ${ROOT_DIR}/rescue/{root,var,tmp}
+
+	for DIR in bin lib sbin; do
+		mkdir -pv ${ROOT_DIR}/rescue/${DIR}
+	done
+
+	case $(uname -m) in
+		x86_64)
+			ln -sv ${ROOT_DIR}/rescue/lib ${ROOT_DIR}/rescue/lib64
+		;;
+	esac
+}
+
+helpmsg() {
+	printf "usage: ${0} [-h] [-d]  DIRECTORY\n"
+}
+
+helpmsg_big() {
+	printf "${0} - create a filesystem layout\n"
+	printf "usage: ${0} [-h] [-d] DIRECTORY\n"
+	printf "\n"
+	printf "${0} {-h}		Show this message\n"
+	printf "${0} {-d DIRECTORY}	Create a filesystem layout in DIRECTORY\n"
+	printf "\n"
+	printf "This program is free software.\n"
+	printf "See the GNU GPL version 3 for details.\n"
+}
+
+case $1 in
+	-h)
+		
+		helpmsg_big "$@"
+		exit 0
+	;;
+	-d)
+		if [ "${2}" == "" ]; then
+			printf "you must specify a directory\n"
+			exit 1
+		fi
+		mkdirs "$@"
+		exit 0
+	;;
+	-*)
+		helpmsg "$@"
+		exit 1
+	;;
+	*)
+		helpmsg "$@"
+		exit 1
+esac
+
+helpmsg "$@"
+exit 1
diff --git a/tools/prep b/tools/prep
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6fe3b58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/prep
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+TARGET_DIR=${2}
+
+usage() {
+	printf "${0} - prepare a directory for system image creation\n"
+	printf "usage: ${0} [-h] [-v] [-d] DIRECTORY\n"
+	printf "\n"
+	printf "${0} {-h --help}	Show this message\n"
+	printf "${0} {-v --version}	Show the version\n"
+	printf "${0} {-d --dir}		Prepare a directory\n"
+	printf "\n"
+	printf "prep is free software.\n"
+	printf "See the GNU GPL version 3 for details.\n"
+}
+
+usage_small () {
+	printf "usage: ${0} [-h] [-v] [-d]  DIRECTORY\n"
+}
+
+check_for_root() {
+	if [[ $(/usr/bin/id -u) -ne 0 ]]; then
+		printf "${0} must be run as root\n"
+		exit 1
+	fi
+}
+
+change_ownership() {
+	chown -Rv root:root ${2}
+	chgrp -v 13 ${2}/var/log/lastlog
+}
+
+case ${1} in
+	-h|--help)
+		usage "$@"
+		exit 0
+	;;
+	-v|--version)
+		printf "prep v1.0.0\n"
+		printf "everest-build-tools v1.0.0\n"
+		exit 0
+	;;
+	-d|--dir)
+		check_for_root "$@"
+		if [[ "${2}" == "" ]]; then
+			printf "No directory specified\n"
+			exit 1
+		fi
+
+		change_ownership "$@"
+	;;
+	*)
+		usage_small "$@"
+		exit 1
+esac
+
+usage_small "$@"
+exit 1