diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0cbd574
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+name: ⚙️ Build Binaries
+
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+
+env:
+  APP_NAME: ccnz
+  NIM_VERSION: stable
+
+jobs:
+  build-artifact:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      - uses: jiro4989/setup-nim-action@v1
+        with:
+          nim-version: ${{ env.NIM_VERSION }}
+
+      # for cross compilation with ccnz
+      - uses: goto-bus-stop/setup-zig@v2
+
+      - name: Bootstrap with installed version
+        run: nimble install -Y
+
+      - name: Generate build artifacts
+        run: nimble release
+
+      - name: Create artifact bundles
+        run: nimble bundle
+
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: artifacts
+          path: |
+            dist/*.tar.gz
+            dist/*.zip
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..04b004d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+name: 🌙 Nightly Release
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '0 2 * * *'
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+
+jobs:
+  check-commits:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    name: Check latest commit
+    outputs:
+      quit: ${{ steps.should_run.outputs.quit }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      - name: print latest commit
+        run: echo ${{ github.sha }}
+
+      - id: should_run
+        name: check latest commit is less than a day
+        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'schedule' }}
+        run: |
+          test -n "$(git rev-list --since="24 hours" HEAD)" \
+            && echo "quit=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+  build-artifacts:
+    needs: check-commits
+    if: ${{ needs.check-commits.outputs.quit != 'true' }}
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/build.yml
+
+  create-release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+    needs:
+      - build-artifacts
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      - name: Download Build Artifacts
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+
+      - run: ls -R artifacts
+
+      - name: Remove Old Nightly Release
+        run: |
+          gh release delete nightly --yes || true
+          git push origin :nightly || true
+
+      - name: Generate New Nightly Release
+        run: |
+          gh release create nightly \
+            --title "Nightly Release (Pre-release)" \
+            --prerelease \
+            ./artifacts/*
+
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..935ea02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+name: 🚀 Release
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - 'v*.*'
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+
+jobs:
+  build-artifacts:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/build.yml
+
+  create-release:
+    env:
+      GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs:
+      - build-artifacts
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      - name: Download Build Artifacts
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+
+      - run: ls -R artifacts/
+
+      - name: Generate New Nightly Release
+        run: |
+          gh release create ${{ github.ref }} ./artifacts/*
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21d8609
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+/bin
+/dist
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f89bfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# ccnz compiles nim w/zig
+
+
diff --git a/ccnz.nimble b/ccnz.nimble
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..92c43df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ccnz.nimble
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+version       = "2023.1001"
+author        = "Daylin Morgan"
+description   = "ccnz compiles nim w/zig"
+license       = "MIT"
+srcDir        = "src"
+bin           = @["ccnz", "ccnzcc"]
+binDir        = "bin"
+
+
+requires "nim >= 2.0.0",
+         "cligen"
+
+
+
+import strformat
+const targets = [
+    "x86_64-linux-gnu",
+    "x86_64-linux-musl",
+    "x86_64-macos-none",
+    "x86_64-windows-gnu"
+  ]
+
+task release, "build release assets":
+  mkdir "dist"
+  for target in targets:
+    let ext = if target == "x86_64-windows-gnu": ".cmd" else: ""
+    for app in @["ccnz", "ccnzcc"]:
+      let outdir = &"dist/{target}/"
+      exec &"ccnz cc --target {target} --nimble -- --out:{outdir}{app}{ext} -d:release src/{app}"
+
+task bundle, "package build assets":
+  cd "dist"
+  for target in targets:
+    let 
+      app = projectName()
+      cmd = 
+        if target == "x86_64-windows-gnu":
+          &"7z a {app}_{target}.zip {target}"
+        else:
+          &"tar czf {app}_{target}.tar.gz {target}"
+
+    cpFile("../README.md", &"{target}/README.md")
+    exec cmd
+
+
+
diff --git a/nimble.lock b/nimble.lock
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e4ee0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nimble.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+  "version": 2,
+  "packages": {
+    "cligen": {
+      "version": "1.6.14",
+      "vcsRevision": "bee21f2d0878d4eba4631fd8b67370e4778424de",
+      "url": "https://github.com/c-blake/cligen.git",
+      "downloadMethod": "git",
+      "dependencies": [],
+      "checksums": {
+        "sha1": "195164d6a417c5393ee8aac1d1c2dfb0d45574b1"
+      }
+    }
+  },
+  "tasks": {}
+}
diff --git a/src/ccnz.nim b/src/ccnz.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a944ff9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ccnz.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import std/[osproc, strformat, strutils, tables, terminal]
+import ccnz/utils
+
+proc genFlags(target: string, args: seq[string]): seq[string] =
+  let targetList = zigTargets()
+  if target notin targetList:
+    errQuit &"unknown target: {target}", "", "must be one of:",
+        targetList.columns
+
+  addFlag "cpu"
+  addFlag "os"
+
+  result &= @[
+    "--cc:clang",
+    &"--clang.exe='ccnzcc'",
+    &"--clang.linkerexe='ccnzcc'",
+    # &"--passC:\"-target {target} -fno-sanitize=undefined\"",
+    &"--passC:'-target {target}'",
+    # &"--passL:\"-target {target} -fno-sanitize=undefined\"",
+    &"--passL:'-target {target}'",
+  ]
+
+proc targets() =
+  ## show available targets
+  let targetList = zigTargets()
+  styledEcho styleBright, fgGreen, "available targets:"
+  echo targetList.columns
+
+proc cc(target: string, dryrun: bool = false, nimble: bool = false, args: seq[string]) =
+  ## compile with zig cc
+  let ccArgs = genFlags(target, args)
+  if args.len == 0:
+    errQuit "expected additional arguments i.e. -- -d:release src/main.nim\n"
+
+  let rest =
+    if args[0] == "c":
+      args[1..^1]
+    else:
+      args
+
+  let baseCmd = if nimble: "nimble" else: "nim"
+  let cmd = (@[baseCmd] & @["c"] & ccArgs & rest).join(" ")
+  if dryrun:
+    stderr.write cmd, "\n"
+  else:
+    quit(execCmd cmd)
+
+when isMainModule:
+  import cligen
+  zigExists()
+
+  const
+    customMulti = "${doc}Usage:\n  $command {SUBCMD} [sub-command options & parameters]\n\nsubcommands:\n$subcmds"
+    vsn = staticExec "git describe --tags --always HEAD"
+
+
+  if clCfg.useMulti == "": clCfg.useMulti = customMulti
+  if clCfg.helpAttr.len == 0:
+    clCfg.helpAttr = {"cmd": "\e[1;36m", "clDescrip": "", "clDflVal": "\e[33m",
+        "clOptKeys": "\e[32m", "clValType": "\e[31m", "args": "\e[3m"}.toTable
+    clCfg.helpAttrOff = {"cmd": "\e[m", "clDescrip": "\e[m", "clDflVal": "\e[m",
+        "clOptKeys": "\e[m", "clValType": "\e[m", "args": "\e[m"}.toTable
+
+  var vsnCfg = clCfg
+  vsnCfg.version = vsn
+
+
+  dispatchMulti(["multi", cf = vsnCfg], [cc, help = {
+      "dryrun": "show command instead of executing",
+      "nimble": "use nimble as base command for compiling"
+    }, short = {"dryrun": 'n'}],
+    [targets])
diff --git a/src/ccnz/utils.nim b/src/ccnz/utils.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6c81ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ccnz/utils.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+import std/[json, macros, math, os, osproc, strutils, terminal, sequtils]
+
+proc errQuit*(msg: varargs[string]) =
+  stderr.write msg.join("\n") & "\n"
+  quit 1
+
+# based on https://github.com/enthus1ast/zigcc
+template callZig*(zigCmd: string) =
+  # Set the zig compiler to call and append args
+  var args = @[zigCmd]
+  args &= commandLineParams()
+  # Start process
+  let process = startProcess(
+    "zig",
+    args = args,
+    options = {poStdErrToStdOut, poUsePath, poParentStreams}
+  )
+  # Get the code so we can carry across the exit code
+  let exitCode = process.waitForExit()
+  # Clean up
+  close process
+  quit exitCode
+
+proc zigExists*() =
+  if (findExe "zig") == "":
+    errQuit "zig not found",
+      "ccnz requires a working installation of zig",
+      "see: https://ziglang.org/download/"
+
+proc zigTargets*(): seq[string] =
+  let (output, _) = execCmdEx "zig targets"
+  parseJson(output)["libc"].to(seq[string])
+
+macro addFlag*(arg: untyped): untyped =
+  let
+    flag = "--" & arg.strVal & ":"
+    inferProc = newCall("infer" & arg.strVal, newIdentNode("target"))
+
+  quote do:
+    if `flag` notin args:
+      let selected = `inferProc`
+      if selected != "":
+        result.add `flag` & selected
+
+
+proc inferOs*(target: string): string =
+  if "windows" in target:
+    "Windows"
+  elif "macos" in target:
+    "MacOSX"
+  elif "linux" in target:
+    "Linux"
+  elif "wasm" in target:
+    "Linux"
+  else:
+    ""
+
+proc inferCpu*(target: string): string =
+  # Available options are:
+  # i386, m68k, alpha, powerpc, powerpc64, powerpc64el, sparc,
+  # vm, hppa, ia64, amd64, mips, mipsel, arm, arm64, js,
+  # nimvm, avr, msp430, sparc64, mips64, mips64el, riscv32,
+  # riscv64, esp, wasm32, e2k, loongarch64
+  #
+  let candidate = target.split("-")[0]
+  # NOTE: I don't know what the _be eb means but if nim
+  # can't handle them then maybe an error would be better
+  result =
+    case candidate:
+    of "x86_64":
+      "amd64"
+    of "aarch64", "aarch64_be":
+      "arm64"
+    of "arm", "armeb":
+      "arm"
+    of "x86":
+      "i386"
+    of "powerpc64el":
+      "powerpc64le"
+    # remain the same
+    of "m68k", "mips64el", "mipsel", "mips", "powerpc", "powerpc64", "riscv64",
+        "sparc", "sparc64", "wasm32":
+      candidate
+    else:
+      ""
+
+# s390x-linux-gnu
+# s390x-linux-musl
+# sparc-linux-gnu
+# sparc64-linux-gnu
+# wasm32-freestanding-musl
+# wasm32-wasi-musl
+# x86_64-linux-gnu
+# x86_64-linux-gnux32
+# x86_64-linux-musl
+# x86_64-windows-gnu
+# x86_64-macos-none
+# x86_64-macos-none
+# x86_64-macos-none
+#
+proc columns*(items: seq[string]): string =
+  ## return a list of items as equally spaced columns
+  let
+    maxWidth = max(items.mapIt(it.len))
+    nColumns = floor((terminalWidth() + 1) / (maxWidth + 1)).int
+  result = (
+      items.mapIt(it.alignLeft(maxWidth + 1))
+    ).distribute(
+      (items.len / nColumns).int + 1
+    ).mapIt(it.join("")).join("\n")
+
+
+
diff --git a/src/ccnzcc.nim b/src/ccnzcc.nim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6cb4bfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ccnzcc.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+import ccnz/utils
+
+callZig("cc")