diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
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+# This bash script installs ao-cli and its prerequisites: Node.JS (npm, nvm, node)
+# This script is hosted in the ao-cli repository, so ao-cli can always be installed with:
+# curl -L https://git.coalitionofinvisiblecolleges.org/autonomousorganization/ao-cli/raw/branch/main/bootstrap.js | sh
+
+# detect OS
+if [ -f "/etc/debian_version" ]; then
+	DISTRO="debian"
+	echo "Debian, Ubuntu, or Raspbian OS detected, proceeding with Debian-compatible ao-cli installation."
+elif [ -f "/etc/arch-release" ]; then
+	DISTRO="arch"
+	echo Arch- or Manjaro-based OS detected, proceeding with Arch-compatible ao-cli installation.
+elif [ -f "/etc/fedora-release" ]; then
+	DISTRO="fedora"
+	echo Fedora-based OS detected, proceeding with Fedora-compatible ao-cli installation.
+
+    # Defining helper function
+    function install_if_needed() {
+        for package in "$@"
+        do
+            if [ $(which $package) ]; then
+                echo $package already installed
+            else
+                sudo dnf install -y $package
+            fi
+        done
+    }
+
+elif [ $(uname | grep -c "Darwin") -eq 1 ]; then
+	DISTRO="mac"
+	echo MacOS detected, proceeding with Mac-compatible ao-cli installation.
+else
+	echo Could not detect your OS distribution. Running this script could make a mess, so installing manually is recommended.
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+echo Updating your system...
+
+# update system and install prereqs (Debian)
+if [ "$DISTRO" = "debian" ]; then
+	# update
+	sudo apt update -yqqq 2>/dev/null
+	sudo apt autoremove -yqqq
+	echo apt update complete
+
+	# upgrade
+	sudo apt upgrade -yqqq
+	echo apt upgrade complete
+
+	# more cleanup
+	#sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -yqqq
+	#sudo apt-get clean -yqqq
+	#sudo apt-get autoclean -yqqq
+
+	# check for sudo install and fail if not
+
+	# install curl
+	if [ $(dpkg-query -W -f='${Status}' curl 2>/dev/null | grep -c "ok installed") -eq 1 ]; then
+		echo curl already installed
+	else
+		sudo apt install -y curl
+	fi
+
+	# install wget
+	if [ $(dpkg-query -W -f='${Status}' wget 2>/dev/null | grep -c "ok installed") -eq 1 ]; then
+		echo wget already installed
+	else
+		sudo apt install -y wget
+	fi
+
+	# install git
+	if [ $(dpkg-query -W -f='${Status}' git 2>/dev/null | grep -c "ok installed") -eq 1 ]; then
+		echo git already installed
+	else
+		sudo apt install -y git
+	fi
+
+# update system and install prereqs (Arch)
+elif [ "$DISTRO" = "arch" ]; then
+	# update, but do not automatically clean up for Arch users
+	sudo pacman -Syu 1>/dev/null
+	echo pacman update complete
+
+	# todo: detect whether AUR is enabled here and fail if not. might be in /etc/pacman.conf.
+
+	# install curl
+	if [ $(sudo pacman -Qs curl >/dev/null | grep -c "local/curl" ) -eq 0 ]; then
+		echo curl already installed
+	else
+		sudo pacman -S curl
+	fi
+
+	# install wget
+	if [ $(sudo pacman -Qs wget >/dev/null | grep -c "local/wget" ) -eq 0 ]; then
+		echo wget already installed
+	else
+		sudo pacman -S wget
+	fi
+
+# update system and install prereqs (Fedora)
+elif [ "$DISTRO" = "fedora" ]; then
+	# update
+    echo "Updating DNF..."
+	sudo dnf update -yqqq 2>/dev/null
+	sudo dnf autoremove -yqqq
+	echo "Update Complete!"
+
+	# upgrade
+    echo "Upgrading..."
+	sudo dnf upgrade -yqqq
+	echo "Upgrade Complete"
+
+	# install basic dependencies
+    install_if_needed curl wget git
+
+elif [ "$DISTRO" = "mac" ]; then
+	# install homebrew
+	/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
+
+	# update
+	brew update -yqqq 2>/dev/null
+	sudo apt autoremove -yqqq
+	echo apt update complete
+
+	# upgrade
+	sudo apt upgrade -yqqq
+	echo apt upgrade complete
+
+	# install curl
+	if [ $(dpkg-query -W -f='${Status}' curl 2>/dev/null | grep -c "ok installed") -eq 1 ]; then
+		echo curl already installed
+	else
+		sudo apt install -y curl
+	fi
+
+	# install wget
+	if [ $(dpkg-query -W -f='${Status}' wget 2>/dev/null | grep -c "ok installed") -eq 1 ]; then
+		echo wget already installed
+	else
+		sudo apt install -y wget
+	fi
+
+	# install git
+	if [ $(dpkg-query -W -f='${Status}' git 2>/dev/null | grep -c "ok installed") -eq 1 ]; then
+		echo git already installed
+	else
+		sudo apt install -y git
+	fi
+fi
+
+# install nvm
+cd ~
+if [ -f "$HOME/.nvm/nvm.sh" ]; then
+	. ~/.nvm/nvm.sh
+fi
+
+if [ $(command -v nvm | grep -c "nvm") -eq 1 ]; then
+	NVMVERSION=`nvm --version`
+	echo nvm v$NVMVERSION already installed
+else
+	git clone https://github.com/creationix/nvm.git ~/.nvm 2>/dev/null
+	sudo echo "source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh" >> ~/.bashrc
+	sudo echo "source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh" >> ~/.profile
+	source ~/.bashrc
+	source ~/.profile
+fi
+
+NODEVERSION=`nvm current`
+
+# install node
+if [ $(echo $NODEVERSION | grep -c "16\.") -eq 1 ]; then
+	echo node $NODEVERSION already installed
+else
+	nvm install 16 #stable
+	nvm use 16 #stable
+	nvm alias default 16 #default stable
+fi
+
+# install npm
+if [ $(npm --v  2>/dev/null | grep -c "8\.") -eq 1 ]; then
+	NPMVERSION=`npm -v`
+	echo npm v$NPMVERSION already installed
+else
+	#curl -L https://www.npmjs.com/install.sh | sh # this line might not be needed
+	npm install -g npm # why doesn't the npm install script install the current version?
+fi
+
+# clone the ao-cli repository
+cd ~
+if find "ao-cli" -mindepth 1 -print -quit 2>/dev/null | grep -q .; then
+	echo ao-cli git repository already cloned
+else
+	git clone http://git.coalitionofinvisiblecolleges.org:3009/autonomousorganization/ao-cli.git
+fi
+
+# install project dependencies
+cd ~/ao-cli
+
+if [ $(npm list --depth 0 ao-cli | grep -c "@autonomousorganization/ao-cli") -eq 1 ]; then
+	echo ao-cli node module already installed
+else
+	npm install
+fi
+
+echo ao-cli is installed
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