diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 07ade422e..4d3e02197 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,7 +4,24 @@ DO NOT RUN THIS CODE ON A PRODUCTION WEBSERVER.  IT WILL INSTALL CERTIFICATES
 SIGNED BY A TEST CA, AND WILL CAUSE CERT WARNINGS FOR USERS.
 
 This code intended for testing, demonstration, and integration engineering
-with OSes and hosting platforms.
+with OSes and hosting platforms.  Currently the code works with Linux and
+Apache, though we will be expanding it to other platforms.
+
+To run the demo on Debian:
+
+sudo apt-get install python-pip python-crypto python-dev python-jsonschema
+python-augeas gcc python-m2crypto 
+
+sudo pip install jose
+
+# get a working copy of the python2 "dialog" module
+# on debian stable
+
+sudo apt-get install python-dialog
+
+# on testing/unstable, "pip uninstall dialog", "pip uninstall pythondialog",
+# then...
+sudo pip install pythondialog=2.7 
 
 
 Debian packaging work will continue in the separate "debian" branch of this