diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c4628cf..85f9649 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 # repo containing configs and scripts to set up a box
 
 ### prerequisites
-- install git if not already installed
-- clone this repo
-- if on macOS, install [homebrew](https://brew.sh/)
+- zsh is installed (scripts are written for zsh)
+- git is installed
 - export the env var `BOX_SETUP_OS` to indicate the operating system
-    - (options defined in `set_env_vars` file)
+    - options defined in `set_env_vars` file
+- if on macOS, install [homebrew](https://brew.sh/)
 
 ### script run
+- git clone this repo
 - from the repo's root directory, run `./setup_this_box`
 
diff --git a/installs_and_builds/s02_utils b/installs_and_builds/s02_utils
index e3ac3de..c1e6417 100755
--- a/installs_and_builds/s02_utils
+++ b/installs_and_builds/s02_utils
@@ -2,4 +2,7 @@
 
 # likely on unix systems already: find xargs grep sed awk
 
-${=BOX_SETUP_INSTALL_COMMAND} jq parallel
+${=BOX_SETUP_INSTALL_COMMAND} culr jq parallel
+
+[[ "$BOX_SETUP_OS" = "macos" ]] &&
+    ${=BOX_SETUP_INSTALL_COMMAND} coreutils
diff --git a/installs_and_builds/s80_lang_general b/installs_and_builds/s80_lang_general
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57b11e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/installs_and_builds/s80_lang_general
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/zsh
+
+# TODO: review and decide if the things below are needed
+# luarocks install luacheck
diff --git a/make_config_dirs b/make_config_dirs
index db34d3f..6500f5a 100755
--- a/make_config_dirs
+++ b/make_config_dirs
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/zsh
 
 [[ ! -d $HOME/.config ]] && mkdir $HOME/.config
+
 [[ ! -d $HOME/.local ]] && mkdir $HOME/.local
 [[ ! -d $HOME/.local/bin ]] && mkdir $HOME/.local/bin
 [[ ! -d $HOME/.local/build ]] && mkdir $HOME/.local/build
+[[ ! -d $HOME/.local/scripts ]] && mkdir $HOME/.local/scripts
 [[ ! -d $HOME/.local/tmp ]] && mkdir $HOME/.local/tmp
diff --git a/make_desired_dirs b/make_desired_dirs
index 2e9106c..5efbf7b 100755
--- a/make_desired_dirs
+++ b/make_desired_dirs
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/zsh
 
-[[ ! -d "$HOMEBOX" ]] && mkdir $HOMEBOX
+[[ ! -d "$HOME_BOX" ]] && mkdir $HOME_BOX
 
-[[ ! -d "$DEVDIR" ]] && mkdir $DEVDIR
-[[ ! -d "$DEVDIR/git" ]] && mkdir $DEVDIR/git
-[[ ! -d "$DEVDIR/git/me" ]] && mkdir $DEVDIR/git/me
-[[ ! -d "$DEVDIR/git/other" ]] && mkdir $DEVDIR/git/other
+[[ ! -d "$DIR_DEV" ]] && mkdir $DIR_DEV
+[[ ! -d "$DIR_DEV/git" ]] && mkdir $DIR_DEV/git
+[[ ! -d "$DIR_DEV/git/me" ]] && mkdir $DIR_DEV/git/me
+[[ ! -d "$DIR_DEV/git/other" ]] && mkdir $DIR_DEV/git/other
diff --git a/setup_this_box b/setup_this_box
index ba073cf..54f7dcb 100755
--- a/setup_this_box
+++ b/setup_this_box
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@ source set_env_vars
 ./install_programs
 ./make_config_dirs
 ./copy_configs
+source $HOME/.zshrc
 ./make_desired_dirs
diff --git a/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshrc-job-rs b/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshrc-job-rs
index 2836c10..82512d7 100644
--- a/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshrc-job-rs
+++ b/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshrc-job-rs
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ alias git-push-to-develop='git branch -D develop; git checkout -b develop; git p
 alias gpdev='git-push-to-develop'
 
 # misc shortcuts
-alias journal="cd $HOMEBOX; $EDITOR .current-journal"
-alias kra="cd $HOMEBOX/process/kra; open .current_kra"
-alias gll="cd $DEVDIR/git/lampo/gitlab"
+alias journal="cd $HOME_BOX; $EDITOR .current-journal"
+alias kra="cd $HOME_BOX/process/kra; open .current_kra"
+alias gll="cd $DIR_DEV/git/lampo/gitlab"
 alias bet='bundle exec rspec'
 alias bel='bundle exec standardrb'
 alias belr='bundle exec rubocop'
diff --git a/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshrc-life-system b/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshrc-life-system
index c80518e..52782ff 100644
--- a/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshrc-life-system
+++ b/src_files/.config/zsh/.zshrc-life-system
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # life system shortcuts
-alias life-system="cd $HOMEBOX/life/system; clear; ls"
-alias goals="clear; sed -n 2,7p $HOMEBOX/life/system/direction/goals/current-goals.txt"
-alias note="cd $HOMEBOX/life/system/tasks/inbox; $EDITOR"
-alias todo="cd $HOMEBOX/life/system/tasks; $EDITOR +5 todo.txt"
-alias budget="open $HOMEBOX/life/finance/budget/.current"
+alias life-system="cd $HOME_BOX/life/system; clear; ls"
+alias goals="clear; sed -n 2,7p $HOME_BOX/life/system/direction/goals/current-goals.txt"
+alias note="cd $HOME_BOX/life/system/tasks/inbox; $EDITOR"
+alias todo="cd $HOME_BOX/life/system/tasks; $EDITOR +5 todo.txt"
+alias budget="open $HOME_BOX/life/finance/budget/.current"
 
diff --git a/src_files/.local/bin/.tmux-session-hydrate b/src_files/.local/bin/.tmux-session-hydrate
index 4a376c7..4d6a79b 100644
--- a/src_files/.local/bin/.tmux-session-hydrate
+++ b/src_files/.local/bin/.tmux-session-hydrate
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 local omitted_dirs=(
     $HOME
-    $HOMEBOX
-    $DEVDIR
-    $DEVDIR/git
+    $HOME_BOX
+    $DIR_DEV
+    $DIR_DEV/git
 )
 [[ ! ${omitted_dirs[(re)$(pwd)]} ]] &&
     tmux new-window -d -n cmd &&
diff --git a/src_files/.local/bin/tmux-sessionizer b/src_files/.local/bin/tmux-sessionizer
index 0e72504..3ce9b0c 100755
--- a/src_files/.local/bin/tmux-sessionizer
+++ b/src_files/.local/bin/tmux-sessionizer
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ hydrate() {
 local name_regex="^\([-_A-Za-z0-9]*\):.*$"
 local existing_sessions=$([[ -n $(pgrep tmux) ]] && tmux list-sessions | sed "s/$name_regex/\1/" || echo '')
 local search_dirs=(
-    $HOMEBOX
-    $DEVDIR
-    $DEVDIR/git/*
+    $HOME_BOX
+    $DIR_DEV
+    $DIR_DEV/git/*
 )
 local target_name=''
 local target_path=''
diff --git a/src_files/.zshrc b/src_files/.zshrc
index 3f78fab..d562b69 100644
--- a/src_files/.zshrc
+++ b/src_files/.zshrc
@@ -3,49 +3,47 @@ set -o vi
 
 # env vars
 export EDITOR='vim' # TODO: update to nvim once configured
-export HOMEBOX=$HOME'/dbox'
-export DEVDIR=$HOME'/dev'
+export HOME_BOX="$HOME/dbox"
+export DIR_DEV="$HOME/dev"
+export DIR_CONFIG="$HOME/.config"
+export XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$DIR_CONFIG
+export DIR_LOCAL="$HOME/.local"
+export DIR_BUILD="$DIR_LOCAL/build"
 
 # path updates
-export PATH=$HOME/.local/bin:$HOME/.local/scripts:$PATH
+export PATH=$DIR_LOCAL/bin:$DIR_LOCAL/scripts:$PATH
 export PATH=$PATH:/opt/homebrew/opt/ccache/libexec
 export PATH=$PATH:~/bin/android-sdk-darwin/platform-tools:/opt/homebrew/opt/ccache/libexec
 
-# executable name overrides
-alias ls='ls -F'
-#alias vim='nvim'
-
 # shortcuts for common commands
 alias 3e='echo;echo;echo'
 alias 12e='3e;3e;3e;3e'
 alias cl='clear; '
 alias cls='clear;ls'
 
+# executable name overrides
+alias ls='ls -F'
+alias youtube-dl='youtube-dl --write-info-json'
+
 # git stuff
 alias gfo='git fetch origin'
 alias gpo='git pull origin'
 alias gfpo='git fetch origin; git pull origin'
 
-# executable renames/paths
-alias youtube-dl='youtube-dl --write-info-json'
-
 # misc commands
 alias pdt='ping -c 4 drinkingtea.net'
 alias weather='curl wttr.in'
 alias shrug='echo "¯\\_(ツ)_/¯"'
 
-[[ -e $HOME/.profile ]] && source $HOME/.profile
+[[ -e "$HOME/.profile" ]] && source "$HOME/.profile"
 
 # add machine-specific configs as appropriate
-[[ -a $HOME/.config/zsh/.zshrc-life-system ]]  \
-  && source $HOME/.config/zsh/.zshrc-life-system
+[[ -a "$DIR_CONFIG/zsh/.zshrc-life-system" ]] &&
+    source "$DIR_CONFIG/zsh/.zshrc-life-system"
 
 # TODO: refactor the below so that general dev is separate from rs specific stuff
-[[ -a $HOME/.config/zsh/.zshrc-job-rs ]] \
-  && source $HOME/.config/zsh/.zshrc-job-rs
+[[ -a $DIR_CONFIG/zsh/.zshrc-job-rs ]] &&
+    source $DIR_CONFIG/zsh/.zshrc-job-rs
 alias lintjs='npx prettier --write'
 export DEVKITARM=/opt/devkitpro/devkitARM
 . /opt/homebrew/opt/asdf/libexec/asdf.sh # TODO: ensure not duplicated asdf logic
-
-
-
diff --git a/zxcv-todo b/zxcv-todo
index d96efc5..c4dcadd 100644
--- a/zxcv-todo
+++ b/zxcv-todo
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
-add numbers/letters to sort and run scripts in particular order
-add tmux sessionizer template(s) to copy/paste for common, non-default settings
+### todo or consider
+- decide on and implement approach for languages
+    - docker, asdf, lang-specific version managers, hybrid of these?