diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 709140d..93bbd66 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
-# executables
-moxerver
-
-# object files
+# object files/output directories
 *.o
+*.dir
 
 # logs directory during development
 logs
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb156f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+language: cpp
+
+compiler:
+- gcc
+- clang
+
+script: make install
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fa9aaef..49f1fee 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,43 +1,38 @@
-# target name
-TARGET = moxerver
+# components
+SERVER = moxerver
+TOOLS = tools
 
-# special include directories
-INCDIRS = -I.
-# special library directories
-LIBDIRS = -L.
-# used libraries
-#LIBS = -lm
-LIBS = -lpthread
+# system install root directory
+INSTALL_ROOT = $(abspath ./install.dir)
 
-# compiler and flags
-CC = gcc
-CFLAGS = -Wall $(INCDIRS) $(LIBDIRS) $(LIBS)
+# prefix for /bin directory
+BIN_PREFIX = /usr
 
-# objects are .o files created from all .c files in the directory (same name)
-OBJECTS = $(patsubst %.c,%.o,$(wildcard *.c))
-# headers are all .h files in the directory
-HEADERS = $(wildcard *.h)
+# ==============================================================================
 
-# all objects are built from their .c files and all headers in the directory
-%.o: %.c $(HEADERS)
-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+# directories used for local component builds
+BUILDDIR = build.dir
+# directory configuration for local component builds
+DIR_CONFIG = BUILDDIR=$(BUILDDIR) INSTALLDIR=$(INSTALL_ROOT) BIN_PREFIX=$(BIN_PREFIX)
 
-# target is built from all object files
-$(TARGET): $(OBJECTS)
-	$(CC) $(OBJECTS) $(CFLAGS) -o $@
+# ==============================================================================
 
+# supported make options (clean, install...)
+.PHONY: default install clean
 
-# support for default, clean and all options
-.PHONY: default all clean
+# default builds components
+default:
+	cd $(SERVER) && make $(DIR_CONFIG)
+	cd $(TOOLS) && make $(DIR_CONFIG)
 
-# all calls all other options
-all: default
+# install handles component installation
+install: default
+	mkdir -p $(INSTALL_ROOT)
+	cd $(SERVER) && make install $(DIR_CONFIG)
+	cd $(TOOLS) && make install $(DIR_CONFIG)
 
-# default builds target
-default: $(TARGET)
-
-# clean removed object files and target
+# clean removes build and install results
 clean:
-	-rm -f *.o
-	-rm -f $(TARGET)
-
+	cd $(SERVER) && make clean $(DIR_CONFIG)
+	cd $(TOOLS) && make clean $(DIR_CONFIG)
+	-rm -rf $(INSTALL_ROOT)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e3f8b1c..ede4025 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,16 +1,40 @@
-moxanix
+[![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/socec/moxanix.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/socec/moxanix)
+
+Moxanix
 =======
 
 A serial device server, provides console access to multiple serial devices through telnet connection.
 
+Architecture
+============
+
+The serial device server is broken down into multiple micro servers dedicated to a single serial device and TCP port pair.  
+These micro servers are then managed by a control script. The control script allows the user to start and stop these micro servers or check their status.  
+Connections between serial devices and TCP ports are configured in a separate file.  
+This design allows scalability and customization based on the number of available serial connections and TCP port availability.
 
 moxerver
 --------
-- server application handling the session between a specific TCP port and a specific serial device
+- a light server application handling the session between one TCP port and one serial device
 - allows bidirectional communication
-- it is expected to run a separate instance for every serial device
+- it is expected to run a separate instance for every serial device and TCP port pair
 
-moxanix.sh
-----------
+moxerverctl
+-----------
 - starts, stops or displays status for different moxervers
 - commands can handle one specific or all moxervers at once
+
+moxerver.cfg
+------------
+- defines connections between serial devices and TCP ports
+- each line corresponds to one micro server handling the defined connection
+
+Build and install
+=================
+
+Run `make` to build the project and `make install` to install it.  
+This default build will produce artifacts in a directory "install.dir" with executables installed in "usr/bin" (default prefix is "usr").  
+
+You can install directly into some other directory with `make INSTALL_ROOT=/some/dir`.  
+You can change the default install prefix for executables with `make BIN_PREFIX=someprefix`.  
+These options can also be combined into `make INSTALL_ROOT=/some/dir BIN_PREFIX=someprefix`
diff --git a/moxerver/Makefile b/moxerver/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b04f9d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/moxerver/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+# target names
+TARGET_BINARY = moxerver
+
+# ==============================================================================
+
+# directory for build results
+BUILDDIR = $(abspath build.dir)
+# installation root
+INSTALLDIR = $(abspath install.dir)
+# prefix for /bin directory
+BIN_PREFIX = /usr
+
+# ==============================================================================
+
+# add include directories
+INCDIRS = -I.
+# add library directories
+LIBDIRS = -L.
+# list used libraries
+#LIBS = -lm
+LIBS = -lpthread
+
+# ==============================================================================
+
+# compiler and flags
+CC = gcc
+CFLAGS = -Wall $(INCDIRS) $(LIBDIRS) $(LIBS)
+
+# ==============================================================================
+
+# build everything in a dedicated directory $(BUILDDIR)
+
+# objects are .o files created from all .c files in the directory (same name)
+OBJECTS = $(patsubst %.c, $(BUILDDIR)/%.o, $(wildcard *.c))
+# headers are all .h files in the directory
+HEADERS = $(wildcard *.h)
+
+# all objects are built from their .c files in the directory
+$(BUILDDIR)/%.o: %.c
+	mkdir -p $(BUILDDIR)
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+
+# target binary is built from all object files
+$(BUILDDIR)/$(TARGET_BINARY): $(OBJECTS)
+	$(CC) $(OBJECTS) $(CFLAGS) -o $@
+
+# ==============================================================================
+
+# supported make options (clean, install...)
+.PHONY: all default install clean
+
+# all calls all other options
+all: default install
+
+# default builds target
+default: $(BUILDDIR)/$(TARGET_BINARY)
+
+# install target binary
+install: default
+	install -Dm0755 $(BUILDDIR)/$(TARGET_BINARY) $(INSTALLDIR)/$(BIN_PREFIX)/bin/$(TARGET_BINARY)
+
+# clean removes object files and target (ignore errors with "-" before commands)
+clean:
+	-rm -rf $(BUILDDIR)
+	-rm -rf $(INSTALLDIR)
diff --git a/client.c b/moxerver/client.c
similarity index 98%
rename from client.c
rename to moxerver/client.c
index 673c199..65ee94a 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/moxerver/client.c
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ int client_ask_username(client_t *client)
 	
 	/* show username request to the client */
 	snprintf(msg, BUFFER_LEN,
-			 "\nPlease provide a username to identify yourself to"
+			 "\nPlease provide a username to identify yourself to "
 			 "other users (max %d characters):\n", USERNAME_LEN);
 	client_write(client, msg, strlen(msg));
 	
diff --git a/client.h b/moxerver/client.h
similarity index 100%
rename from client.h
rename to moxerver/client.h
diff --git a/common.h b/moxerver/common.h
similarity index 100%
rename from common.h
rename to moxerver/common.h
diff --git a/moxerver.c b/moxerver/moxerver.c
similarity index 100%
rename from moxerver.c
rename to moxerver/moxerver.c
diff --git a/server.c b/moxerver/server.c
similarity index 100%
rename from server.c
rename to moxerver/server.c
diff --git a/server.h b/moxerver/server.h
similarity index 100%
rename from server.h
rename to moxerver/server.h
diff --git a/task_threads.c b/moxerver/task_threads.c
similarity index 100%
rename from task_threads.c
rename to moxerver/task_threads.c
diff --git a/task_threads.h b/moxerver/task_threads.h
similarity index 100%
rename from task_threads.h
rename to moxerver/task_threads.h
diff --git a/telnet.c b/moxerver/telnet.c
similarity index 100%
rename from telnet.c
rename to moxerver/telnet.c
diff --git a/telnet.h b/moxerver/telnet.h
similarity index 100%
rename from telnet.h
rename to moxerver/telnet.h
diff --git a/tty.c b/moxerver/tty.c
similarity index 100%
rename from tty.c
rename to moxerver/tty.c
diff --git a/tty.h b/moxerver/tty.h
similarity index 100%
rename from tty.h
rename to moxerver/tty.h
diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9bc4e54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# target names
+TARGET_CONTROL = moxerverctl
+TARGET_CONFIG = moxerver.cfg
+
+# ==============================================================================
+
+# directory for build results
+BUILDDIR = $(abspath build.dir)
+# installation root
+INSTALLDIR = $(abspath install.dir)
+# prefix for /bin directory
+BIN_PREFIX = /usr
+
+# ==============================================================================
+
+# supported make options (clean, install...)
+.PHONY: default install clean
+
+# default does nothing
+default:
+
+# install targets
+install:
+	# install configuration file
+	install -Dm0644 $(TARGET_CONFIG) $(INSTALLDIR)/etc/$(TARGET_CONFIG)
+	# install control script, referring to the configuration file
+	install -Dm0755 $(TARGET_CONTROL) $(INSTALLDIR)/$(BIN_PREFIX)/bin/$(TARGET_CONTROL)
+	sed -i -e 's#ROOT=\"\"#ROOT=$(INSTALLDIR)#' $(INSTALLDIR)/$(BIN_PREFIX)/bin/$(TARGET_CONTROL)
+
+# clean removes object files and target (ignore errors with "-" before commands)
+clean:
+	-rm -rf $(INSTALLDIR)
diff --git a/moxanix.cfg b/tools/moxerver.cfg
similarity index 100%
rename from moxanix.cfg
rename to tools/moxerver.cfg
diff --git a/moxanix.sh b/tools/moxerverctl
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
similarity index 94%
rename from moxanix.sh
rename to tools/moxerverctl
index 03b72be..d37eb3e
--- a/moxanix.sh
+++ b/tools/moxerverctl
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@
 # setup
 # =====
 
+ROOT=""
+
 # parameters
-CONFIGURATION_FILE="./moxanix.cfg"
-SERVER_BINARY="./moxerver"
-LOG_DIRECTORY="./logs"
+CONFIGURATION_FILE="$ROOT/etc/moxerver.cfg"
+SERVER_BINARY="moxerver"
+LOG_DIRECTORY="$ROOT/var/log/moxerver"
 
 
 # global variables for configuration
@@ -61,9 +63,9 @@ do_read_config()
 			# configuration lines
 			CONF_LINES[$CONF_SIZE]=$(echo -n $line)
 			# extract configuration arguments
-			tcp=$(echo $line | awk '{print $1}' | tr -d "tcp=")
-			tty=$(echo $line | awk '{print $2}' | tr -d "tty=")
-			baud=$(echo $line | awk '{print $3}' | tr -d "baud=")
+			tcp=$(echo $line | awk '{print $1}' | sed -e 's/tcp=//')
+			tty=$(echo $line | awk '{print $2}' | sed -e 's/tty=//')
+			baud=$(echo $line | awk '{print $3}' | sed -e 's/baud=//')
 			# compose configuration argument lines for passing to the servers
 			CONF_ARGS[$CONF_SIZE]="-p $tcp -t $tty -b $baud"
 			# increment configuration size (array index)