diff --git a/bb64.cpp b/bb64.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3fa00bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bb64.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <cstring>
+#include <sstream>
+
+#include "version.h"
+
+// Custom base64 encoding/decoding tables
+static const std::string base64_chars =
+    "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ"
+    "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz"
+    "0123456789+/";
+
+std::string base64_encode(const std::string &in) {
+    std::string out;
+    int val = 0, valb = -6;
+    for (unsigned char c : in) {
+        val = (val << 8) + c;
+        valb += 8;
+        while (valb >= 0) {
+            out.push_back(base64_chars[(val >> valb) & 0x3F]);
+            valb -= 6;
+        }
+    }
+    if (valb > -6) out.push_back(base64_chars[((val << 8) >> (valb + 8)) & 0x3F]);
+    while (out.size() % 4) out.push_back('=');
+    return out;
+}
+
+std::string base64_decode(const std::string &in) {
+    std::vector<int> T(256, -1);
+    for (int i = 0; i < 64; i++) T[base64_chars[i]] = i;
+    std::string out;
+    int val = 0, valb = -8;
+    for (unsigned char c : in) {
+        if (T[c] == -1) break;
+        val = (val << 6) + T[c];
+        valb += 6;
+        if (valb >= 0) {
+            out.push_back(char((val >> valb) & 0xFF));
+            valb -= 8;
+        }
+    }
+    return out;
+}
+
+// Recursively decode and print if nested bb64 command is found
+void recursive_print(const std::string &decoded) {
+    std::cout << decoded << std::endl;
+    size_t pos = decoded.find("bb64 ");
+    if (pos != std::string::npos) {
+        std::istringstream iss(decoded.substr(pos));
+        std::string cmd, arg;
+        iss >> cmd >> arg;
+        if (cmd == "bb64" && !arg.empty()) {
+            std::string nested = base64_decode(arg);
+            recursive_print(nested);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+    if (argc < 2) {
+        std::cerr << "bb64 version " << VERSION << ", by J842." << std::endl;
+        // heredoc for instructions
+        std::cerr << R"(    
+
+Usage:
+    bb64 BASE64COMMAND          Decodes and runs the command
+    bb64 -i BASE64COMMAND       Displays the decoded command
+    bb64 -e COMMAND             Encodes the command and prints the result
+
+)" << std::endl;
+        return -1;
+    }
+    std::string mode;
+    int argi = 1;
+    if (std::string(argv[1]) == "-i" || std::string(argv[1]) == "-e") {
+        mode = argv[1];
+        argi = 2;
+    }
+    if (mode == "-e") {
+        // Encode the rest of the arguments as a single command string
+        std::ostringstream oss;
+        for (int i = argi; i < argc; ++i) {
+            if (i > argi) oss << " ";
+            oss << argv[i];
+        }
+        std::string encoded = base64_encode(oss.str());
+        std::cout << encoded << std::endl;
+        return 0;
+    } else if (mode == "-i") {
+        if (argi >= argc) {
+            std::cerr << "No BASE64COMMAND provided for -i" << std::endl;
+            return -1;
+        }
+        std::string decoded = base64_decode(argv[argi]);
+        recursive_print(decoded);
+        return 0;
+    } else {
+        // Default: decode and run
+        std::string decoded = base64_decode(argv[argi]);
+        if (decoded.empty()) {
+            std::cerr << "Failed to decode base64 command." << std::endl;
+            return -1;
+        }
+        // Replace current process with bash -c "decoded"
+        execlp("bash", "bash", "-c", decoded.c_str(), (char *)nullptr);
+        // If execlp returns, there was an error
+        std::cerr << "Failed to execute command." << std::endl;
+        return -1;
+    }
+} 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..130b607
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+
+SCRIPT_DIR=$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)
+OUTPUT_DIR="$SCRIPT_DIR/output"
+mkdir -p "$OUTPUT_DIR"
+
+# Build for x86_64 with musl static linking
+if [[ $(uname -m) == "x86_64" ]]; then
+    echo "Building for x86_64 (musl static)..."
+    if command -v x86_64-linux-musl-g++ &>/dev/null; then
+        x86_64-linux-musl-g++ -O2 -static -o "$OUTPUT_DIR/bb64.amd64" bb64.cpp
+    else
+        g++ -O2 -static -o "$OUTPUT_DIR/bb64.amd64" bb64.cpp -static-libgcc -static-libstdc++
+        echo "Warning: musl-g++ not found, built with g++ static flags."
+    fi
+    echo "Built bb64.amd64 (x86_64, static)"
+fi
+
+# Build for arm64 (musl static) if cross-compiler available
+if command -v aarch64-linux-musl-g++ &>/dev/null; then
+    echo "Building for arm64 (musl static)..."
+    aarch64-linux-musl-g++ -O2 -static -o "$OUTPUT_DIR/bb64.arm64" bb64.cpp
+    echo "Built bb64.arm64 (arm64, static)"
+fi 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e8ff96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Installs bb64 on the local machine.
+
+# 1. determines the architecture of the local machine
+
+# 2. downloads the appropriate bb64 binary
+
+# 3. makes the bb64 binary executable
+
+# 4. moves the bb64 binary to /usr/local/bin
+
+# 5. prints a message to the user
+
diff --git a/install_prerequisites.sh b/install_prerequisites.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9490aa6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install_prerequisites.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+
+# Check for root
+if [[ $EUID -ne 0 ]]; then
+    echo "This script must be run as root." >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Install required packages
+apt update
+apt install -y musl-tools wget tar
+
+# Set install directory
+if [ -n "$SUDO_USER" ] && [ "$SUDO_USER" != "root" ]; then
+    USER_HOME=$(eval echo ~$SUDO_USER)
+else
+    USER_HOME="$HOME"
+fi
+INSTALL_DIR="$USER_HOME/.musl-cross"
+mkdir -p "$INSTALL_DIR"
+
+MUSL_CC_URL="https://musl.cc"
+TMPDIR=$(mktemp -d)
+trap 'rm -rf "$TMPDIR"' EXIT
+
+# x86_64
+if [ ! -d "$INSTALL_DIR/x86_64-linux-musl-cross" ]; then
+    echo "Downloading x86_64 musl cross toolchain..."
+    wget -nc -O "$TMPDIR/x86_64-linux-musl-cross.tgz" $MUSL_CC_URL/x86_64-linux-musl-cross.tgz
+    tar -C "$INSTALL_DIR" -xvf "$TMPDIR/x86_64-linux-musl-cross.tgz"
+fi
+
+# aarch64
+if [ ! -d "$INSTALL_DIR/aarch64-linux-musl-cross" ]; then
+    echo "Downloading aarch64 musl cross toolchain..."
+    wget -nc -O "$TMPDIR/aarch64-linux-musl-cross.tgz" $MUSL_CC_URL/aarch64-linux-musl-cross.tgz
+    tar -C "$INSTALL_DIR" -xvf "$TMPDIR/aarch64-linux-musl-cross.tgz"
+fi
+
+# Print instructions for adding to PATH
+cat <<EOF
+
+To use the musl cross compilers, add the following to your shell:
+export PATH="$INSTALL_DIR/x86_64-linux-musl-cross/bin:$INSTALL_DIR/aarch64-linux-musl-cross/bin:$PATH"
+
+Or run:
+    export PATH="$INSTALL_DIR/x86_64-linux-musl-cross/bin:$INSTALL_DIR/aarch64-linux-musl-cross/bin:\$PATH"
+
+EOF
+
+# Clean up
+rm -rf "$TMPDIR"
+
+# If run with sudo, add to invoking user's ~/.bashrc
+if [ -n "$SUDO_USER" ] && [ "$SUDO_USER" != "root" ]; then
+    BASHRC="$USER_HOME/.bashrc"
+    EXPORT_LINE="export PATH=\"$INSTALL_DIR/x86_64-linux-musl-cross/bin:$INSTALL_DIR/aarch64-linux-musl-cross/bin:\$PATH\""
+    if ! grep -Fxq "$EXPORT_LINE" "$BASHRC"; then
+        echo "" >> "$BASHRC"
+        echo "# Add musl cross compilers to PATH for bb64" >> "$BASHRC"
+        echo "$EXPORT_LINE" >> "$BASHRC"
+        echo "Added musl cross compilers to $BASHRC"
+    else
+        echo "musl cross compiler PATH already present in $BASHRC"
+    fi
+fi
diff --git a/output/bb64.amd64 b/output/bb64.amd64
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..0ed8d1d
Binary files /dev/null and b/output/bb64.amd64 differ
diff --git a/output/bb64.arm64 b/output/bb64.arm64
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2f7dcd3
Binary files /dev/null and b/output/bb64.arm64 differ
diff --git a/publish.sh b/publish.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d3b722
--- /dev/null
+++ b/publish.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Publishes bb64 (both arm64 and amd64) to the Gitea Releases page for the repository.
+
+# Increments the version number in the VERSION file by one first.
+
+# Builds the bb64 binary for arm64 and amd64.
+
+# Uploads the binaries to the Gitea Releases page.
+
+# Prints a message to the user.
+
+
diff --git a/version.h b/version.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7e4b7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/version.h
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+static const char *VERSION = "1";
+