diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 90f42e3..5462e7e 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ void print_help() {
     std::cout << std::endl;
     std::cout << "Service commands: (if no service is specified, all services for the server are affected)" << std::endl;
     std::cout << "  install SERVER [SERVICE]     Install/reinstall/update service(s). Non-destructive." << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "  edit SERVER [SERVICE]        Edit the configuration of the server/service." << std::endl;
     std::cout << "  COMMAND SERVER [SERVICE]     Run a command on service(s)." << std::endl;
     std::cout << std::endl;
     std::cout << "Standard commands: install, uninstall, backup, restore, start, stop" << std::endl;
@@ -114,25 +115,26 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         }
 
         // auto completion stuff.
-        std::set<std::string> commands;
+        std::set<std::string> template_shell_commands, full_command_set;
         std::vector<dropshell::ServerInfo> servers = dropshell::get_configured_servers();
         for (const auto& server : servers) 
         {
             std::vector<dropshell::ServiceInfo> services = dropshell::get_server_services_info(server.name);
             for (const auto& service : services) 
-                commands.merge(dropshell::get_used_commands(server.name, service.service_name));
+                template_shell_commands.merge(dropshell::get_used_commands(server.name, service.service_name));
         }
 
-        if (cmd == "autocomplete_list_commands") { 
-            commands.merge(std::set<std::string>{
-                "help","init"
+        if (cmd == "autocomplete_list_commands") { // add in commands handled here, not by the template shell scripts.
+            std::set<std::string> full_command_set = template_shell_commands;
+            full_command_set.merge(std::set<std::string>{ 
+                "help","init" // these are always available.
             });
             if (cfg->is_config_set()) 
-                commands.merge(std::set<std::string>{
-                    "server","templates","create-service","create-template","create-server","ssh"
+                full_command_set.merge(std::set<std::string>{
+                    "server","templates","create-service","create-template","create-server","edit","ssh" // only if we have a config.
                 });
             
-            for (const auto& command : commands) {
+            for (const auto& command : full_command_set) {
                 std::cout << command << std::endl;
             }
             return 0;
@@ -233,7 +235,19 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
             return 0;
         }
 
+        if (cmd == "edit" && argc < 4) {
+            if (argc < 3) 
+            {
+                std::cerr << "Error: edit requires a server name and optionally service name" << std::endl;
+                return 1;
+            }
+            dropshell::edit_server(argv[2]);
+            return 0;
+        }
+
         // handle running a command. 
+        std::set<std::string> commands = template_shell_commands;
+        commands.merge(std::set<std::string>{"ssh","edit"}); // handled by service_runner, but not in template_shell_commands.
         for (const auto& command : commands) {
             if (cmd == command) {
                 std::string server_name;
@@ -260,6 +274,12 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
 
         // Unknown command
         std::cerr << "Error: Unknown command '" << cmd << "'" << std::endl;
+        std::cerr << "Valid commands: ";
+        for (const auto& command : commands) {
+            std::cerr << command << " ";
+        }
+        std::cerr << std::endl;
+        // print help
         dropshell::print_help();
         return 1;
 
diff --git a/src/servers.cpp b/src/servers.cpp
index 0b8ff3d..a121c7c 100644
--- a/src/servers.cpp
+++ b/src/servers.cpp
@@ -157,8 +157,8 @@ void create_server(const std::string &server_name)
     }
 
     // 2. create a new directory in the user config directory
-    std::string config_dir = get_local_config_path(0);
-    std::string server_dir = config_dir + "/" + server_name;
+    std::string config_servers_dir = get_local_config_servers_path(0);
+    std::string server_dir = config_servers_dir + "/" + server_name;
     fs::create_directory(server_dir);
 
     // 3. create a template server.env file in the server directory
@@ -169,21 +169,21 @@ void create_server(const std::string &server_name)
     server_env_file << "SSH_USER=" << user << std::endl;
     server_env_file << "SSH_PORT=" << 22 << std::endl;
     server_env_file << std::endl;
-    server_env_file << "DROPSHELL_PATH=/home/"+user+"/.dropshell" << std::endl;
+    server_env_file << "DROPSHELL_DIR=/home/"+user+"/.dropshell" << std::endl;
     server_env_file.close();
 
     // 4. add dropshell-agent service to server
     std::string service_dir = server_dir + "/dropshell-agent";
     fs::create_directory(service_dir);
     std::string service_env_path = service_dir + "/service.env";
-    std::filesystem::copy(get_local_system_templates_path() + "/dropshell-agent/service.env", service_env_path);
+    std::filesystem::copy(get_local_system_templates_path() + "/dropshell-agent/example/service.env", service_env_path);
 
     std::cout << "Server created successfully: " << server_name << std::endl;
-    std::cout << "Please edit the server.env file to configure the server, it is located at: "<<std::endl;
-    std::cout << "   " << server_env_path << std::endl;
-    std::cout << "Then run 'dropshell install " << server_name << " dropshell-agent' to install the agent" << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "Please complete the installation:" <<std::endl;
+    std::cout << "1) edit the server configuration: dropshell edit " << server_name << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "2) test ssh is working:           dropshell ssh " << server_name << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "3) install dropshell-agent:       dropshell install " << server_name << " dropshell-agent" << std::endl;
     std::cout << std::endl;
-    std::cout << "You can then start managing your server with DropShell" << std::endl;
 }
 
 } // namespace dropshell
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/service_runner.cpp b/src/service_runner.cpp
index 173c5b6..8a1bba4 100644
--- a/src/service_runner.cpp
+++ b/src/service_runner.cpp
@@ -230,6 +230,10 @@ bool service_runner::uninstall() {
     return true;
 }
 
+
+// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Run a command on the service.
+// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 bool service_runner::run_command(const std::string& command) {
     if (!m_server_env) {
         std::cerr << "Error: Server service not initialized" << std::endl;
@@ -240,6 +244,13 @@ bool service_runner::run_command(const std::string& command) {
         std::cerr << "Error: Template '" << m_service_info.template_name << "' not found" << std::endl;
         return false;
     }
+
+    // don't need a script for edit!
+    if (command == "edit") {
+        edit_service_config();
+        return true;
+    }
+
     if (!template_command_exists(m_service_info.template_name, command)) {
         std::cout << "No command script for " << m_service_info.template_name << " : " << command << std::endl;
         return true; // nothing to run.
@@ -280,6 +291,11 @@ bool service_runner::run_command(const std::string& command) {
     return execute_ssh_command(run_cmd, "Command returned error code: " + script_path);
 }
 
+
+
+// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Backup the service.
+// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 bool service_runner::backup() {
     maketitle("Backing up " + m_service_info.service_name + " (" + m_service_info.template_name + ") on " + m_server_name);
 
@@ -514,6 +530,33 @@ void interactive_ssh(const std::string & server_name, const std::string & comman
     exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
+void edit_server(const std::string &server_name)
+{
+    std::string serverpath = get_local_server_path(server_name);
+    if (serverpath.empty()) {
+        std::cerr << "Error: Server not found: " << server_name << std::endl;
+        return;
+    }
+
+    std::ostringstream aftertext; 
+    aftertext << "If you have changed DROPSHELL_DIR, you should manually move the files to the new location NOW.\n"
+              << "You can ssh in to the remote server with:  dropshell ssh "<<server_name<<"\n" 
+              << "Once moved, reinstall all services with:   dropshell install " << server_name;
+
+    std::string config_file = serverpath + "/server.env";
+    edit_file(config_file, aftertext.str());
+}
+
+void edit_file(const std::string &file_path, const std::string & aftertext)
+{
+    std::string cmd = "nano -w "+file_path+" ; echo \""+aftertext+"\"";
+    execlp("bash","bash","-c",cmd.c_str(), nullptr);
+    
+    // If exec returns, it means there was an error
+    perror("ssh execution failed");
+    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+}
+
 void service_runner::interactive_ssh_service()
 {
     std::set<std::string> used_commands = get_used_commands(m_server_name, m_service_info.service_name);
@@ -526,6 +569,17 @@ void service_runner::interactive_ssh_service()
     interactive_ssh(m_server_name, "/bin/bash -c '"+command+"'");
 }
 
+void service_runner::edit_service_config()
+{
+    std::string config_file = get_local_service_env_path(m_server_name, m_service_info.service_name);
+    if (!fs::exists(config_file)) {
+        std::cerr << "Error: Service config file not found: " << config_file << std::endl;
+        return;
+    }
 
+    std::string aftertext = "To apply your changes, run:\n   dropshell install " + m_server_name + " " + m_service_info.service_name;
+
+    edit_file(config_file, aftertext);
+}
 
 } // namespace dropshell 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/service_runner.hpp b/src/service_runner.hpp
index 7f6e8ca..ddfeb62 100644
--- a/src/service_runner.hpp
+++ b/src/service_runner.hpp
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ class service_runner {
         // replaces the current dropshell process with the ssh process
         void interactive_ssh_service();
 
+        // edit the service configuration file
+        void edit_service_config();
+
     private:
         std::string m_server_name;
         ServiceInfo m_service_info;
@@ -108,7 +111,11 @@ class service_runner {
         static bool execute_local_command_and_capture_output(const std::string& command, std::string & output);
 };
 
-        void interactive_ssh(const std::string & server_name, const std::string & command);
+
+// other utility routines (not specific to service_runner)
+void interactive_ssh(const std::string & server_name, const std::string & command);
+void edit_server(const std::string & server_name);
+void edit_file(const std::string & file_path, const std::string & aftertext);
 
 } // namespace dropshell
 
diff --git a/src/services.cpp b/src/services.cpp
index 63cdb06..4e02ace 100644
--- a/src/services.cpp
+++ b/src/services.cpp
@@ -149,11 +149,11 @@ bool create_service(const std::string &server_name, const std::string &service_n
     // copy the template example files to the service directory
     recursive_copy(tinfo.path+"/example", service_dir);
 
-    std::cout << "Service created successfully: " << service_name << std::endl;
-    std::cout << "Please edit the service.env file to configure the service, it is located at: "<<std::endl;
-    std::cout << "   " << service_dir << "/service.env" << std::endl;
-    std::cout << "Then run 'dropshell install " << server_name << " " << service_name << "' to install the service" << std::endl;
-
+    std::cout << "Service " << service_name <<" created successfully"<<std::endl;
+    std::cout << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "To complete the installation, please:" << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "1. edit the service.env file:     dropshell edit " << server_name << " " << service_name << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "2. install the remote service:    dropshell install " << server_name << " " << service_name << std::endl;
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/services.hpp b/src/services.hpp
index befede7..80594dc 100644
--- a/src/services.hpp
+++ b/src/services.hpp
@@ -19,9 +19,6 @@ namespace dropshell {
     std::set<std::string> get_used_commands(const std::string& server_name, const std::string& service_name);
 
     bool create_service(const std::string& server_name, const std::string& service_name);
-
-    void interactive_ssh(const std::string & server_name, const std::string & service_name, const std::string & command);
-
 } // namespace dropshell