diff --git a/setup/.gitignore b/setup/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ae98e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+/backup-users/
+/backup/
diff --git a/setup/backup.sh b/setup/backup.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..522f604
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup/backup.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+[[ ! $(groups | grep sudo) ]] && echo this script must be run by a user with sudo privileges && exit 1
+[[ ! $BASH_SHELL_BASE ]] && echo "set BASH_SHELL_BASE before running this script" && exit 2 || echo backing up shell files...
+set -o errexit
+mkdir -p $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/etc/profile.d
+mkdir -p $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/user
+mkdir -p $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/root
+# host system files in /etc
+[[ -f /etc/profile ]] && cp -v /etc/profile $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/etc
+[[ -f /etc/bash.bashrc ]] && cp -v /etc/bash.bashrc $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/etc
+[[ -d /etc/profile.d ]] && cp -vR /etc/profile.d/ $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/etc/
+# current user files in $HOME
+[[ -f $HOME/.bash_profile ]] && cp -v $HOME/.bash_profile $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/user
+[[ -f $HOME/.profile ]] && cp -v $HOME/.profile $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/user
+[[ -f $HOME/.bashrc ]] && cp -v $HOME/.bashrc $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/user
+[[ -f $HOME/.bash_logout ]] && cp -v $HOME/.bash_logout $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/user
+if [[ $(stat -c "%G" /root) = "sudo" ]]; then
+[[ -f /root/.bash_profile ]] && cp -v /root/.bash_profile $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/root
+[[ -f /root/.profile ]] && cp -v /root/.profile $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/root
+[[ -f /root/.bashrc ]] && cp -v /root/.bashrc $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/root
+[[ -f /root/.bash_logout ]] && cp -v /root/.bash_logout $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/root
+else
+echo no sudo group read access to /root so backing up /root as root
+sudo -E -- bash -c '[[ ! -f /root/.profile ]]  && exit 0; cp -v /root/.profile $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/root'
+sudo -E -- bash -c '[[ ! -f /root/.bashrc ]] && exit 0; cp -v /root/.bashrc $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/root'
+sudo -E -- bash -c '[[ ! -f /root/.bash_profile ]] && exit 0; cp -v /root/.bash_profile $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/root'
+sudo -E -- bash -c '[[ ! -f /root/.bash_logout ]] && exit 0; cp -v /root/.bash_logout $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/root'
+fi
+set +o errexit
+echo backup of system shell files complete!
+exit 0
diff --git a/setup/deploy-user.sh b/setup/deploy-user.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..031ba42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup/deploy-user.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+_USER=${1:-USER}
+[[ ! $(id -u $_USER) -ge 1000 ]] && echo "no user $_USER or user not a regular" && exit 1
+[[ ! $BASH_SHELL_BASE ]] && BASH_SHELL_BASE="$(dirname "$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" >/dev/null 2>&1 ; pwd -P )")"
+echo Base Shell Directory as detected is $BASH_SHELL_BASE
+echo ok to continue?
+echo  "type \`yes\` fully or just <enter> to exit"
+read -e answer
+[[ ! $answer = "yes" ]] && exit 1
+
+UBDIR=$BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup-users/$_USER
+_USER_DIR=$(getent passwd "$USER" | cut -d : -f 6)
+files=".bash_profile .profile .bashrc .bash_logout"
+# uncomment for debugging
+# rm -rf $UBDIR
+if [[ ! -d $UBDIR ]]; then
+  echo "first backing up $_USER_DIR shell files before deploying"
+  mkdir -p $UBDIR
+  for file in $files ; do
+  [[ -f $_USER_DIR/$file ]] && sudo install -C -m 660 -o root -g sudo $_USER_DIR/$file $UBDIR
+done
+fi
+echo "ready to deploy $_USER shell files"
+echo "Double check files in $UBDIR"
+echo  "continue? type \`yes\` fully or just <enter> for no"
+read -e answer
+[[ ! $answer = "yes" ]] && echo aborting deploy && exit 1
+echo -----------------;echo deploying user shell files to /home/$_USER
+echo
+files=$(find $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/user/ -type f)
+for file in $files; do
+cmd="install -C -m 660 -o $_USER -g sudo $file $_USER_DIR"
+[[ $USER = "$_USER" ]] && eval $cmd || sudo -E -- bash -c "$cmd"
+done
+echo "the default user bash shell repo subdirecty is \`bash/shell\`"
+echo  "enter an alternative subdirectory under $_USER_DIR or just <enter> to accept default"
+read -e answer
+[[ ! $answer ]] && echo will source default user shell repo at $_USER_DIR/bash/shell && exit 0
+sed -i '/[[ $BASH_SHELL_BASE_LOADED = true ]]/ i\ BASH_SHELL_USER='$answer'' $_USER_DIR/.bashrc
+echo will be processing user shell repo at $_USER_DIR/$answer
diff --git a/setup/deploy.sh b/setup/deploy.sh
index 52df7a9..e6069bd 100755
--- a/setup/deploy.sh
+++ b/setup/deploy.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,48 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-sudo cp -viR $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/etc /etc/
-cp -viR $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/user $HOME/
-sudo cp -viR $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/root /root/
+BASH_SHELL_BASE="$(dirname "$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" >/dev/null 2>&1 ; pwd -P )")"
+echo Base Shell Directory as detected is $BASH_SHELL_BASE
+echo ok to continue?
+echo  "type \`yes\` fully or just <enter> for no"
+read -e answer
+[[ ! $answer = "yes" ]] && exit 1
+[[ ! $(groups | grep sudo) ]] && echo this script must be run by a user with sudo privileges && exit 1
+# uncomment for debugging
+# rm -rf $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup/
+if [[ ! $(stat -c "%G" /root) = "sudo" ]]; then
+echo "Allow all sudoers read access to /root directory and files?"
+echo  "type \`yes\` fully or just <enter> for no"
+read -e answer
+if [[ $answer = "yes" ]]; then
+sudo chown -R root:sudo /root
+sudo chmod -R g+rX /root
+echo sudo group and permissions on /root were set || \
+echo error during sudo access setup
+else
+echo;echo sudoer access to /root was declined
+fi
+fi
+if [[ ! -d $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup ]]; then
+  echo "backing up shell files before deploying"
+  $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup.sh
+  [[ $? -ne 0 ]] && echo issue with backup did not deploy && exit 1
+  # echo backup finished to $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup
+fi
+echo "ready to deploy shell files"
+echo  "Double check files in $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/backup"
+echo  "continue? type \`yes\` fully or just <enter> for no"
+read -e answer
+[[ ! $answer = "yes" ]] && echo aborting deploy && exit 1
+echo -----------------;echo deploying /etc shell files
+files=$(find $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/etc/ -maxdepth 1 -type f)
+for file in $files; do sudo install -C -m 644 -o root -g root $file  /etc; done
+echo setting BASH_SHELL_BASE to $BASH_SHELL_BASE in etc/profile
+sudo sed -i 's:BASH_SHELL_BASE=.*:BASH_SHELL_BASE='${BASH_SHELL_BASE}':' /etc/profile
+files=$(find $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/etc/profile.d -maxdepth 1 -type f)
+for file in $files; do sudo install -C -m 644 -o root -g root $file  /etc/profile.d; done
+echo -----------------;echo deploying /root shell files
+group=root
+[[ $(stat -c "%G" /root) = "sudo" ]] && group=sudo
+files=$(find $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/root/ -type f)
+for file in $files; do sudo install -C -m 640 -o root -g $group $file  /root; done
+echo -----------------
+source $BASH_SHELL_BASE/setup/deploy-user.sh
diff --git a/setup/etc/profile b/setup/etc/profile
index 7e9004f..62603d5 100644
--- a/setup/etc/profile
+++ b/setup/etc/profile
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 # Set the initial path
 export PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin
 # set directory for base shell repo
-export BASH_SHELL_BASE=/opt/bash/shell/base # where
+export BASH_SHELL_BASE=THISWILLCHANGEDBYDEPLOYSCRIPT
 # now bootstrap by souring the shell repo envinroment
 . $BASH_SHELL_BASE/shell.env
 # uncomment to NOT load the BASH SHELL Repos for interactive login shell
diff --git a/setup/user/.bashrc b/setup/user/.bashrc
index 9069b1e..046bab8 100644
--- a/setup/user/.bashrc
+++ b/setup/user/.bashrc
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # echo "$USER .bashrc"
-
 # processing user's shell repo if base was loaded
 [[ $BASH_SHELL_BASE_LOADED = true ]] && \
 BASH_SHELL_USER=${BASH_SHELL_USER:-"bash/shell"} && \
-shell_process_directory "$HOME/$BASH_SHELL_USER"
+[[ -d $HOME/$BASH_SHELL_USER ]] && shell_process_directory "$HOME/$BASH_SHELL_USER" ||\
+echo no user shell directory $HOME/$BASH_SHELL_USER to process, create one or clone a template