diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d4e8228..83e1630 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-cairde
+/cairde
 *.log
 *.work
diff --git a/cmd/cairde/main.go b/cmd/cairde/main.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6df76e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/cairde/main.go
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"cairde/internal/models"
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"os/user"
+
+	openPrivacyLog "git.openprivacy.ca/openprivacy/log"
+	_ "github.com/mutecomm/go-sqlcipher/v4"
+
+	tea "github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea"
+)
+
+const help = `cairde [options]
+
+A text-based user interface for metadata resistant online chat.
+
+Options:
+  -h    output help
+`
+
+var helpFlag bool
+
+func main() {
+	flag.BoolVar(&helpFlag, "h", false, "output help")
+	flag.Parse()
+
+	if helpFlag {
+		fmt.Print(help)
+		os.Exit(0)
+	}
+
+	// NOTE(d1): pending https://git.coopcloud.tech/decentral1se/cairde/issues/1
+	_, err := exec.LookPath("tor")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal("could not find 'tor' command, is it installed?")
+	}
+
+	f, err := tea.LogToFile("cairde.log", "debug")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+
+	filelogger, err := openPrivacyLog.NewFile(openPrivacyLog.LevelInfo, "cwtch.log")
+	if err == nil {
+		openPrivacyLog.SetStd(filelogger)
+	}
+
+	user, err := user.Current()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("unable to determine current user: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	p := tea.NewProgram(
+		models.NewMainModel(user.Username, user.HomeDir),
+		tea.WithAltScreen(),
+		tea.WithMouseCellMotion(),
+	)
+
+	if err := p.Start(); err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}