diff --git a/bindings b/bindings
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d295f56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bindings
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+~/.config/fish/config.fish
+-> fish/nix.fish
+-> fish/config.fish
+
+~/.config/i3/config
+-> i3/config
+
+~/.config/i3status/config
+-> i3status/config
+
+~/src/.srcfile
+-> srcfiles/src
+
+~/.gitconfig
+-> gitconfig
+
+~/.config/zls.json
+-> zls.json
+
+~/.config/alacritty.yml
+-> alacritty.yml
+
+~/.config/sway/config
+-> sway/config
+
+~/.emacs
+-> emacs.el
+
+~/.config/gtk-3.0/settings.ini
+-> gtk-3.0/settings.ini
+
+~/.config/mpd.conf
+-> mpd.conf
+
+~/.config/foot/foot.ini
+-> foot.ini
+
+~/.config/nimmm.conf
+-> nimmm.conf
+
+~/.zshrc
+-> zshrc
diff --git a/manage.sh b/manage.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..1b31abe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/manage.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,252 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# TODO check for duplicate lines in bindings
+
+set -e
+
+newline=$'\n'
+esc=$'\e'
+csi="$esc["
+reset="${csi}0m"
+
+bold="${csi}1m"
+dim="${csi}2m"
+
+default="${csi}39m"
+red="${csi}31m"
+green="${csi}32m"
+yellow="${csi}33m"
+
+
+##### STATUS #####
+
+
+status_buffer=""
+status_source_active=""
+status_count_total=0
+status_count_managed=0
+status_count_unmanaged=0
+status_count_nonexistent=0
+
+status_target_begin() {
+    status_buffer=""
+    status_source_active=""
+}
+
+status_target_end() {
+    tilde_expanded_target=${1/\~/$HOME}
+
+    if [ ! -z $status_source_active ] ; then
+        status_buffer="${bold}${green}*${default} $1${reset}${status_buffer}"
+        ((status_count_managed=status_count_managed+1))
+    else
+        if [ -e $tilde_expanded_target ] ; then
+            status_buffer="${yellow}*${default} $1${status_buffer}"
+            ((status_count_unmanaged=status_count_unmanaged+1))
+        else
+            status_buffer="${dim}* $1${reset}${status_buffer}"
+            ((status_count_nonexistent=status_count_nonexistent+1))
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    echo "$status_buffer"
+    echo
+
+    ((status_count_total=status_count_total+1))
+}
+
+status_target_source() {
+    tilde_expanded_target=${1/\~/$HOME}
+
+    if [ -L $tilde_expanded_target ] ; then
+        if [ $(readlink $tilde_expanded_target) = "${PWD}/$2" ] ; then
+            status_source_active="y"
+            status_buffer="${status_buffer}${newline}  $2"
+        else
+            status_buffer="${status_buffer}${newline}  ${dim}$2${reset}"
+        fi
+    else
+        status_buffer="${status_buffer}${newline}  ${dim}$2${reset}"
+    fi
+
+}
+
+status_finished() {
+    cat <<EOF
+${bold}${status_count_total}${reset} targets, \
+${bold}${status_count_managed}${reset} managed, \
+${bold}${status_count_unmanaged}${reset} unmanaged, \
+${bold}${status_count_nonexistent}${reset} non-existent
+EOF
+}
+
+
+##### INSTALL #####
+
+
+install_target_source() {
+    tilde_expanded_target=${1/\~/$HOME}
+
+    if [ -z $install_done ] && [ $tilde_expanded_target = $install_target ] ; then
+        # if no source is provided, select the first option, otherwise
+        # check for a match
+        if [ -z $install_source ] || [ $install_source = $2 ] ; then
+            echo "${dim}$ ln -sf ${PWD}/$2 $tilde_expanded_target${reset}"
+            ln -sf "${PWD}/$2" "$tilde_expanded_target"
+            install_done="y"
+        fi
+    fi
+}
+
+install_finished() {
+    if [ -z $install_done ] ; then
+        echo "${bold}${red}error${reset}: no suitable target/source combination found."
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
+
+##### PROCESS INTERFACE #####
+
+
+# start processing a target
+#
+# expects 1 argument: target path
+process_target_begin() {
+    case $mode in
+        ("status")
+            status_target_begin $1
+            ;;
+        ("install")
+            true
+            ;;
+        (*)
+            echo "Invalid mode: '$mode'"
+            exit 1
+            ;;
+    esac
+}
+
+# stop processing a target
+#
+# expects 1 argument: target path
+process_target_end() {
+    case $mode in
+        ("status")
+            status_target_end $1
+            ;;
+        ("install")
+            true
+            ;;
+        (*)
+            echo "Invalid mode: '$mode'"
+            exit 1
+            ;;
+    esac
+}
+
+# process a target and source pair
+#
+# expects 2 argument: target path, source path
+process_target_source() {
+    case $mode in
+        ("status")
+            status_target_source $1 $2
+            ;;
+        ("install")
+            install_target_source $1 $2
+            ;;
+        (*)
+            echo "Invalid mode: '$mode'"
+            exit 1
+            ;;
+    esac
+
+}
+
+# finish processing
+#
+# expects no arguments
+process_finished() {
+    case $mode in
+        ("status")
+            status_finished
+            ;;
+        ("install")
+            install_finished
+            ;;
+        (*)
+            echo "Invalid mode: '$mode'"
+            exit 1
+            ;;
+    esac
+
+}
+
+
+##### MAIN #####
+
+case $1 in
+    (""|"status")
+        mode="status"
+        ;;
+    ("install")
+        mode="install"
+
+        if [ -z $2 ] ; then
+            echo "usage: manage.sh install [target] (source)"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+
+        install_target=$2
+        install_source=$3
+
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo "Unrecognized command: '$1'"
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+
+
+bindings_file="bindings"
+
+line_nr=1
+target_file=""
+
+while read -r line ; do
+    case $line in
+        ("-> "*)
+            if [ -z $target_file ] ; then
+                echo "Parsing error: source given without target at line $line_nr"
+                exit 1
+            fi
+
+            source_file=${line#"-> "}
+
+            process_target_source $target_file $source_file
+            ;;
+        ("")
+            if [ ! -z $target_file ] ; then
+                process_target_end $target_file
+            fi
+
+            target_file=""
+            ;;
+        (*)
+            target_file=$line
+
+            process_target_begin $target_file
+            ;;
+    esac
+
+    # echo $line
+    ((line_nr=line_nr+1))
+done < "$bindings_file"
+
+# process last item
+if [ ! -z $target_file ] ; then
+    process_target_end $target_file
+fi
+
+process_finished