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+Installation
+============
+
+`git-deps` requires [pygit2](http://www.pygit2.org/), which in return
+requires [libgit2](https://libgit2.github.com/).  `git-deps` and
+pygit2 are both Python modules, but libgit2 is not.  This means
+that there are a few ways to approach installation, detailed below.
+Corrections and additions to these instructions are very welcome!
+
+## Option 1: Install pygit2 and libgit2 from OS packages, and `git-deps` as a Python module
+
+if you are using Linux, there is a good chance that your distribution
+already offers packages for both pygit2 and libgit2, in which case
+installing pygit2 from packages should also automatically install
+libgit2.  For example, on openSUSE, just do:
+
+    sudo zypper install python-pygit2
+
+or on Debian:
+
+    sudo apt-get install python-pygit2
+
+and then install `git-deps`:
+
+    pip install git-deps
+
+## Option 2: Install libgit2 from OS packages, and `git-deps` / pygit2 as Python modules
+
+In this case it should be enough to install libgit2 via your
+distribution's packaging tool, e.g. on openSUSE:
+
+    sudo zypper install libgit2-22
+
+Then install `git-deps` which should also automatically install pygit2:
+
+    pip install git-deps
+
+## Option 3: Install everything from source
+
+First follow
+[the installation instructions for pygit2](http://www.pygit2.org/install.html).
+
+Then clone this repository and follow the standard Python module
+installation route, e.g.
+
+    python setup.py install
+
+## Option 4: Installation via Docker
+
+Rather than following the above manual steps, you can try
+[an alternative approach created by Paul Wellner Bou which facilitates running `git-deps` in a Docker container](https://github.com/paulwellnerbou/git-deps-docker).
+This has been tested on Ubuntu 14.10, where it was used as a way to
+circumvent difficulties with installing libgit2 >= 0.22.
+
+## Check installation
+
+Now `git-deps` should be on your `$PATH`, which means that executing
+`git deps` (with a space, not a hyphen) should also work.
+
+## Install support for web-based graph visualization (`--serve` option)
+
+If you want to use the shiny new graph visualization web server
+functionality, you will need to install some additional dependencies:
+
+*   As `root`, install the command line version of `browserify` with
+
+         npm install -g browserify
+*   To install the required Javascript libraries, you will need
+    [`npm`](https://www.npmjs.com/) installed, and then type:
+
+        cd git_deps/html
+        npm install
+        browserify -t coffeeify -d js/git-deps-graph.coffee -o js/bundle.js
+
+    (If you are developing `git-deps` then replace `browserify` with
+    `watchify -v` in order to continually regenerate `bundle.js`
+    whenever any of the input files change.)
+*   You will need the [Flask](http://flask.pocoo.org/) Python
+    module installed.
+
+Then `git deps --serve` should work.