diff --git a/.containerignore b/.containerignore
index b06848b..96443e2 100644
--- a/.containerignore
+++ b/.containerignore
@@ -2,11 +2,15 @@
 .git
 .gitignore
 .gitattributes
-bash-scripts
+scripts-bash
+scripts-go
 Containerfile
+Containerfile.build
+binaries
 README.md
 xml-template
 cache
 etc
 library
 watch
+releases
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e206118..0a78ee4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,3 +7,5 @@ cache
 library
 etc
 watch
+binaries
+releases
diff --git a/Containerfile b/Containerfile
index 4412cdc..0e3bbb9 100644
--- a/Containerfile
+++ b/Containerfile
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ RUN CGO_ENABLED=1 GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 go build \
     -a \
     -ldflags="-s -w -linkmode external -extldflags '-static' -X main.GOMEMLIMIT=512MiB -X runtime.defaultGOGC=50" \
     -trimpath \
-    -o bin/main app/gopherbook/main.go
+    -o bin/main ./app/gopherbook
 RUN upx --best --ultra-brute bin/main
 RUN chmod +x bin/main
 
diff --git a/Containerfile.build b/Containerfile.build
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9fab6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Containerfile.build
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Multi-platform build container for Gopherbook
+FROM golang:alpine AS builder
+
+RUN apk add --no-cache \
+    musl-dev \
+    gcc \
+    g++ \
+    mingw-w64-gcc \
+    wget \
+    xz \
+    git
+
+# Install UPX for binary compression
+RUN wget https://github.com/upx/upx/releases/download/v5.0.2/upx-5.0.2-amd64_linux.tar.xz && \
+    tar -xf upx-5.0.2-amd64_linux.tar.xz && \
+    mv upx-5.0.2-amd64_linux/upx /usr/local/bin/upx && \
+    rm -r upx-5.0.2-amd64_linux upx-5.0.2-amd64_linux.tar.xz
+
+WORKDIR /app
+
+COPY go.mod go.sum ./
+RUN go mod download
+
+COPY . .
+
+# Build Linux binary
+RUN echo "Building Linux binary..." && \
+    CGO_ENABLED=1 GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 go build \
+    -a \
+    -ldflags="-s -w -linkmode external -extldflags '-static'" \
+    -trimpath \
+    -o bin/gopherbook-linux ./app/gopherbook && \
+    upx --best --ultra-brute bin/gopherbook-linux && \
+    chmod +x bin/gopherbook-linux
+
+# Build Windows binary
+RUN echo "Building Windows binary..." && \
+    CGO_ENABLED=1 GOOS=windows GOARCH=amd64 CC=x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc go build \
+    -a \
+    -ldflags="-s -w" \
+    -trimpath \
+    -o bin/gopherbook-windows.exe ./app/gopherbook && \
+    upx --best --ultra-brute bin/gopherbook-windows.exe
+
+# Verify binaries were created
+RUN ls -lh bin/ && \
+    echo "Build complete!" && \
+    echo "Linux binary size: $(du -h bin/gopherbook-linux | cut -f1)" && \
+    echo "Windows binary size: $(du -h bin/gopherbook-windows.exe | cut -f1)"
+
+# Keep the builder stage as the final stage so we can copy files out
+FROM builder
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1cd8552..11a28fe 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 build:
-	go build -o bin/main app/gopherbook/main.go
+	go build -o bin/main ./app/gopherbook
 
 clean:
 	rm -rf watch etc library cache
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b333156..2766fdc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -78,6 +78,15 @@ Then open http://localhost:12010 in your browser.
 ./etc/admin.json                   ← admin settings (registration toggle)
 ```
 
+## Environment Variables
+Can be used to set where everything is stored with:
+```
+GOPHERBOOK_LIBRARY=$HOME/.config/gopherbook/library
+GOPHERBOOK_CACHE=$HOME/.config/gopherbook/covers
+GOPHERBOOK_ETC=$HOME/.config/gopherbook/etc
+GOPHERBOOK_WATCH=$HOME/.config/gopherbook/watch
+```
+
 ## Watch folder for bulk imports
 
 Gopherbook includes an automatic watch folder system that makes bulk importing comics effortless:
diff --git a/app/gopherbook/config.go b/app/gopherbook/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b70832
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/gopherbook/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+var (
+	baseLibraryPath string
+	baseCachePath   string
+	baseEtcPath     string
+	baseWatchPath   string
+)
+
+func init() {
+	// Store the base paths (before user-specific paths are added)
+	baseLibraryPath = libraryPath
+	baseCachePath = cachePath
+	baseEtcPath = etcPath
+	baseWatchPath = watchPath
+
+	// Override from environment variables if set
+	if env := os.Getenv("GOPHERBOOK_LIBRARY"); env != "" {
+		baseLibraryPath = filepath.Clean(env)
+		libraryPath = baseLibraryPath
+	}
+	if env := os.Getenv("GOPHERBOOK_CACHE"); env != "" {
+		baseCachePath = filepath.Clean(env)
+		cachePath = baseCachePath
+	}
+	if env := os.Getenv("GOPHERBOOK_ETC"); env != "" {
+		baseEtcPath = filepath.Clean(env)
+		etcPath = baseEtcPath
+	}
+	if env := os.Getenv("GOPHERBOOK_WATCH"); env != "" {
+		baseWatchPath = filepath.Clean(env)
+		watchPath = baseWatchPath
+	}
+}
diff --git a/app/gopherbook/main.go b/app/gopherbook/main.go
index 87bab00..7ed7bae 100644
--- a/app/gopherbook/main.go
+++ b/app/gopherbook/main.go
@@ -544,8 +544,8 @@ func handleLogin(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	currentUser = req.Username
 	key := deriveKey(req.Password)
-	libraryPath = filepath.Join("./library", currentUser)
-	cachePath = filepath.Join("./cache/covers", currentUser)
+	libraryPath = filepath.Join(baseLibraryPath, currentUser)
+	cachePath = filepath.Join(baseCachePath, currentUser)
 	os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(libraryPath, "Unorganized"), 0755)
 	os.MkdirAll(cachePath, 0755)
 
@@ -599,8 +599,8 @@ func handleLogout(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	passwordsMutex.Unlock()
 	currentEncryptionKey = nil
 	currentUser = ""
-	libraryPath = "./library"
-	cachePath = "./cache/covers"
+	libraryPath = baseLibraryPath
+	cachePath = baseCachePath
 
 	http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{
 		Name:     "session",
@@ -2697,9 +2697,16 @@ func authMiddleware(next http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc {
 		next(w, r)
 	}
 }
+func getUsersPath() string {
+	return filepath.Join(etcPath, "users.json")
+}
+
+func getAdminPath() string {
+	return filepath.Join(etcPath, "admin.json")
+}
 
 func loadUsers() {
-	data, err := os.ReadFile("etc/users.json")
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(getUsersPath())
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
@@ -2707,7 +2714,7 @@ func loadUsers() {
 		log.Printf("Error unmarshaling users: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	adminData, err := os.ReadFile("etc/admin.json")
+	adminData, err := os.ReadFile(getAdminPath())
 	if err == nil && len(adminData) > 0 {
 		var adminConfig struct{ RegistrationEnabled bool }
 		if err := json.Unmarshal(adminData, &adminConfig); err == nil {
@@ -2718,13 +2725,13 @@ func loadUsers() {
 
 func saveUsers() {
 	data, _ := json.MarshalIndent(users, "", "  ")
-	os.WriteFile("etc/users.json", data, 0644)
+	os.WriteFile(getUsersPath(), data, 0644)
 }
 
 func saveAdminConfig() {
 	config := struct{ RegistrationEnabled bool }{RegistrationEnabled: registrationEnabled}
 	data, _ := json.MarshalIndent(config, "", "  ")
-	os.WriteFile("etc/admin.json", data, 0644)
+	os.WriteFile(getAdminPath(), data, 0644)
 }
 
 func loadTags() {
diff --git a/scripts-bash/build-release.sh b/scripts-bash/build-release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a8ed49b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts-bash/build-release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+IMAGE_NAME="localhost/gopherbook-builder:latest"
+CONTAINER_NAME="gopherbook-builder-tmp"
+OUTPUT_DIR="./binaries"
+
+echo "=== Building cross-compilation container ==="
+podman build --force-rm -t "$IMAGE_NAME" -f Containerfile.build .
+
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "Image build failed. Exiting."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Creating temporary container ==="
+podman create --name "$CONTAINER_NAME" "$IMAGE_NAME"
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Creating output directory ==="
+mkdir -p "$OUTPUT_DIR"
+rm -f "$OUTPUT_DIR"/*
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Extracting Linux binary ==="
+podman cp "$CONTAINER_NAME:/app/bin/gopherbook-linux" "$OUTPUT_DIR/gopherbook-linux"
+chmod +x "$OUTPUT_DIR/gopherbook-linux"
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Extracting Windows binary ==="
+podman cp "$CONTAINER_NAME:/app/bin/gopherbook-windows.exe" "$OUTPUT_DIR/gopherbook-windows.exe"
+chmod +x "$OUTPUT_DIR/gopherbook-windows.exe"
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Cleaning up temporary container ==="
+podman rm "$CONTAINER_NAME"
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Build complete! ==="
+echo "Binaries are in: $OUTPUT_DIR/"
+ls -lh "$OUTPUT_DIR/"
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Binary sizes ==="
+du -h "$OUTPUT_DIR"/*
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Cleaning up builder image ==="
+podman rmi "$IMAGE_NAME"
+
+echo ""
+echo "✓ Done! Your binaries are ready:"
+echo "  • Linux:   $OUTPUT_DIR/gopherbook-linux"
+echo "  • Windows: $OUTPUT_DIR/gopherbook-windows.exe"
+echo ""
+echo "To run the Linux binary:"
+echo "  $OUTPUT_DIR/gopherbook-linux"
+echo ""
+echo "To test the Windows binary (requires wine):"
+echo "  wine $OUTPUT_DIR/gopherbook-windows.exe"
diff --git a/scripts-bash/package-release.sh b/scripts-bash/package-release.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..f26c4cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts-bash/package-release.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+VERSION="${1:-v1.1.000}"
+RELEASE_DIR="./releases"
+BINARIES_DIR="./binaries"
+
+echo "=== Packaging Gopherbook $VERSION ==="
+echo ""
+
+# Create release directory
+mkdir -p "$RELEASE_DIR"
+
+# Clean old releases for this version
+rm -f "$RELEASE_DIR"/gopherbook-$VERSION-*
+
+# Check if binaries exist
+if [ ! -f "$BINARIES_DIR/gopherbook-linux" ] || [ ! -f "$BINARIES_DIR/gopherbook-windows.exe" ]; then
+    echo "Error: Binaries not found. Run ./build-and-extract.sh first."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "=== Creating README.txt ==="
+cat > /tmp/README.txt << 'EOF'
+Gopherbook - Comic Book Reader (CBZ/CBT)
+=========================================
+
+Quick Start:
+------------
+1. Run the gopherbook executable
+2. Open your browser to http://localhost:8080
+3. Register a new user account
+4. Upload your CBZ/CBT comic files
+
+Features:
+---------
+• Supports CBZ (ZIP) and CBT (TAR) formats
+• Password-protected archives
+• Tag management and filtering
+• Bookmark pages
+• Auto-organize by artist and story arc
+• Watch folder for automatic imports
+• Multi-user support with admin controls
+
+Watch Folder:
+-------------
+Place CBZ/CBT files in the ./watch/<username>/ directory
+and they will be automatically imported to your library.
+
+Directory Structure:
+--------------------
+./library/     - Your comic library (per user)
+./cache/       - Cover image cache
+./etc/         - User data and settings
+./watch/       - Watch folders for auto-import
+
+Default Port: 8080
+
+For more information, visit:
+https://github.com/riomoo/gopherbook
+https://codeberg.org/riomoo/gofudge
+https://gitgud.io/riomoo/gopherbook
+
+EOF
+
+echo "=== Creating Linux package ==="
+LINUX_DIR="/tmp/gopherbook-linux"
+rm -rf "$LINUX_DIR"
+mkdir -p "$LINUX_DIR"
+
+# Copy Linux binary
+cp "$BINARIES_DIR/gopherbook-linux" "$LINUX_DIR/gopherbook"
+chmod +x "$LINUX_DIR/gopherbook"
+
+# Copy documentation
+cp /tmp/README.txt "$LINUX_DIR/"
+
+# Create run script
+cat > "$LINUX_DIR/run.sh" << 'EOF'
+#!/bin/bash
+echo "Starting Gopherbook..."
+echo "Open your browser to: http://localhost:8080"
+echo "Press Ctrl+C to stop"
+echo ""
+./gopherbook
+EOF
+chmod +x "$LINUX_DIR/run.sh"
+
+# Package Linux
+cd /tmp
+tar -czf "$LINUX_DIR.tar.gz" gopherbook-linux/
+cd - > /dev/null
+mv "/tmp/gopherbook-linux.tar.gz" "$RELEASE_DIR/gopherbook-$VERSION-linux-amd64.tar.gz"
+rm -rf "$LINUX_DIR"
+
+echo "✓ Linux package created"
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Creating Windows package ==="
+WINDOWS_DIR="/tmp/gopherbook-windows"
+rm -rf "$WINDOWS_DIR"
+mkdir -p "$WINDOWS_DIR"
+
+# Copy Windows binary
+cp "$BINARIES_DIR/gopherbook-windows.exe" "$WINDOWS_DIR/gopherbook.exe"
+
+# Copy documentation (Windows line endings)
+unix2dos < /tmp/README.txt > "$WINDOWS_DIR/README.txt" 2>/dev/null || cp /tmp/README.txt "$WINDOWS_DIR/README.txt"
+
+# Create batch file
+cat > "$WINDOWS_DIR/run.bat" << 'EOF'
+@echo off
+echo Starting Gopherbook...
+echo Open your browser to: http://localhost:8080
+echo Press Ctrl+C to stop
+echo.
+gopherbook.exe
+pause
+EOF
+
+# Create PowerShell script
+cat > "$WINDOWS_DIR/run.ps1" << 'EOF'
+Write-Host "Starting Gopherbook..." -ForegroundColor Green
+Write-Host "Open your browser to: http://localhost:8080" -ForegroundColor Cyan
+Write-Host "Press Ctrl+C to stop" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+Write-Host ""
+.\gopherbook.exe
+EOF
+
+# Package Windows
+cd /tmp
+zip -q -r "$WINDOWS_DIR.zip" gopherbook-windows/
+cd - > /dev/null
+mv "/tmp/gopherbook-windows.zip" "$RELEASE_DIR/gopherbook-$VERSION-windows-amd64.zip"
+rm -rf "$WINDOWS_DIR"
+
+echo "✓ Windows package created"
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Creating checksums ==="
+cd "$RELEASE_DIR"
+sha256sum gopherbook-$VERSION-*.tar.gz gopherbook-$VERSION-*.zip > gopherbook-$VERSION-checksums.txt
+cd - > /dev/null
+
+echo "✓ Checksums created"
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Release packages ready! ==="
+echo ""
+ls -lh "$RELEASE_DIR"/gopherbook-$VERSION-*
+echo ""
+echo "Release files:"
+echo "  • $RELEASE_DIR/gopherbook-$VERSION-linux-amd64.tar.gz"
+echo "  • $RELEASE_DIR/gopherbook-$VERSION-windows-amd64.zip"
+echo "  • $RELEASE_DIR/gopherbook-$VERSION-checksums.txt"
+echo ""
+echo "Upload these files to GitHub Releases!"
+
+# Cleanup
+rm -f /tmp/README.txt