diff --git a/webi-essentials/README.md b/webi-essentials/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a43a85
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+++ b/webi-essentials/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+---
+title: Webi Essentials
+homepage: https://webinstall.dev/webi-essentials
+tagline: |
+  The Webi Essentials are curl, git, tar, wget, xz, zip, & webi shell integrations
+---
+
+### Cheat Sheet
+
+> Even Webi needs a place to start.
+
+This installs the tools that are commonly needed to download and unpack various
+packages, using the native package manager.
+
+**This requires root or `sudo`**
+
+### Linux (Debian, Ubuntu)
+
+```sh
+sudo apt update
+sudo apt install -y \
+    curl \
+    git \
+    tar \
+    wget \
+    xz \
+    zip
+```
+
+### Alpine (Docker)
+
+```sh
+sudo apk add --no-cache \
+    curl \
+    git \
+    tar \
+    wget \
+    xz \
+    zip
+```
diff --git a/webi-essentials/install.ps1 b/webi-essentials/install.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef19278
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webi-essentials/install.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env pwsh
+
+function Install-WebiEssential() {
+    # wget: we only use curl.exe on Windows (Invoke-WebRequest is too slow)
+    # zip: BSD tar.exe handles .zip as well
+
+    # Fetch curl
+    Write-Output "    Checking for Windows 10+ Built-in curl.exe ..."
+    IF (-Not (Get-Command -Name "curl.exe" -ErrorAction Silent)) {
+        Write-Error"error: curl.exe not found: something is very wrong"
+        Exit 1
+    }
+
+    # Fetch git
+    Write-Output "    Checking for git ..."
+    IF (-Not (Get-Command -Name "git" -ErrorAction Silent)) {
+        & "$Env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin\webi-pwsh.ps1" git
+        $null = Sync-EnvPath
+    }
+
+    # Fetch tar
+    Write-Output "    Checking for Windows 10+ Built-in BSD tar ..."
+    IF (-Not (Get-Command -Name "tar.exe" -ErrorAction Silent)) {
+        Write-Error"error: tar.exe not found: something is very wrong"
+        Exit 1
+    }
+
+    # Fetch xz
+    Write-Output "    Checking for xz ..."
+    IF (-Not (Get-Command -Name "xz" -ErrorAction Silent)) {
+        & "$Env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin\webi-pwsh.ps1" xz
+        $null = Sync-EnvPath
+    }
+
+    Write-Output "    OK"
+}
+
+Install-WebiEssential
diff --git a/webi-essentials/install.sh b/webi-essentials/install.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9837695
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webi-essentials/install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,258 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -e
+set -u
+#set -x
+
+fn_install_webi_essentials_macos() { (
+    # streamline the output to be pretty
+    b_pkgs="$(
+        fn_check_pkg 'curl'
+        fn_check_pkg '/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/git' 'git'
+        if test "$(uname -m)" = 'arm64'; then
+            fn_check_pkg '/Library/Apple/usr/libexec/oah/libRosettaRuntime' 'rosetta'
+        fi
+        fn_check_pkg 'tar'
+        # no wget because it requires brew
+        #fn_check_pkg 'wget'
+        fn_check_pkg 'xz'
+        fn_check_pkg 'zip'
+    )"
+    echo >&2 ""
+
+    #curl - built-in
+    # git
+    if ! xcode-select -p > /dev/null 2> /dev/null; then
+        cmd_xcode_cli_tools_install="xcode-select --install"
+        echo "    Running $(t_cmd "${cmd_xcode_cli_tools_install}")"
+        echo ""
+        $cmd_xcode_cli_tools_install 2> /dev/null
+        echo ">>> $(t_attn 'ACTION REQUIRED') <<<"
+        echo ""
+        echo "        $(t_attn "Click") '$(t_bold 'Install')' $(t_attn "in the pop-up")"
+        echo "        (it may appear $(t_em 'under') this window)"
+        echo ""
+        echo "^^^ $(t_attn 'ACTION REQUIRED') ^^^"
+        echo ""
+        echo "    waiting $(t_em 'for you') to finish installing Command Line Developer Tools ..."
+        while ! test -x /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/git; do
+            sleep 0.25
+        done
+        echo "    $(t_info 'OK')"
+        echo ""
+        sleep 1
+    fi
+    # rosetta
+    if test "$(uname -m)" = 'arm64'; then
+        # Also pkgutil --pkg-info com.apple.pkg.RosettaUpdateAuto
+        # See <https://apple.stackexchange.com/q/427970/27465>
+        if ! arch -arch x86_64 uname -m > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+            softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license
+        fi
+    fi
+    #tar - built-in
+    #wget - skip
+    #xz
+    if ! command -v xz > /dev/null; then
+        echo "    Running $(t_cmd "webi xz")"
+        ~/.local/bin/webi xz
+    fi
+    #zip - built-in
+
+    # This should NEVER fail, but... Sanity check :)
+    {
+        b_pkgs_builtin="$(
+            fn_check_pkg 'curl'
+            fn_check_pkg 'tar'
+            fn_check_pkg 'zip'
+        )"
+    } 2> /dev/null
+    if test -n "${b_pkgs_builtin}"; then
+        echo ""
+        echo "error: expected these to be macOS built-ins:"
+        echo "    ${b_pkgs}"
+        echo ""
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    echo "    $(t_dim 'OK')"
+); }
+
+fn_check_pkg() { (
+    a_pkg="${1}"
+    a_pkgname="${2:-$a_pkg}"
+
+    printf >&2 '    %s %s %s' \
+        "$(t_dim "Checking for")" \
+        "$(t_pkg "${a_pkgname}")" \
+        "$(t_dim "...")"
+
+    if command -v "${a_pkg}" > /dev/null; then
+        echo >&2 " $(t_dim 'OK')"
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    echo >&2 ' missing'
+    echo "${a_pkg}"
+); }
+
+###########
+# mainish #
+###########
+
+fn_polite_sudo() { (
+    a_sudo="${1}"
+    a_cmds="${2}"
+
+    # no sudo needed, so don't ask
+    if test -z "${a_sudo}"; then
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    # this is scripted, not user-interactive, continue
+    if test -z "${WEBI_TTY}"; then
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    # this is user interactive, ask the user,defaulting to yes
+    echo ""
+    #shellcheck disable=SC2005 # echo for newline
+    echo "$(t_attn 'Use sudo for the following? [Y/n])')"
+    echo "${a_cmds}"
+    read -r b_yes < /dev/tty
+
+    b_yes="$(
+        echo "${b_yes}" |
+            tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' |
+            tr -d '[:space:]'
+    )"
+    if test -z "${b_yes}" || test "${b_yes}" = "y" || test "${b_yes}" = "yes"; then
+        return 0
+    fi
+    echo "    aborted"
+    return 1
+); }
+
+_install_webi_essentials() { (
+    if test "$(uname -s)" = 'Darwin'; then
+        fn_install_webi_essentials_macos
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    b_pkgs="$(
+        fn_check_pkg 'curl'
+        fn_check_pkg 'git'
+        fn_check_pkg 'tar'
+        fn_check_pkg 'wget'
+        fn_check_pkg 'xz'
+        fn_check_pkg 'zip'
+    )"
+    b_pkgs="$(echo "${b_pkgs}" | tr '\n' ' ' | tr -s ' ')"
+    if test "${b_pkgs}" = " "; then
+        b_pkgs=''
+    fi
+
+    if test -z "${b_pkgs}"; then
+        echo "    $(t_dim 'OK')"
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    cmd_sudo=''
+    if test "$(id -u)" != "0"; then
+        echo "    $(t_dim 'Checking for sudo ...')"
+        if command -v sudo > /dev/null; then
+            cmd_sudo='sudo '
+        else
+            if test "${b_pkgs}" = "xz"; then
+                _install_webi_essentials_webi "${cmd_sudo}" "${b_pkgs}"
+                echo "    $(t_dim 'OK')"
+                return 0
+            fi
+
+            echo ""
+            echo ">>> $(t_warn 'WARNING') <<<"
+            echo ""
+            echo "    You are not the 'root' user and there is no 'sudo'."
+            echo "    (We'll try anyway but... this isn't going to work.)"
+            echo ""
+            echo "^^^ $(t_warn 'WARNING') ^^^"
+            echo ""
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    printf '%s' "    $(t_dim 'Checking for apt/apk ...')"
+    if command -v apt > /dev/null; then
+        echo " $(t_pkg 'apt')"
+        _install_webi_essentials_apt "${cmd_sudo}" "${b_pkgs}"
+        echo "    $(t_dim 'OK')"
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    if command -v apk > /dev/null; then
+        echo " $(t_pkg 'apk')"
+        _install_webi_essentials_apk "${cmd_sudo}" "${b_pkgs}"
+        echo "    $(t_dim 'OK')"
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    echo " $(t_dim 'none')"
+    _install_webi_essentials_webi "${cmd_sudo}" "${b_pkgs}"
+    echo "    $(t_dim 'OK')"
+); }
+
+_install_webi_essentials_apt() { (
+    cmd_sudo="${1}"
+    b_pkgs="${2}"
+    b_pkgs="$(echo "${b_pkgs}" | sed 's/xz/xz-utils/g')"
+
+    b_cmds="$(
+        printf '    %s\n    %s' \
+            "$(t_cmd 'apt update')" \
+            "$(t_cmd "apt install -y ${b_pkgs}")"
+    )"
+    fn_polite_sudo "${cmd_sudo}" "${b_cmds}"
+
+    echo "    $(t_dim 'Running') $(t_cmd "${cmd_sudo}apt update")"
+    ${cmd_sudo} apt update
+
+    echo "    $(t_dim 'Running') $(t_cmd "${cmd_sudo}apt install -y ${b_pkgs}")"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+    ${cmd_sudo} apt install -y ${b_pkgs}
+); }
+
+_install_webi_essentials_apk() { (
+    cmd_sudo="${1}"
+    b_pkgs="${2}"
+
+    echo "    $(t_dim 'Running') $(t_cmd "${cmd_sudo}apk add --no-cache")"
+    fn_polite_sudo "${cmd_sudo}" "    $(t_cmd "apk add --no-cache ${b_pkgs}")"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+    ${cmd_sudo} apk add --no-cache ${b_pkgs}
+); }
+
+_install_webi_essentials_webi() { (
+    cmd_sudo="${1}"
+    b_pkgs="${2}"
+
+    if test "${b_pkgs}" == 'xz'; then
+        ~/.local/bin/webi xz
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    if echo "${b_pkgs}" | grep -q xz; then
+        ~/.local/bin/webi xz
+        b_pkgs="$(echo "${b_pkgs}" | sed 's/\sxz\s/ /')"
+    fi
+
+    echo ""
+    echo "error: unknown operating system:"
+    echo "    $(uname -srm)"
+    if test -r /etc/issue; then
+        echo "    $(cat /etc/issue)"
+    fi
+    echo ""
+    echo "$(t_err 'could not install'): $(t_warn "${b_pkgs}")"
+    echo ""
+    return 1
+); }
+
+_install_webi_essentials