diff --git a/authors.py b/authors.py
index 91557dd..c31ebab 100644
--- a/authors.py
+++ b/authors.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import re
 import csv
+import os
 
 failed_pattern          = re.compile("^\*\*\*.*$")
 null_author             = re.compile("^<>$")
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ null_any                = re.compile("^<.*>$")
 any_email               = re.compile("^.+\s\S+@\S+$")
 any_null                = re.compile("^.+$")
 
-with open("users.csv", "r") as users_file:
+with open(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)) + "/users.csv", "r") as users_file:
     users_reader = csv.reader(users_file, delimiter=',')
     users = [{"name": user[0], "username": user[1], "email": user[2]} for user in users_reader]
 
diff --git a/hg2git.cf b/hg2git.cf
index ea6c43d..15351b1 100644
--- a/hg2git.cf
+++ b/hg2git.cf
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # PREP WORK
 git clone --depth=1 --branch=master https://github.com/frej/fast-export.git <fast-export>
 curl "http://repo1.maven.org/maven2/com/madgag/bfg/1.12.15/bfg-1.12.15.jar" -o <bfg-repo-cleaner>/bfg.jar
+cp {authors.py,users.csv} <authors>
 mkdir <target> 
 
 # TO CREATE A GIT REPO AT <target> FROM <source>
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ cp <fast-export>/* .
 git init
 git config core.ignoreCase false
 sh hg-fast-export.sh -r <source> --force -A reformatted-authors.txt
+git config --bool core.bare true
 
 # WARNING !!!
 # -----------
@@ -20,7 +22,7 @@ sh hg-fast-export.sh -r <source> --force -A reformatted-authors.txt
 
 # TO CLEAN UP LARGE FILES
 git gc
-java -jar <bfg-repo-cleaner>/bfg.jar --strip-blobs-bigger-than <size> <target>
+java -jar <bfg-repo-cleaner>/bfg.jar --strip-blobs-bigger-than <size> <target> # <size> == ~40M
 git reflog expire --expire=now --all
 git gc --prune=now --aggressive
 
@@ -32,26 +34,28 @@ cd <target>
 comm -2 -3 all.log open.log > closed.log
 for branch in `cat closed.log`; do git tag "closed/$branch" $branch; git branch -df $branch; done
 
-# BEFORE GOING LIVE
-git checkout master -f
-git clean -df
-* create .gitignore:
-    find . -name ".hgignore" > hgignore-files.log
-    for file in `cat hgignore-files.log`; do 
-        newfile=${file/hgignore/gitignore}; 
-        cp $file $newfile; 
-        sed -E -i.bak "s/syntax:/#syntax:/; s/^\^//; s/\$$//; s/\\\w\+/*/; s/\\\\\//\//g" $newfile; #optional
-    done
+# TO CONVERT HGIGNORE TO GITIGNORE (do this on a non-bare clone)
+find . -name ".hgignore" > hgignore-files.log
+for file in `cat hgignore-files.log`; do 
+    newfile=${file/hgignore/gitignore}; 
+    echo $newfile >> gitignore-files.log
+    cp $file $newfile; 
+    sed -i.bak "s/syntax:/#syntax:/; s/^\^//; s/\$$//; s/\\\w\+/*/; s/\\\\\//\//g" $newfile; # optional
+done
+cat gitignore-files.log | xargs git add
+git clean -df && git commit -m "Added gitignore files" && git push 
 
 # OTHER TASKS
-* cloning repo with all branches:
+* cloning non-bare mirror repo with all branches:
     git clone --mirror <target> <target-clone>/.git
     cd <target-clone>
     git config --local --bool core.bare false
     git checkout master
 * cloning repo with a specific <branch>:
     git clone -b <branch> --single-branch <target> <target-clone>
-
-# NOTES
-* use `git pull --rebase` instead of merging local commits to avoid excessive merges
-* merges should typically only happen when merging a distinct branch with master
+* serving git repo
+    git daemon --base-path=. --export-all --reuseaddr --informative-errors --verbose
+    * URL: git://10.0.33.167/
+* convert bare repo to non-bare
+    git config --bool core.bare true
+    git checkout master -f