diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Revision history for releaser
+
+## 0.1.0.0 -- YYYY-mm-dd
+
+* First version. Released on an unsuspecting world.
diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+
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+
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+   END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
+
+   APPENDIX: How to apply the Apache License to your work.
+
+      To apply the Apache License to your work, attach the following
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+   Copyright 2019 Domen Kožar
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
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+
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diff --git a/Setup.hs b/Setup.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Setup.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+import Distribution.Simple
+main = defaultMain
diff --git a/releaser.cabal b/releaser.cabal
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releaser.cabal
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+cabal-version: 2.4
+name: releaser
+synopsis: Automation of Haskell package release process
+version: 0.1.0.0
+license: Apache-2.0
+license-file: LICENSE
+maintainer: domen@dev.si
+author: Domen Kozar
+category: Development
+extra-source-files:
+    CHANGELOG.md
+
+source-repository head
+  type:     git
+  location: https://github.com/domenkozar/releaser/
+
+library
+    exposed-modules:
+        Releaser.Primitives
+    hs-source-dirs: src
+    default-language: Haskell2010
+    build-depends:
+        base -any,
+        Cabal -any,
+        regex-pcre -any,
+        process -any,
+        pretty-terminal -any
+
+executable releaser
+    main-is: Main.hs
+    default-language: Haskell2010
+    hs-source-dirs: releaser
+    other-modules:
+        Paths_releaser
+    autogen-modules:
+        Paths_releaser
+    build-depends:
+        base >=4.7 && <5,
+        releaser -any
diff --git a/releaser/Main.hs b/releaser/Main.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releaser/Main.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+module Main (main) where
+
+import Releaser.Primitives
+import System.IO (hSetBuffering, stdout, stderr, BufferMode(..))
+
+main :: IO ()
+main = do
+  hSetBuffering stdout LineBuffering
+  hSetBuffering stderr LineBuffering
+
+  -- prepare release
+  -- TODO: pass a list directories
+  gitAssertEmptyStaging
+  version <- cabalBumpVersion "."
+  let release = "v" <> version
+  gitCheckout release
+  changelogPrepare
+
+  -- make release
+  tarball <- cabalSdist "."
+  gitCommit $ "Bump to " <> release
+  gitTag release
+
+  -- syncing github/hackage
+  gitPush "origin"
+  gitPushTags "origin"
+  cabalUpload tarball
diff --git a/src/Releaser/Primitives.hs b/src/Releaser/Primitives.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Releaser/Primitives.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+module Releaser.Primitives (
+  -- cabal utilities
+    CabalInfo(..)
+  , cabalRead
+  , cabalWriteVersion
+  , cabalBumpVersion
+  , cabalSdist
+  , cabalUpload
+  -- git primitives
+  , gitCheckout
+  , gitGetTags
+  , gitTag
+  , gitCommit
+  , gitPush
+  , gitPushTags
+  , gitAssertEmptyStaging
+  -- utilities
+  , prompt
+  , abort
+  , logStep
+  , changelogPrepare
+  ) where
+
+import System.IO 
+import System.Process
+import System.Console.Pretty (Color(..), color)
+import System.Environment (lookupEnv)
+import System.Exit (ExitCode(..), exitFailure)
+import Text.Regex.PCRE
+import Data.Functor (void)
+import Data.List (intercalate)
+import Text.ParserCombinators.ReadP (ReadP, readP_to_S)
+import Data.Version (parseVersion)
+import Distribution.PackageDescription.Parsec
+import Distribution.Verbosity (silent)
+import Distribution.Types.PackageId (pkgVersion, pkgName)
+import Distribution.Types.PackageDescription (package)
+import Distribution.Types.GenericPackageDescription (packageDescription)
+import Distribution.PackageDescription.PrettyPrint (writeGenericPackageDescription)
+import Distribution.Types.Version (versionNumbers, mkVersion')
+import Distribution.Simple.Utils (tryFindPackageDesc)
+import Distribution.Types.PackageName (unPackageName)
+
+logStep :: String -> IO ()
+logStep str = 
+  putStrLn $ color Green ">> " <> str
+
+prompt :: String -> IO String
+prompt str = do
+  putStr $ color Blue ">> " <> str
+  hFlush stdout
+  getLine  
+
+abort :: String -> IO a
+abort str = do
+  putStrLnErr $ color Red ">> " <> str
+  exitFailure
+
+data CabalInfo = CabalInfo 
+  { name :: String
+  , version :: String
+  }
+
+-- | Given a folder, find a Cabal file and read the package version
+cabalRead :: FilePath -> IO CabalInfo
+cabalRead dir = do
+  logStep $ "Looking for a cabal file in " <> dir
+  cabalFile <- tryFindPackageDesc dir
+  genericPackageDescription <- readGenericPackageDescription silent cabalFile
+  let pkgversion = pkgVersion $ package $ packageDescription genericPackageDescription
+      pkgname = pkgName $ package $ packageDescription genericPackageDescription
+      cabalinfo = CabalInfo 
+        { version = intercalate "." $ show <$> versionNumbers pkgversion
+        , name = unPackageName pkgname
+        }
+  logStep $ "Found " <> name cabalinfo <> "-" <> version cabalinfo
+  return cabalinfo
+
+-- | Given a folder, find a Cabal file and update the package version
+cabalWriteVersion :: FilePath -> String -> IO ()
+cabalWriteVersion dir versionStr = do
+  cabalFile <- tryFindPackageDesc dir
+  genericPackageDescription <- readGenericPackageDescription silent cabalFile
+  -- TODO: handle the read failure nicely
+  version <- case parseMaybe parseVersion versionStr of
+    Nothing -> abort "parsing the cabal version failed"
+    Just ver -> return ver
+  let
+    pd = packageDescription genericPackageDescription
+    p = package $ packageDescription genericPackageDescription
+    gpd = genericPackageDescription { packageDescription = pd { package = p { pkgVersion = mkVersion' version } } }
+  writeGenericPackageDescription cabalFile gpd
+  logStep $ "Bumped " <> unPackageName (pkgName p) <> " to " <> versionStr
+  where
+    parseMaybe :: ReadP a -> String -> Maybe a
+    parseMaybe parser input =
+      case readP_to_S parser input of
+          [] -> Nothing
+          xs -> Just $ fst (last xs)
+
+validCabalVersion :: String -> Bool
+validCabalVersion version =
+  version =~ "^[0-9]+([.][0-9]+)*$"
+
+putStrLnErr :: String -> IO ()
+putStrLnErr = hPutStrLn stderr
+
+cabalBumpVersion :: FilePath -> IO String
+cabalBumpVersion dir = do
+  cabalinfo <- cabalRead dir
+  version <- prompt $ "Bump cabal version from " <> version cabalinfo <> " to: "
+  if validCabalVersion version
+  then do 
+    cabalWriteVersion dir version
+    return version
+  else do
+    putStrLnErr "Cabal version does not match /^[0-9]+([.][0-9]+)*$/. Try again."
+    cabalBumpVersion dir
+
+cabalSdist :: FilePath -> IO FilePath
+cabalSdist dir = do
+  logStep "Running $ cabal dist"
+  cabalinfo <- cabalRead dir
+  void $ readProcess "cabal" ["sdist"] mempty
+  let sdistTarball = "dist/" <> name cabalinfo <> "-" <> version cabalinfo <> ".tar.gz"
+  logStep $ "Created " <> sdistTarball
+  return sdistTarball
+
+cabalUpload :: FilePath -> IO ()
+cabalUpload sdistTarball = do
+  logStep "Running $ cabal upload"
+  -- TODO: recommend that credentials are configured via ~/cabal/config
+  interactiveProcess (proc "cabal" ["upload", "--publish", sdistTarball]) (return ()) $ \_ -> do
+    cabalUpload sdistTarball
+    
+gitGetTags :: IO [String]
+gitGetTags = do
+  lines <$> readProcess "git" ["tag"] mempty
+
+-- TODO: what can we do if previous release process terminated and branch exists?
+gitCheckout :: String -> IO ()
+gitCheckout tag = do
+  logStep $ "Running $ git checkout -b " <> tag
+  -- TODO: check for existing branch
+  void $ readProcess "git" ["checkout", "-b", tag] mempty
+
+gitTag :: String -> IO ()
+gitTag tag = do
+  logStep $ "Running $ git tag --annotate --sign " <> tag
+  tags <- gitGetTags
+  if elem tag tags
+  then abort "git tag already exists, please delete it and start over"
+  else interactiveProcess (proc "git" ["tag", "--annotate", "--sign", tag]) (return ()) $ \i-> do 
+    gitTag tag
+
+gitCommit :: String -> IO ()
+gitCommit message = do
+  logStep $ "Running $ git commit "
+  void $ readProcess "git" ["commit", "-a", "-m", message] mempty
+
+gitPush :: String -> IO ()
+gitPush remote = do
+  logStep $ "Pushing git to " <> remote
+  void $ readProcess "git" ["push", remote, "HEAD"] mempty
+
+gitPushTags :: String -> IO ()
+gitPushTags remote = do
+  logStep $ "Pushing git to " <> remote
+  void $ readProcess "git" ["push", remote, "--tags"] mempty
+
+gitAssertEmptyStaging :: IO ()
+gitAssertEmptyStaging = do
+  logStep "Assserting there are no uncommitted files"
+  output <- readProcess "git" ["status", "--untracked-files=no", "--porcelain"] mempty
+  if output == ""
+  then return ()
+  else abort "git status is not clean"
+
+changelogPrepare :: IO ()
+changelogPrepare = do
+  logStep "Assserting there are no uncommitted files"
+  editorEnv <- lookupEnv "EDITOR"
+  case editorEnv of
+    Nothing -> abort "please make sure $EDITOR is set"
+    Just editor -> do
+      -- TODO: prepare the changelog
+      interactiveProcess (proc editor ["CHANGELOG.md"]) (return ()) $ \i -> do
+        logStep $ editor <> " failed with " <> show i <> ", retrying"
+        changelogPrepare
+
+-- internal
+
+interactiveProcess :: CreateProcess -> IO b -> (Int -> IO b) -> IO b
+interactiveProcess cmd good bad = do
+  (_, _, _, ph) <- createProcess cmd
+  exitcode <- waitForProcess ph
+  case exitcode of
+    ExitSuccess -> good
+    ExitFailure i -> bad i