diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 82a91127921c63310072122520cf29cb664f3bdf..baa38e74cf666a3b536252dd3ed391ff1ce3764f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,11 +1,20 @@
 This is an exploration of the distributed identity system described here:
 https://wiki.mozilla.org/Labs/Identity/VerifiedEmailProtocol
 
-Getting started:
-
-1. install node.js (>= 0.4.5): http://nodejs.org/
-2. install the Connect framework (>= 1.3.0): http://senchalabs.github.com/connect/
-3. install xml2js
-4. install sqlite (npm install sqlite will get it for you, this is the flavor: https://github.com/orlandov/node-sqlite)
-5. run the top level `run.js` script
-6. visit the demo application ('rp') in your web browser (url output on the console at runtime)␁
+## Required software:
+
+All of the servers present in this repository are based on node.js, and a
+minimal but non-zero number of 3rd party node modules are required to make
+it go.  [npm](http://npmjs.org/) is a good tool to use to acquire the requisite modules.
+
+* node.js (>= 0.4.5): http://nodejs.org/
+* The connect framework (>= 1.3.0): http://senchalabs.github.com/connect/
+* xml2js (>= 0.1.5)
+* sqlite (>= 1.0.3)
+* mustache (>= 0.3.1)
+
+## Getting started:
+
+1. install required software
+2. run the top level *run.js* script: `node ./run.js`
+3. visit the demo application ('rp') in your web browser (url output on the console at runtime)␁