diff --git a/clite/commands.js b/clite/commands.js
index 9054a61..a58e844 100644
--- a/clite/commands.js
+++ b/clite/commands.js
@@ -2,7 +2,24 @@ clite.commands.data = function() {
 // insert commands below this line
 
 clite.commands.load('help',function(args,env,io) {
-	io.write('yeah, I should probably implement this');
+	if (args.length > 1) {
+		// TODO: implement command help lookup
+		io.write('help with arguments is a work in progress');
+	}
+	io.write(`
+Welcome to CLIte (pronounced like 'site' with an added L).
+
+Various unix-like commands are available for navigating the CLIte shell:
+
+ls - list directory contents
+cat - concatenate files and print to std output or local file
+touch - create a new file
+less - simple text file viewer
+
+Running any command with the argument -? will give you help for that program.
+Or you can run help <command> to get the same info.
+
+	`);
 	return 0;
 });
 
diff --git a/clite/core.js b/clite/core.js
index 182cf22..82f1667 100644
--- a/clite/core.js
+++ b/clite/core.js
@@ -794,16 +794,21 @@ clite.shell = {
 		clite.shell.writeLine(clite.shell.prompt.getHTML()+txt);
 		clite.shell.prompt.push('');
 		clite.term.preventInput();
-		// ready stdio (stdout,stdin)
+		// split command line into arguments
+		var args = clite.lib.strToArgs(txt);
+		// TODO: check for io redirects and piping, then setup stdio accordingly
+		// prepare stdio (stdin,stdout,stderr)
 		var stdio = {
-			error:clite.term.writeLine,
-			write:clite.term.writeLine,
 			read:clite.shell.readLine,
-			exit:clite.shell.exit,
-			istty:true
+			write:clite.term.writeLine,
+			error:clite.term.writeLine,
+			exit:clite.shell.exit,	// equivalent to C's exit(), needed by asynchronous programs
+			istty:{
+				stdin:true,		// false if stdin (read) is not clite.shell.readLine
+				stdout:true		// false if stdout (write) is not clite.term.writeLine
+			}
 		};
 		// check for a macro
-		var args = clite.lib.strToArgs(txt);
 		// then either run the macro or expand the program to be executed via PATH
 		if (typeof clite.shell.macro[args[0]] != 'undefined') {
 			var r = clite.shell.macro[args[0]](args,stdio);
@@ -990,6 +995,7 @@ clite.lib = {
 			base = clite.shell.env.PWD;
 		if (base[0] != '/')
 			base = clite.shell.env.PWD+'/'+base;
+		// TODO: support . and ..
 		return base+'/'+txt;
 	},
 	// convert a string into an argument array: 'ls /etc' -> ['ls',/etc]