diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de15ae8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+CXXFLAGS ?= -O2 -Wall -g
+CXXFLAGS += `sdl-config --cflags` -DLINUX
+LIBS = `sdl-config --libs` -lSDL_mixer -lSDL_image -lstdc++
+OBJS = ai.o aliens.o audio.o bullets.o cargo.o collectable.o comms.o debris.o events.o explosions.o game.o globals.o graphics.o init.o intermission.o loadSave.o messages.o misc.o missions.o player.o resources.o script.o shop.o Starfighter.o title.o unpack.o weapons.o
+
+VERSION = 1.2
+PROG = starfighter
+PACK = starfighter.pak
+DOCS = docs/*
+DATA = data gfx sound
+DATAFILES = data/* gfx/* sound/*
+
+USEPACK ?= 1
+
+PREFIX ?= /usr
+BINDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/games/
+DATADIR ?= $(PREFIX)/share/games/parallelrealities/
+DOCDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/share/doc/$(PROG)/
+
+# top-level rule to create the program.
+ALL = $(PROG)
+ifeq ($(USEPACK), 1)
+	ALL += $(PACK)
+endif
+
+all: $(ALL)
+
+# compiling other source files.
+%.o: code/%.cpp code/*.h
+	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c -DVERSION=\"$(VERSION)\" -DPACKLOCATION=\"$(DATADIR)$(PACK)\" -DUSEPACK=$(USEPACK) $<
+
+# linking the program.
+$(PROG): $(OBJS)
+	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJS) -o $(PROG) $(LIBS)
+
+# cleaning everything that can be automatically recreated with "make".
+clean:
+	$(RM) $(OBJS) $(ALL)
+
+# install
+install: $(ALL)
+	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)
+	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(DATADIR)
+	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)
+
+	install -m 755 $(PROG) $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)$(PROG)
+ifeq ($(USEPACK), 1)
+	install -m 644 $(PACK) $(DESTDIR)$(DATADIR)$(PACK)
+else
+	cp -pr $(DATA) $(DESTDIR)$(DATADIR)
+endif
+	cp -p $(DOCS) $(DESTDIR)$(DOCDIR)
+
+$(PACK): pack.py $(DATAFILES)
+	./pack.py $(PACK) $(DATAFILES)
+
+unpack: unpack.py
+	./unpack.py $(PACK)
+
+optimise:
+	advpng -z gfx/*.png
+	jpegoptim --strip-all gfx/*.jpg
+
+dist:
+	rm -rf starfighter-$(VERSION)
+	mkdir starfighter-$(VERSION)
+	cp --parents -lt starfighter-$(VERSION) `git ls-files`
+	git log >starfighter-$(VERSION)/ChangeLog
+	tar czf starfighter-$(VERSION).tar.gz starfighter-$(VERSION)
+	rm -rf starfighter-$(VERSION)
+
+.PHONY: all clean install optimise unpack dist