diff --git a/INSTALL b/INSTALL
index dad7253b..9cf1de34 100644
--- a/INSTALL
+++ b/INSTALL
@@ -114,23 +114,3 @@ Check the src subdir for the binary.
NOTE: If capslock and numlock appear to be broken. open
src/ints/bios_keyboard.cpp and go to line 30 and read there how to fix it.
-
-
-Build instructions for Visual Studio
-
-Solution files included with the project are compatible with Visual Studio 2019.
-They were tested using Community Edition and Enterprise Edition.
-
-First, you need to install vcpkg to install build dependencies.
-See https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg for details.
-
-Once vcpkg is installed and bootstrapped, open PowerShell, and run:
-
- PS> .\vcpkg integrate install
- PS> .\vcpkg install libpng sdl1 sdl1-net
-
-These two steps will ensure, that MSVC will be able to find and link
-dependency libraries.
-
-Start Visual Studio, open file: visualc_net\dosbox.sln
-and build all projects (Ctrl + Shift + B).
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f463b345..88433ab2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1 +1,106 @@
-# dosbox-staging
\ No newline at end of file
+# dosbox-staging
+[](https://github.com/dreamer/dosbox-staging/actions?query=workflow%3A%22Linux+builds%22)
+[](https://github.com/dreamer/dosbox-staging/actions?query=workflow%3A%22Windows+builds%22)
+[](https://github.com/dreamer/dosbox-staging/actions?query=workflow%3A%22macOS+builds%22)
+[](https://scan.coverity.com/projects/dosbox-staging)
+
+This repository attempts to modernize the [DOSBox](https://www.dosbox.com/)
+project by using current development practices and tools, fixing issues, adding
+features that better support today's systems, and sending patches upstream.
+Read more at
+[Vogons thread](https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=790065#p790065).
+
+
+## Summary of differences compared to upstream:
+
+| | dosbox-staging | DOSBox
+|- |- |-
+| **Version control** | Git | [SVN]
+| **Language** | C++11 | C++03[1]
+| **CI** | Yes | No
+| **Static analysis** | Yes[2],[3] | No
+| **Dynamic analysis** | Yes | No
+| **Automated regression tests** | No (planned)[4] | No
+| **SDL** | 1.2 (2.0 WIP)[5] | 1.2
+
+[SVN]:https://sourceforge.net/projects/dosbox/
+[1]:https://sourceforge.net/p/dosbox/patches/283/
+[2]:https://github.com/dreamer/dosbox-staging/actions?query=workflow%3A%22Code+analysis%22
+[3]:https://scan.coverity.com/projects/dosbox-staging
+[4]:https://github.com/dreamer/dosbox-staging/issues/23
+[5]:https://github.com/dreamer/dosbox-staging/issues/29
+
+Codecs supported for CD Digital Audio emulation (loading CD music via
+[cue sheets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cue_sheet_(computing))):
+
+| | dosbox-staging🞰 | DOSBoxâ€
+|- |- |-
+| **Opus** | Yes (libopus) | No
+| **OGG/Vorbis** | Yes (built-in) | Yes - SDL\_sound 1.2 (libvorbis)[6],‡
+| **MP3** | Yes (built-in) | Yes - SDL\_sound 1.2 (libmpg123)[6],‡,§
+| **FLAC** | Yes (built-in) | No§
+| **WAV** | Yes (built-in) | Yes - SDL\_sound 1.2 (internal)[7],‡
+| **AIFF** | No | Yes - SDL\_sound 1.2 (internal)[7],‡
+
+🞰 - 22.05 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz; mono, stereo
+†- 44.1 kHz stereo only
+‡ - SDL\_sound 1.2 library is not actively maintained any more.
+§ - SDL\_sound supports it, but the feature might be broken or DOSBox does indicate support.
+
+[6]:https://www.dosbox.com/wiki/MOUNT#Mounting_a_CUE.2FBIN-Pair_as_volume
+[7]:https://sourceforge.net/p/dosbox/code-0/HEAD/tree/dosbox/trunk/src/dos/cdrom_image.cpp#l536
+
+
+## Build instructions
+
+### Linux, macOS, MSYS2, MinGW, other OSes
+
+Read [INSTALL](INSTALL) file for a general summary about dependencies and
+configure options. Read [build.md](scripts/build.md) for the comprehensive
+compilation guide.
+
+ $ git clone https://github.com/dreamer/dosbox-staging.git
+ $ cd dosbox-staging
+ $ ./autogen.sh
+ $ ./configure
+ $ make
+
+You can also use a helper script [`./scripts/build.sh`](scripts/build.sh),
+that performs builds for many useful scenarios (LTO, FDO, sanitizer builds,
+many others).
+
+### Visual Studio (2019 or newer)
+
+First, you need to setup [vcpkg](https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg) to
+install build dependencies. Once vcpkg is installed and bootstrapped, open
+PowerShell, and run:
+
+ PS> .\vcpkg integrate install
+ PS> .\vcpkg install libpng sdl1 sdl1-net opusfile
+
+These two steps will ensure that MSVC finds and links all dependencies.
+
+Start Visual Studio, open file: `visualc_net\dosbox.sln` and build all
+projects (Ctrl+Shift+B).
+
+
+## Interop with SVN
+
+This repository is (deliberately) NOT git-svn compatible, this is a pure
+Git repo.
+
+Commits landing in SVN upstream are imported to this repo in a timely manner,
+to the branches matching `svn/*` pattern, e.g.
+[`svn/trunk`](https://github.com/dreamer/dosbox-staging/tree/svn/trunk).
+You can safely use those branches to rebase your changes, and prepare patches
+using Git [format-patch](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-format-patch) for sending
+upstream (it is easier and faster, than preparing patches manually).
+
+Git tags matching pattern `svn/*` are pointing to the commits referenced by SVN
+"tag" paths at the time of creation.
+
+Additionally, we attach some optional metadata to the commits imported from SVN
+in the form of [Git notes](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-notes). To fetch them,
+run:
+
+ $ git fetch origin "refs/notes/*:refs/notes/*"