diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 457fe7b..3c22653 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 .vscode
-loader.o
+*.o
+*.bin
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 86ebba7..e1dab8c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-GPPPARAMS = -m32 
+GPPPARAMS = -m32 -fno-use-cxa-atexit -nostdlib -fno-builtin -fno-rtti -fno-exceptions -fno-leading-underscore
 ASPARAMS = --32
 LDPARAMS = -melf_i386
 
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ objs = loader.o kernel.o
 	as $(ASPARAMS) -o $@ $<
 
 ferglos.bin: linker.ld $(objs)
-	ld $(LDPARAMS) -T linker.ld $< -o $@ $(objs)
+	ld $(LDPARAMS) -T $< -o $@ $(objs)
 
 install: ferglos.bin
 	sudo cp $< /boot/ferglos.bin
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85ad977
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Ya boy wrote his own operating system!!!!
diff --git a/kernel.cpp b/kernel.cpp
index 4e87d96..2dba39c 100644
--- a/kernel.cpp
+++ b/kernel.cpp
@@ -1,8 +1,22 @@
+// yip - ya'boy is writing his own printf
+// libc doesn't exist yet so got no choice
+
+void printf(char* str) {
+    unsigned short* vid_mem = (unsigned short*)0xb8000;
+    for (int i = 0; str[i] != '\0'; i++) {
+        //high byte is colour, so just need to copy to text address
+        vid_mem[i] = (vid_mem[i] * 0xFF00) | str[i];
+    }
+}
+
+extern "C" constructor start_ctors;
+extern "C" constructor end_ctors;
+
 /* 
     take in the multiboot structure and the GRUB magic number 
     not sure I actually need magic_num though
 */
-void ferglos_Main(void* mb_struct, unsigned int magic_num) {
+extern "C" void ferglos_Main(void* mb_struct, unsigned int magic_num) {
     printf("Hello, Sailor!");
 
     while (1)
diff --git a/linker.ld b/linker.ld
index e69de29..90d6ffe 100644
--- a/linker.ld
+++ b/linker.ld
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+ENTRY(loader)
+OUTPUT_FORMAT(elf32-i386)
+OUTPUT_ARCH(i386:i386)
+
+SECTIONS
+{
+    . = 0x0100000;
+    .text :
+    {
+        *(.multiboot)
+        *(.text*)
+        *(.rodata)
+    }
+
+    .data :
+    {
+        start_ctors = .;
+        KEEP(*(.init_array ));
+        KEEP(*(SORT_BY_INIT_PRIORITY(.init_array.*)));
+        end_ctors = .;
+
+        *(.data)
+    }
+
+    .bss :
+    {
+        *.(.bss)
+    }
+
+    /DISCARD/ : 
+    {
+        *(.fini_array*)
+        *(.comment)
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file