diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..fa63210
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main.py
@@ -0,0 +1,224 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+#
+# Copyright 2016 the original author or authors.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#
+
+"""A REST protocol gateway to self-describing GRPC end-points"""
+
+import argparse
+import os
+import sys
+import time
+import yaml
+from twisted.internet.defer import inlineCallbacks
+
+base_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)))
+sys.path.append(base_dir)
+
+from chameleon.structlog_setup import setup_logging
+from chameleon.nethelpers import get_my_primary_local_ipv4
+from chameleon.dockerhelpers import get_my_containers_name
+
+
+defs = dict(
+    #consul=os.environ.get('CONSUL', 'localhost:8500'),
+    instance_id=os.environ.get('INSTANCE_ID', os.environ.get('HOSTNAME', '1')),
+    config=os.environ.get('CONFIG', './chameleon.yml'),
+    internal_host_address=os.environ.get('INTERNAL_HOST_ADDRESS',
+                                         get_my_primary_local_ipv4()),
+    external_host_address=os.environ.get('EXTERNAL_HOST_ADDRESS',
+                                         get_my_primary_local_ipv4()),
+    fluentd=os.environ.get('FLUENTD', None),
+    rest_port=os.environ.get('REST_PORT', 8881),
+)
+
+
+def parse_args():
+
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+
+    _help = ('Path to chameleon.yml config file (default: %s). '
+             'If relative, it is relative to main.py of chameleon.'
+             % defs['config'])
+    parser.add_argument('-c', '--config',
+                        dest='config',
+                        action='store',
+                        default=defs['config'],
+                        help=_help)
+
+    '''
+    _help = '<hostname>:<port> to consul agent (default: %s)' % defs['consul']
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '-C', '--consul', dest='consul', action='store',
+        default=defs['consul'],
+        help=_help)
+    '''
+
+    _help = ('<hostname> or <ip> at which Chameleon is reachable from outside '
+             'the cluster (default: %s)' % defs['external_host_address'])
+    parser.add_argument('-E', '--external-host-address',
+                        dest='external_host_address',
+                        action='store',
+                        default=defs['external_host_address'],
+                        help=_help)
+
+    _help = ('<hostname>:<port> to fluentd server (default: %s). (If not '
+             'specified (None), the address from the config file is used'
+             % defs['fluentd'])
+    parser.add_argument('-F', '--fluentd',
+                        dest='fluentd',
+                        action='store',
+                        default=defs['fluentd'],
+                        help=_help)
+
+    _help = ('<hostname> or <ip> at which Chameleon is reachable from inside'
+             'the cluster (default: %s)' % defs['internal_host_address'])
+    parser.add_argument('-H', '--internal-host-address',
+                        dest='internal_host_address',
+                        action='store',
+                        default=defs['internal_host_address'],
+                        help=_help)
+
+    _help = ('unique string id of this Chameleon instance (default: %s)'
+             % defs['instance_id'])
+    parser.add_argument('-i', '--instance-id',
+                        dest='instance_id',
+                        action='store',
+                        default=defs['instance_id'],
+                        help=_help)
+
+    _help = 'omit startup banner log lines'
+    parser.add_argument('-n', '--no-banner',
+                        dest='no_banner',
+                        action='store_true',
+                        default=False,
+                        help=_help)
+
+    _help = ('port number for the rest service (default: %d)'
+             % defs['rest_port'])
+    parser.add_argument('-R', '--rest-port',
+                        dest='rest_port',
+                        action='store',
+                        type=int,
+                        default=defs['rest_port'],
+                        help=_help)
+
+    _help = "suppress debug and info logs"
+    parser.add_argument('-q', '--quiet',
+                        dest='quiet',
+                        action='count',
+                        help=_help)
+
+    _help = 'enable verbose logging'
+    parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose',
+                        dest='verbose',
+                        action='count',
+                        help=_help)
+
+    _help = ('use docker container name as Chameleon instance id'
+             ' (overrides -i/--instance-id option)')
+    parser.add_argument('--instance-id-is-container-name',
+                        dest='instance_id_is_container_name',
+                        action='store_true',
+                        default=False,
+                        help=_help)
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    # post-processing
+
+    if args.instance_id_is_container_name:
+        args.instance_id = get_my_containers_name()
+
+    return args
+
+
+def load_config(args):
+    path = args.config
+    if path.startswith('.'):
+        dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+        path = os.path.join(dir, path)
+    path = os.path.abspath(path)
+    with open(path) as fd:
+        config = yaml.load(fd)
+    return config
+
+banner = r'''
+   ____   _                                  _
+  / ___| | |__     __ _   _ __ ___     ___  | |   ___    ___    _ __
+ | |     | '_ \   / _` | | '_ ` _ \   / _ \ | |  / _ \  / _ \  | '_ \
+ | |___  | | | | | (_| | | | | | | | |  __/ | | |  __/ | (_) | | | | |
+  \____| |_| |_|  \__,_| |_| |_| |_|  \___| |_|  \___|  \___/  |_| |_|
+
+'''
+def print_banner(log):
+    for line in banner.strip('\n').splitlines():
+        log.info(line)
+    log.info('(to stop: press Ctrl-C)')
+
+
+class Main(object):
+
+    def __init__(self):
+
+        self.args = args = parse_args()
+        self.config = load_config(args)
+
+        verbosity_adjust = (args.verbose or 0) - (args.quiet or 0)
+        self.log = setup_logging(self.config.get('logging', {}),
+                                 args.instance_id,
+                                 verbosity_adjust=verbosity_adjust,
+                                 fluentd=args.fluentd)
+
+        # components
+        self.rest_server = None
+        self.grpc_client = None
+
+        if not args.no_banner:
+            print_banner(self.log)
+
+        self.startup_components()
+
+    def start(self):
+        self.start_reactor()  # will not return except Keyboard interrupt
+
+    def startup_components(self):
+        self.log.info('starting-internal-components')
+
+        # TODO init client
+        # TODO init server
+
+        self.log.info('started-internal-services')
+
+    @inlineCallbacks
+    def shutdown_components(self):
+        """Execute before the reactor is shut down"""
+        self.log.info('exiting-on-keyboard-interrupt')
+        if self.rest_server is not None:
+            yield self.rest_server.shutdown()
+        if self.grpc_client is not None:
+            yield self.grpc_client.shutdown()
+
+    def start_reactor(self):
+        from twisted.internet import reactor
+        reactor.callWhenRunning(
+            lambda: self.log.info('twisted-reactor-started'))
+        reactor.addSystemEventTrigger('before', 'shutdown',
+                                      self.shutdown_components)
+        reactor.run()
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    Main().start()