diff --git a/README.markdown b/README.markdown
index eb4528c..0c461a0 100644
--- a/README.markdown
+++ b/README.markdown
@@ -39,12 +39,15 @@ my goal was to avoid buttons and ui (almost everything is edit in place or dragg
 how to install and run on your own computer (linux/osx)
 -------------------------------------------------------
 
-- install redis v2.2.2
-- install node.js >= 0.4.7
-- install npm
+- [install redis v2.2.2](http://redis.io/download)
+- [install node.js >= 0.4.7](http://nodejs.org/)
+- install npm (if you're running node.js [v0.6.3](https://github.com/joyent/node/commit/b159c6) or newer it's already installed!)
+- cd to the scrumblr directory; you should see server.js and config.js and other files.
 - run `npm install`
+- If you get errors about express, you may need to change in package.json to have "express":  ">=2.4.x", 
 - run redis `redis-server`
-- run scrumblr `node server.js 80` where "80" is the port you want it to run on. 
+- run scrumblr `node server.js 80` where "80" is the port you have opened in your firewall and want scrumblr to run on. 
+- open a browser to `http://localhost:80` where "80" is the port you chose in the previous step.
 
 license
 -------
diff --git a/lib/data/mongodb.js b/lib/data/mongodb.js
index d37a6e1..59b357c 100644
--- a/lib/data/mongodb.js
+++ b/lib/data/mongodb.js
@@ -150,6 +150,25 @@ db.prototype = {
 			{name:room},
 			{$set:doc}
 		);
+	},
+	getBoardSize: function(room, callback) {
+		this.rooms.findOne(
+			{name:room},
+			function(err, room) {
+				if(room) {
+					callback(room.size);
+				} else {
+					callback();
+				}
+			}
+		);		
+	},
+	setBoardSize: function(room, size) {
+		this.room.findOne({name:room})
+		this.rooms.update(
+			{name:room},
+			{$set:{'size':size}}
+		);
 	}
 };
 exports.db = db;