diff --git a/docs/install.md b/docs/install.md
index d4ebf60f..0e7425b7 100644
--- a/docs/install.md
+++ b/docs/install.md
@@ -1,29 +1,70 @@
 # Installation
-
 * Table of Contents
 {:toc}
 
 ## Overview
+CORE provides a script to help automate the installation of dependencies,
+build and install, and either generate a CORE specific python virtual environment
+or build and install a python wheel.
 
-CORE provides a script to help automate installing all required software
-to build and run, including a python virtual environment to run it all in.
-
+### Tools Used
 The following tools will be leveraged during installation:
 
 |Tool|Description|
 |---|---|
 |[pip](https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/)|used to install pipx|
 |[pipx](https://pipxproject.github.io/pipx/)|used to install standalone python tools (invoke, poetry)|
-|[invoke](http://www.pyinvoke.org/)|used to run provided tasks (install, daemon, gui, tests, etc)|
-|[poetry](https://python-poetry.org/)|used to install the managed python virtual environment for running CORE|
+|[invoke](http://www.pyinvoke.org/)|used to run provided tasks (install, uninstall, reinstall, etc)|
+|[poetry](https://python-poetry.org/)|used to install python virtual environment or building a python wheel|
 
-## Required Hardware
+### Files
+The following is a list of files that would be installed after running the automated installation.
 
+> **NOTE:** the default install prefix is /usr/local, but can be changed as noted below
+
+* executable files
+  * <prefix>/bin/{core-daemon, core-gui, vcmd, vnoded, etc}
+* tcl/tk gui files
+  * <prefix>/lib/core
+  * <prefix>/share/core/icons
+* example imn files
+  * <prefix>/share/core/examples
+* python files
+  * poetry virtual env
+    * `cd <repo>/daemon && poetry env info`
+    * ~/.cache/pypoetry/virtualenvs/
+  * local python install
+    * default install path for python3 installation of a wheel
+    * `python3 -c "import core; print(core.__file__)"`
+* configuration files
+  * /etc/core/{core.conf, logging.conf}
+* ospf mdr repository files
+  * <repo>/../ospf-mdr
+* emane repository files
+  * <repo>/../emane
+
+### Installed Executables
+After the installation complete it will have installed the following scripts.
+
+| Name | Description |
+|---|---|
+| core-cleanup | tool to help removed lingering core created containers, bridges, directories |
+| core-cli | tool to query, open xml files, and send commands using gRPC |
+| core-daemon | runs the backed core server providing TLV and gRPC APIs |
+| core-gui | runs the legacy tcl/tk based GUI |
+| core-imn-to-xml | tool to help automate converting a .imn file to .xml format |
+| core-manage | tool to add, remove, or check for services, models, and node types |
+| core-pygui | runs the new python/tk based GUI |
+| core-python | provides a convenience for running the core python virtual environment |
+| core-route-monitor | tool to help monitor traffic across nodes and feed that to SDT |
+| core-service-update | tool to update automate modifying a legacy service to match current naming |
+| coresendmsg | tool to send TLV API commands from command line |
+
+### Required Hardware
 Any computer capable of running Linux should be able to run CORE. Since the physical machine will be hosting numerous
 containers, as a general rule you should select a machine having as much RAM and CPU resources as possible.
 
-## Supported Linux Distributions
-
+### Supported Linux Distributions
 Plan is to support recent Ubuntu and CentOS LTS releases.
 
 Verified:
@@ -46,14 +87,14 @@ sudo yum install -y kernel-modules-extra
 sudo modprobe sch_netem
 ```
 
-## Utility Requirements
+### Utility Requirements
+The following are known dependencies that will result in errors when not met.
 
 * iproute2 4.5+ is a requirement for bridge related commands
 * ebtables not backed by nftables
 
-## Upgrading
-
-Please make sure to uninstall the previous installation of CORE cleanly
+## Upgrading from Older Release
+Please make sure to uninstall any previous installations of CORE cleanly
 before proceeding to install.
 
 Previous install was built from source:
@@ -72,92 +113,97 @@ sudo yum remove core
 sudo apt remove core
 ```
 
-## Automated Installation
-
-> **NOTE:** installing globally can have issues with dependency conflicts etc
-
-The automated install will install do the following:
+## Automated Install
+The automated install will do the following:
 * install base tools needed for installation
   * python3, pip, pipx, invoke, poetry
 * installs system dependencies for building core
-* installs latest version of [OPSF MDR](https://github.com/USNavalResearchLaboratory/ospf-mdr)
+* clone/build/install working version of [OPSF MDR](https://github.com/USNavalResearchLaboratory/ospf-mdr)
 * installs core into poetry managed virtual environment or locally, if flag is passed
-* installs scripts pointing to python interpreter being used
-* installs systemd service, disabled by default
+* installs scripts pointing pointing to appropriate python location based on install type
+* installs systemd service pointing to appropriate python location based on install type
 
-After installation has completed you should be able to run the various
-CORE scripts for running core.
+After installation has completed you should be able to run `core-daemon` and `core-gui`.
 
-> **NOTE:** provide a prefix that will be found on path when running as sudo
-> if the default prefix is not valid
+> **NOTE:** installing locally comes with its own risks, it can result it potential
+> dependency conflicts with system package manager installed python dependencies
 
+> **NOTE:** provide a prefix that will be found on path when running as sudo,
+> if the default prefix /usr/local will not be valid
+
+`install.sh` will attempt to determine your OS by way of `/etc/os-release`, currently it supports
+attempts to install OSs that are debian/redhat like (yum/apt).
 ```shell
 # clone CORE repo
 git clone https://github.com/coreemu/core.git
 cd core
 
-# run install script
 # script usage: install.sh [-v] [-d] [-l] [-p <prefix>]
 #
 # -v enable verbose install
 # -d enable developer install
 # -l enable local install, not compatible with developer install
 # -p install prefix, defaults to /usr/local
-./install.sh
+
+# install core to virtual environment
+./install.sh -p <prefix>
+
+# install core locally
+./install.sh -p <prefix> -l
 ```
 
 ### Unsupported Linux Distribution
+For unsupported OSs you could attempt to do the following to translate
+an installation to your use case.
 
-If you are on an unsupported distribution, you can look into the
-[install.sh](https://github.com/coreemu/core/blob/master/install.sh)
-and
-[tasks.py](https://github.com/coreemu/core/blob/master/tasks.py)
-files to see the various commands ran to install CORE and translate them to
-your use case, assuming it is possible.
+* make sure you have python3.6+ with venv support
+* make sure you have python3 invoke available to leverage `<repo>/tasks.py`
 
-If you get install down entirely, feel free to contribute and help others.
+```shell
+cd <repo>
 
-## Installed Scripts
+# Usage: inv[oke] [--core-opts] install [--options] [other tasks here ...]
+#
+# Docstring:
+#   install core, poetry, scripts, service, and ospf mdr
+#
+# Options:
+#   -d, --dev                          install development mode
+#   -i STRING, --install-type=STRING
+#   -l, --local                        determines if core will install to local system, default is False
+#   -p STRING, --prefix=STRING         prefix where scripts are installed, default is /usr/local
+#   -v, --verbose                      enable verbose
 
-After the installation complete it will have installed the following scripts.
+# install virtual environment
+inv install -p <prefix>
 
-| Name | Description |
-|---|---|
-| core-cleanup | tool to help removed lingering core created containers, bridges, directories |
-| core-cli | tool to query, open xml files, and send commands using gRPC |
-| core-daemon | runs the backed core server providing TLV and gRPC APIs |
-| core-gui | runs the legacy tcl/tk based GUI |
-| core-imn-to-xml | tool to help automate converting a .imn file to .xml format |
-| core-manage | tool to add, remove, or check for services, models, and node types |
-| core-pygui | runs the new python/tk based GUI |
-| core-python | provides a convenience for running the core python virtual environment |
-| core-route-monitor | tool to help monitor traffic across nodes and feed that to SDT |
-| core-service-update | tool to update automate modifying a legacy service to match current naming |
-| coresendmsg | tool to send TLV API commands from command line |
+# indstall locally
+inv install -p <prefix> -l
+
+# this will print the commands that would be ran for a given installation
+# type without actually running them, they may help in being used as
+# the basis for translating to your OS
+inv install --dry -v -p <prefix> -i <install type>
+```
 
 ## Running User Scripts
-
 If you create your own python scripts to run CORE directly or using the gRPC/TLV
 APIs you will need to make sure you are running them within context of the
 installed virtual environment. To help support this CORE provides the `core-python`
 executable. This executable will allow you to enter CORE's python virtual
 environment interpreter or to run a script within it.
 
-> **NOTE:** the following assumes CORE has been installed successfully
-
+For installations installed to a virtual environment:
 ```shell
 core-python <script>
 ```
 
-If CORE was installed locally, then you can run scripts using the default python3
-interpreter.
-
+For local installations:
 ```shell
 python3 <script>
 ```
 
 ## Installing EMANE
-
 > **NOTE:** installng emane for the virtual environment is known to work for 1.21+
 > **NOTE:** automated install currently targets 1.25
 
@@ -205,7 +251,6 @@ poetry run pip install <EMANE_REPO>/src/python
 ```
 
 ## Using Invoke Tasks
-
 The invoke tool installed by way of pipx provides conveniences for running
 CORE tasks to help ensure usage of the create python virtual environment.
 
diff --git a/tasks.py b/tasks.py
index 0c4e6f6d..191d032f 100644
--- a/tasks.py
+++ b/tasks.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from contextlib import contextmanager
 from enum import Enum
 from pathlib import Path
 from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import Optional, List
 
 from invoke import task, Context
 
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@ DAEMON_DIR: str = "daemon"
 DEFAULT_PREFIX: str = "/usr/local"
 EMANE_CHECKOUT: str = "v1.2.5"
 OSPFMDR_CHECKOUT: str = "26fe5a4401a26760c553fcadfde5311199e89450"
+REDHAT_LIKE = {
+    "redhat",
+    "fedora",
+}
+DEBIAN_LIKE = {
+    "ubuntu",
+    "debian",
+}
 
 
 class Progress:
@@ -55,11 +63,28 @@ class Progress:
 class OsName(Enum):
     UBUNTU = "ubuntu"
     CENTOS = "centos"
+    UNKNOWN = "unknown"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def get(cls, name: str) -> "OsName":
+        try:
+            return OsName(name)
+        except ValueError:
+            return OsName.UNKNOWN
 
 
 class OsLike(Enum):
     DEBIAN = "debian"
-    REDHAT = "rhel fedora"
+    REDHAT = "rhel"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def get(cls, values: List[str]) -> Optional["OsLike"]:
+        for value in values:
+            if value in DEBIAN_LIKE:
+                return OsLike.DEBIAN
+            elif value in REDHAT_LIKE:
+                return OsLike.REDHAT
+        return None
 
 
 class OsInfo:
@@ -68,6 +93,22 @@ class OsInfo:
         self.like: OsLike = like
         self.version: float = version
 
+    @classmethod
+    def get(cls, name: str, like: List[str], version: Optional[str]) -> "OsInfo":
+        os_name = OsName.get(name)
+        os_like = OsLike.get(like)
+        if not os_like:
+            like = " ".join(like)
+            print(f"unsupported os install type({like})")
+            sys.exit(1)
+        if version:
+            try:
+                version = float(version)
+            except ValueError:
+                print(f"os version is not a float: {version}")
+                sys.exit(1)
+        return OsInfo(os_name, os_like, version)
+
 
 def get_python(c: Context, warn: bool = False) -> str:
     with c.cd(DAEMON_DIR):
@@ -85,28 +126,24 @@ def get_pytest(c: Context) -> str:
         return os.path.join(venv, "bin", "pytest")
 
 
-def get_os() -> OsInfo:
-    d = {}
-    with open("/etc/os-release", "r") as f:
-        for line in f.readlines():
-            line = line.strip()
-            if not line:
-                continue
-            key, value = line.split("=")
-            d[key] = value.strip("\"")
-    name_value = d["ID"]
-    like_value = d["ID_LIKE"]
-    version_value = d["VERSION_ID"]
-    try:
-        name = OsName(name_value)
-        like = OsLike(like_value)
-        version = float(version_value)
-    except ValueError:
-        print(
-            f"unsupported os({name_value}) like({like_value}) version({version_value}"
-        )
-        sys.exit(1)
-    return OsInfo(name, like, version)
+def get_os(install_type: Optional[str]) -> OsInfo:
+    if install_type:
+        name_value = OsName.UNKNOWN.value
+        like_value = install_type
+        version_value = None
+    else:
+        d = {}
+        with open("/etc/os-release", "r") as f:
+            for line in f.readlines():
+                line = line.strip()
+                if not line:
+                    continue
+                key, value = line.split("=")
+                d[key] = value.strip("\"")
+        name_value = d["ID"]
+        like_value = d["ID_LIKE"]
+        version_value = d["VERSION_ID"]
+    return OsInfo.get(name_value, like_value.split(), version_value)
 
 
 def check_existing_core(c: Context, hide: bool) -> None:
@@ -304,9 +341,13 @@ def install_scripts(c, local=False, verbose=False, prefix=DEFAULT_PREFIX):
         "verbose": "enable verbose",
         "local": "determines if core will install to local system, default is False",
         "prefix": f"prefix where scripts are installed, default is {DEFAULT_PREFIX}",
+        "install-type": "used to force an install type, "
+                        "can be one of the following (redhat, debian)",
     },
 )
-def install(c, dev=False, verbose=False, local=False, prefix=DEFAULT_PREFIX):
+def install(
+    c, dev=False, verbose=False, local=False, prefix=DEFAULT_PREFIX, install_type=None
+):
     """
     install core, poetry, scripts, service, and ospf mdr
     """
@@ -315,9 +356,10 @@ def install(c, dev=False, verbose=False, local=False, prefix=DEFAULT_PREFIX):
     c.run("sudo -v", hide=True)
     p = Progress(verbose)
     hide = not verbose
-    os_info = get_os()
-    with p.start("checking for old installations"):
-        check_existing_core(c, hide)
+    os_info = get_os(install_type)
+    if not c["run"]["dry"]:
+        with p.start("checking for old installations"):
+            check_existing_core(c, hide)
     with p.start("installing system dependencies"):
         install_system(c, os_info, hide)
     with p.start("installing system grpcio-tools"):
@@ -342,16 +384,18 @@ def install(c, dev=False, verbose=False, local=False, prefix=DEFAULT_PREFIX):
     help={
         "verbose": "enable verbose",
         "local": "used determine if core is installed locally, default is False",
+        "install-type": "used to force an install type, "
+                        "can be one of the following (redhat, debian)",
     },
 )
-def install_emane(c, verbose=False, local=False):
+def install_emane(c, verbose=False, local=False, install_type=None):
     """
     install emane and the python bindings
     """
     c.run("sudo -v", hide=True)
     p = Progress(verbose)
     hide = not verbose
-    os_info = get_os()
+    os_info = get_os(install_type)
     with p.start("installing system dependencies"):
         if os_info.like == OsLike.DEBIAN:
             c.run(
@@ -458,11 +502,19 @@ def uninstall(c, dev=False, verbose=False, local=False, prefix=DEFAULT_PREFIX):
         "verbose": "enable verbose",
         "local": "determines if core will install to local system, default is False",
         "prefix": f"prefix where scripts are installed, default is {DEFAULT_PREFIX}",
-        "branch": "branch to install latest code from, default is current branch"
+        "branch": "branch to install latest code from, default is current branch",
+        "install-type": "used to force an install type, "
+                        "can be one of the following (redhat, debian)",
     },
 )
 def reinstall(
-    c, dev=False, verbose=False, local=False, prefix=DEFAULT_PREFIX, branch=None
+    c,
+    dev=False,
+    verbose=False,
+    local=False,
+    prefix=DEFAULT_PREFIX,
+    branch=None,
+    install_type=None
 ):
     """
     run the uninstall task, get latest from specified branch, and run install task
@@ -479,7 +531,7 @@ def reinstall(
         c.run("git pull", hide=hide)
         if not Path("tasks.py").exists():
             raise FileNotFoundError(f"missing tasks.py on branch: {branch}")
-    install(c, dev, verbose, local, prefix)
+    install(c, dev, verbose, local, prefix, install_type)
 
 
 @task