diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 4211446..fe3ce9a 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -14,20 +14,35 @@ pub fn doRepl(allocator: *std.mem.Allocator, args_it: var) !void {
     // now have a 'repl' argument right before it. to counteract that, the
     // initial repl buffer contains 'load :1' instead.
 
-    var buf = langs.CommandList.init(allocator);
-    defer buf.deinit();
+    var cmds = langs.CommandList.init(allocator);
+    defer cmds.deinit();
 
     var loadargs = langs.ArgList.init(allocator);
     defer loadargs.deinit();
 
     try loadargs.append(":1");
 
-    try buf.append(langs.Command{
+    try cmds.append(langs.Command{
         .command = .Load,
         .args = loadargs,
     });
 
-    // TODO the rest
+    // TODO start a runner and keep it hot
+
+    while (true) {
+        try stdout.print("> ");
+
+        var buffer = try std.Buffer.init(allocator, ""[0..]);
+        var line = std.io.readLine(&buffer) catch |err| {
+            if (err == error.EndOfStream) return;
+            return err;
+        };
+
+        // TODO parse the line through langs.parse, then add the command to cmds
+
+        // TODO save the line to scri_file? or should we have a special `push`
+        // to do so?
+    }
 }
 
 pub fn main() !void {