diff --git a/src/cargo/cargo.rs b/src/cargo/cargo.rs
index 813b5d135160..20d3b3882bdb 100644
--- a/src/cargo/cargo.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/cargo.rs
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ import rustc::syntax::{ast, codemap, visit};
 import rustc::syntax::parse::parser;
 
 import std::fs;
+import std::generic_os;
 import std::io;
 import std::option;
 import std::option::{none, some};
+import std::os;
 import std::run;
 import std::str;
 import std::tempfile;
@@ -17,7 +19,8 @@ type pkg = {
     vers: str,
     uuid: str,
     desc: option::t<str>,
-    sigs: option::t<str>
+    sigs: option::t<str>,
+    crate_type: option::t<str>
 };
 
 fn load_link(mis: [@ast::meta_item]) -> (option::t<str>,
@@ -50,6 +53,7 @@ fn load_pkg(filename: str) -> option::t<pkg> {
     let uuid = none;
     let desc = none;
     let sigs = none;
+    let crate_type = none;
 
     for a in c.node.attrs {
         alt a.node.value.node {
@@ -57,6 +61,7 @@ fn load_pkg(filename: str) -> option::t<pkg> {
                 alt v {
                     "desc" { desc = some(v); }
                     "sigs" { sigs = some(v); }
+                    "crate_type" { crate_type = some(v); }
                     _ { }
                 }
             }
@@ -78,7 +83,8 @@ fn load_pkg(filename: str) -> option::t<pkg> {
                 vers: vers0,
                 uuid: uuid0,
                 desc: desc,
-                sigs: sigs})
+                sigs: sigs,
+                crate_type: crate_type})
         }
         _ { ret none; }
     }
@@ -96,41 +102,97 @@ fn rest(s: str, start: uint) -> str {
     }
 }
 
-fn install_source(path: str) {
+fn need_dir(s: str) {
+    if fs::file_is_dir(s) { ret; }
+    if !fs::make_dir(s, 0x1c0i32) {
+        fail #fmt["can't make_dir %s", s];
+    }
+}
+
+fn setup_dirs() -> str {
+    let p = alt generic_os::getenv("CARGO_ROOT") {
+        some(_p) { _p }
+        none. {
+            alt generic_os::getenv("HOME") {
+                some(_q) { fs::connect(_q, "/.cargo") }
+                none. { fail "no CARGO_ROOT or HOME"; }
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
+    log #fmt["p: %s", p];
+
+    need_dir(p);
+    need_dir(fs::connect(p, "fetch"));
+    need_dir(fs::connect(p, "work"));
+    need_dir(fs::connect(p, "lib"));
+    need_dir(fs::connect(p, "bin"));
+
+    p
+}
+
+fn install_one_crate(cargo_root: str, path: str, cf: str, p: pkg) {
+    let bindir = fs::connect(cargo_root, "bin");
+    let libdir = fs::connect(cargo_root, "lib");
+    let name = fs::basename(cf);
+    let ri = str::index(name, '.' as u8);
+    if ri != -1 {
+        name = str::slice(name, 0u, ri as uint);
+    }
+    log #fmt["Installing: %s", name];
+    let old = fs::list_dir(".");
+    run::run_program("rustc", [cf]);
+    let new = fs::list_dir(".");
+    let created = vec::filter::<str>({ |n| !vec::member::<str>(n, old) }, new);
+    for c: str in created {
+        if str::ends_with(c, os::exec_suffix()) {
+            log #fmt["  bin: %s", c];
+            // FIXME: need libstd fs::copy or something
+            run::run_program("cp", [c, fs::connect(bindir, c)]);
+        } else {
+            log #fmt["  lib: %s", c];
+            run::run_program("cp", [c, fs::connect(libdir, c)]);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn install_source(cargo_root: str, path: str) {
     log #fmt["source: %s", path];
     fs::change_dir(path);
     let contents = fs::list_dir(".");
 
     log #fmt["contents: %s", str::connect(contents, ", ")];
 
-    let cratefile = vec::find::<str>({ |n| str::ends_with(n, ".rc") }, contents);
+    let cratefiles = vec::filter::<str>({ |n| str::ends_with(n, ".rc") }, contents);
 
-    // First, try a configure script:
-    if vec::member("./configure", contents) {
-        run::run_program("./configure", []);
+    if vec::is_empty(cratefiles) {
+        fail "This doesn't look like a rust package (no .rc files).";
     }
 
-    // Makefile?
-    if vec::member("./Makefile", contents) {
-        run::run_program("make", ["RUSTC=rustc"]);
-    } else if option::is_some::<str>(cratefile) {
-        run::run_program("rustc", [option::get(cratefile)]);
+    for cf: str in cratefiles {
+        let p = load_pkg(cf);
+        alt p {
+            none. { cont; }
+            some(_p) {
+                install_one_crate(cargo_root, path, cf, _p);
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
 
-fn install_file(_path: str) {
-    let wd = tempfile::mkdtemp("/tmp/cargo-work-", "");
+fn install_file(cargo_root: str, _path: str) {
+    let wd = tempfile::mkdtemp(cargo_root + "/work/", "");
     alt wd {
         some(p) {
             run::run_program("tar", ["-x", "--strip-components=1",
                                      "-C", p, "-f", _path]);
-            install_source(p);
+            install_source(cargo_root, p);
         }
-        _ { }
+        _ { fail "needed temp dir"; }
     }
 }
 
-fn cmd_install(argv: [str]) {
+fn cmd_install(cargo_root: str, argv: [str]) {
     // cargo install <pkg>
     if vec::len(argv) < 3u {
         cmd_usage();
@@ -139,7 +201,7 @@ fn cmd_install(argv: [str]) {
 
     if str::starts_with(argv[2], "file:") {
         let path = rest(argv[2], 5u);
-        install_file(path);
+        install_file(cargo_root, path);
     }
 }
 
@@ -152,8 +214,9 @@ fn main(argv: [str]) {
         cmd_usage();
         ret;
     }
+    let cargo_root = setup_dirs();
     alt argv[1] {
-        "install" { cmd_install(argv); }
+        "install" { cmd_install(cargo_root, argv); }
         "usage" { cmd_usage(); }
         _ { cmd_usage(); }
     }