diff --git a/doc/download.mdwn b/doc/download.mdwn
index 6c56c8e25a..748ac0ca34 100644
--- a/doc/download.mdwn
+++ b/doc/download.mdwn
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 The main git repository for git-annex is `git://git.kitenet.net/git-annex`
 [[gitweb](http://git.kitenet.net/?p=git-annex;a=summary)]
 
-Users of Debian unstable/testing and Ubuntu natty can
-`apt-get install git-annex`
-
-Next: [[install]]
+Some operating systems include git-annex in easily prepackaged form and
+others need some manual work. See [[install]] for details.
diff --git a/doc/forum/git-annex_on_OSX.mdwn b/doc/forum/git-annex_on_OSX.mdwn
index 302ad10994..a00548366a 100644
--- a/doc/forum/git-annex_on_OSX.mdwn
+++ b/doc/forum/git-annex_on_OSX.mdwn
@@ -1,21 +1 @@
-<pre>
-sudo port install haskell-platform git-core ossp-uuid md5sha1sum
-
-[waits forever…]
-[finished]
-[realizes missingh isn't working in MacPorts]
-
-sudo cabal  update
-sudo cabal install missingh
-sudo cabal install utf8-string
-sudo port install pcre
-sudo cabal install pcre-light
-
-git clone  git://git.kitenet.net/git-annex
-
-cd git-annex
-make
-sudo make install
-</pre>
-
-Originally posted by Jon at <https://gist.github.com/671785> --[[Joey]]
+See [[install/OSX]].
diff --git a/doc/install.mdwn b/doc/install.mdwn
index 732660c507..3c7025fa60 100644
--- a/doc/install.mdwn
+++ b/doc/install.mdwn
@@ -12,3 +12,9 @@ To build and use git-annex, you will need:
 
 ([Ikiwiki](http://ikiwiki.info) is needed to build the documentation,
 but that will be skipped if it is not installed.)
+
+OS-specific instructions:
+
+* [[OSX]]
+* [[Debian]]
+* [[Ubuntu]]
diff --git a/doc/install/Debian.mdwn b/doc/install/Debian.mdwn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..90c9658a9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/install/Debian.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+If using Debian testing or unstable:
+
+	sudo apt-get install git-annex
+
+git-annex is not yet in a Debian stable release, but the source
+can be built from Debian stable. Just [[download]] it from git, and
+then in the `git-annex` directory, run `dpkg-checkbuilddeps` and install
+the necessary packages. You can also run `sudo debian/rules binary` to build
+a `git-annex.deb`.
diff --git a/doc/install/OSX.mdwn b/doc/install/OSX.mdwn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e107e48eb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/install/OSX.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+<pre>
+sudo port install haskell-platform git-core ossp-uuid md5sha1sum
+sudo cabal update
+sudo cabal install missingh
+sudo cabal install utf8-string
+sudo port install pcre
+sudo cabal install pcre-light
+sudo cabal install quickcheck  
+
+git clone  git://git.kitenet.net/git-annex
+
+cd git-annex
+make
+sudo make install
+</pre>
+
+Originally posted by Jon at <https://gist.github.com/671785> --[[Joey]]
diff --git a/doc/install/Ubuntu.mdwn b/doc/install/Ubuntu.mdwn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ffc763ff31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/install/Ubuntu.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+If using Ubuntu natty or newer:
+
+	sudo apt-get install git-annex
+
+Otherwise, see [[Debian]] manual installation instructions.