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+# AVRDUDE
+
+AVRDUDE - AVR Downloader Uploader - is a program for downloading and uploading
+the on-chip memories of Microchip’s [AVR microcontrollers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVR_microcontrollers).
+It can program the Flash and EEPROM, and where supported by the programming
+protocol, it can program fuse and lock bits.
+AVRDUDE also supplies a direct instruction mode allowing one to issue any
+programming instruction to the AVR chip regardless of whether AVRDUDE
+implements that specific feature of a particular chip.
+
+AVRDUDE was originally written in 2003 by Brian S. Dean. Since 2006, AVRDUDE has been maintained by Jörg Wunsch,
+with the help of [various contributors](/avrdudes/avrdude/graphs/contributors).
+
+## Getting AVRDUDE for Windows
+
+To get AVRDUDE for Windows, install the latest version from the [Releases](./releases) page:
+
+Alternatively, you may [build AVRDUDE](#building-avrdude-for-windows) yourself from source.
+
+## Getting AVRDUDE for Linux
+
+To install AVRDUDE for Linux, install the package `avrdude` by running the following commands:
+
+```console
+sudo apt-get install avrdude
+```
+
+Alternatively, you may [build AVRDUDE](#building-avrdude-for-linux) yourself from source.
+
+## Using AVRDUDE
+
+AVRDUDE is a command-line application. Run the command `avrdude` without any arguments for a list of options.
+
+A typical command to program your HEX file into your AVR microcontroller looks like this:
+
+```console
+avrdude -c <programmer> -p <part> -U flash:w:<file>:i
+```
+
+For instance, to program an **Arduino Uno** connected to the serial port **COM1** with a HEX file called `blink.hex`,
+you would run the following command:
+
+```console
+avrdude -c arduino -P COM1 -b 115200 -p atmega328p -D -U flash:w:objs/blink.hex:i
+```
+
+There are many different programmers and options that may be required for the programming to succeed.
+For more information, refer to the [AVRDUDE documentation](#todo).
+
+## Building AVRDUDE for Windows
+
+### Windows Prerequisites
+
+TODO.
+
+### Windows Build Instructions
+
+TODO.
+
+## Building AVRDUDE for Linux
+
+### Linux Prerequisites
+
+To build AVRDUDE for Linux, you need to install the following packages:
+
+```console
+sudo apt-get install build-essential git automake libtool flex bison libelf-dev libusb-dev libftdi1-dev libhidapi-dev
+```
+
+To build the documentation, you need to install the following packages:
+
+```console
+sudo apt-get install texlive texi2html
+```
+
+### Linux Build Instructions
+
+To build AVRDUDE for Linux, run the following commands:
+
+```console
+git clone https://github.com/avrdudes/avrdude
+cd avrdude
+./bootstrap
+./configure
+make
+```
+
+To build the documentation for AVRDUDE, run the following commands:
+
+```console
+cd doc
+make all
+```
+
+## License
+
+AVRDUDE is licensed under the [GNU GPLv2](./COPYING).