diff --git a/.emacs b/.emacs
index 2114d6f..4e934e8 100644
--- a/.emacs
+++ b/.emacs
@@ -1,150 +1,122 @@
 ;; indentation
 (setq c-default-style "linux"
-	  c-basic-offset 4
-	  sgml-basic-offset 4)
+      c-basic-offset 4
+      sgml-basic-offset 4)
 (c-set-offset `inline-open 0)
 (setq-default tab-width 4)
 (add-hook 'sh-mode-hook (lambda () (setq tab-width 4)))
 
 ;; various options
 (setq compilation-scroll-output 1
-	  read-file-name-completion-ignore-case t
-	  inhibit-startup-screen t
-	  vc-follow-symlinks t)
+      read-file-name-completion-ignore-case t
+      inhibit-startup-screen t
+      vc-follow-symlinks t)
 (load-theme 'fred t)
 (savehist-mode 1)
 (show-paren-mode 1)
-(when (display-graphic-p)
-	(tool-bar-mode -1))
+(tool-bar-mode -1)
 
-;; Keybinds
+;; save backups and autosaves in tmp
+(setq backup-directory-alist `((".*" . ,temporary-file-directory))
+	  auto-save-file-name-transforms `((".*" ,temporary-file-directory t)))
+
+;; keybinds
 (global-set-key (kbd "C-z") `recompile)
 (global-set-key (kbd "C-S-z") `compile)
 
-;; save backups and autosaves in tmp
-(setq backup-directory-alist
-			`((".*" . ,temporary-file-directory)))
-(setq auto-save-file-name-transforms
-			`((".*" ,temporary-file-directory t)))
-
-
-;; use windmove to move point with shift+arrow key
+;; windmove keybinds
 (when (fboundp 'windmove-default-keybindings)
-	(windmove-default-keybindings))
+  (windmove-default-keybindings))
 
-;; define function for inserting today's date
-(defun insert-date ()
-  (interactive)
-  (insert (format-time-string "%Y.%m.%d")))
+;; install/load quelpa
+(package-initialize)
+(unless (require 'quelpa nil t)
+  (with-temp-buffer
+    (url-insert-file-contents "https://raw.github.com/quelpa/quelpa/master/bootstrap.el")
+    (eval-buffer)))
 
-;; load el-get
-(add-to-list 'load-path "~/.emacs.d/el-get/el-get")
-(unless (require 'el-get nil 'noerror)
-  (with-current-buffer
-	  (url-retrieve-synchronously
-	   "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dimitri/el-get/master/el-get-install.el")
-	(goto-char (point-max))
-	(eval-print-last-sexp))
-  (el-get-elpa-build-local-recipes))
+;; hopefully temporary: install specific commit of use-package
+(quelpa '(use-package
+  :fetcher github
+  :repo "jwiegley/use-package"
+  :files ("use-package.el")
+  :commit "7154ad996d2468c468b6206fb132e18b12c3ffd2"))
 
-(add-to-list 'el-get-recipe-path "~/.emacs.d/el-get-user/recipies")
-(setq el-get-user-package-directory "~/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files")
-(setq my-packages-core
-      '(el-get
-        smart-mode-line
-        avy
-        smex
-        ace-window
-        company
-        hideif
-        undo-tree
-        hydra
-        multiple-cursors))
-(setq my-packages-extra
-      '(company-quickhelp
-        pos-tip
-		tramp
-        magit
-        lua-mode
-        pkgbuild-mode
-        arduino-mode
-        gnuplot-mode
-        csharp-mode
-        markdown-mode
-        todotxt-mode
-        php-mode
-        scad-mode
-        qml-mode
-        smarttabs
-        jedi
-        company-jedi))
-        ;;auctex))
-(el-get-cleanup (append my-packages-core my-packages-extra))
-(el-get 'sync my-packages-core)
-(el-get 'sync)
+;; install quelpa-use-package
+(quelpa '(quelpa-use-package
+  :fetcher github
+  :repo "quelpa/quelpa-use-package"))
+(require 'quelpa-use-package)
 
-;;allow saving files that need root
-(defun find-file-as-root(buffer)
-	"use sudo to open a file"
-	(interactive "FFind file as root: ")
-	(find-file (concat "/sudo::" buffer)))
-(global-set-key (kbd "C-x C-S-f") `find-file-as-root)
+;; external packages (required)
+(use-package company :quelpa
+  :config
+  (global-company-mode)
+  (setq company-idle-delay 0.1
+	company-dabbrev-downcase nil
+	company-dabbrev-ignore-case nil
+	company-clang-arguments (quote ("-I/usr/include" "-I/usr/arm-frc-linux-gnueabi/include/")))
+  (global-set-key (kbd "<C-tab>") 'company-manual-begin))
+(use-package smart-mode-line :quelpa
+  :config
+  (setq sml/no-confirm-load-theme t)
+  (sml/setup)
+  (sml/apply-theme 'respectful)
+  (add-to-list 'sml/replacer-regexp-list '("^~/Programs/" ":Prog:") t)
+  (add-to-list 'sml/replacer-regexp-list '("^:Doc:Google Drive/" ":GDrive:") t)
+  (add-to-list 'sml/replacer-regexp-list '("^:GDrive:Dublin2014-2015/" ":Dublin:") t)
+  (setq rm-blacklist '(" company" " Undo-Tree")))
+(use-package avy :quelpa
+  :config
+  (eval-after-load "isearch"
+    '(define-key isearch-mode-map (kbd "C-'") 'avy-isearch))
+  :bind ("C-;" . avy-goto-char)
+  :bind ("C-'" . avy-goto-char-2))
+(use-package smex :quelpa
+  :bind ("M-x" . smex)
+  :bind ("M-X" . smex-major-mode-commands)
+  :config (global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-c M-x") 'execute-extended-command)) ;;normal M-x.
+(use-package ace-window :quelpa
+  :bind ("M-p" . ace-window))
+(use-package undo-tree :quelpa
+  :config
+  (global-undo-tree-mode)
+  :bind ("M-/" . undo-tree-visualize))
+(use-package hydra :quelpa
+  :config
+  ;config is in separate file because it is really big
+  (load-file "~/.emacs.d/init-hydra.el"))
+(use-package multiple-cursors :quelpa)
+(use-package company-quickhelp :quelpa)
+(use-package magit :quelpa
+  :bind ("C-x g" . magit-status))
 
-(defadvice save-buffer (around save-buffer-as-root-around activate)
-	"Use sudo to save the current buffer."
-	(interactive "p")
-	(if (and (buffer-file-name) (not (file-writable-p (buffer-file-name))))
-			(let ((buffer-file-name (format "/sudo::%s" buffer-file-name)))
-				ad-do-it)
-		ad-do-it))
 
-;; c++ headers insertion
-(defun c++-headers ()
-	(interactive)
-	(if (buffer-file-name)
-			(let*
-					((fName (upcase (file-name-nondirectory (file-name-sans-extension buffer-file-name))))
-					 (ifDef (concat "#ifndef " fName "_H" "\n#define " fName "_H" "\n"))
-					 (line 3) ;TODO: Make this better
-					 )
-				(progn
-					;If less then 5 characters are in the buffer, insert the class definition
-					(if (< (- (point-max) (point-min)) 5 )
-							(progn
-								(insert "\nclass " (capitalize fName) "{\npublic:\n\nprivate:\n\n};\n")
-								(setq line 6)
-								)
-						)
-					;Insert the Header Guard
-					(goto-char (point-min))
-					(insert ifDef)
-					(goto-char (point-max))
-					(insert "\n#endif" " //" fName "_H")
-					(goto-line line))
-				)
-		;else
-		(message (concat "Buffer " (buffer-name) " must have a filename"))
-		)
-	)
-
-(eval-after-load "cc-mode"
-	'(progn
-		(define-key c-mode-map   (kbd "C-c o") 'ff-find-other-file)
-		(define-key c++-mode-map (kbd "C-c o") 'ff-find-other-file)
-		(define-key c-mode-map   (kbd "C-c h") 'c++-headers)
-		(define-key c++-mode-map (kbd "C-c h") 'c++-headers)))
-
-(custom-set-variables
- ;; custom-set-variables was added by Custom.
- ;; If you edit it by hand, you could mess it up, so be careful.
- ;; Your init file should contain only one such instance.
- ;; If there is more than one, they won't work right.
- '(safe-local-variable-values
-   (quote
-	((company-clang-arguments "-I/usr/include" "-I/usr/arm-frc-linux-gnueabi/include/")))))
-(custom-set-faces
- ;; custom-set-faces was added by Custom.
- ;; If you edit it by hand, you could mess it up, so be careful.
- ;; Your init file should contain only one such instance.
- ;; If there is more than one, they won't work right.
- )
+;; optional external packages
+(use-package arduino-mode
+  :mode "\\.pde\\'"
+  :mode "\\.ino\\'")
+(use-package company-jedi
+  :config
+  (add-hook 'python-mode-hook (lambda() (add-to-list 'company-backends 'company-jedi))))
+(use-package csharp-mode)
+(use-package gnuplot-mode
+  :mode ("\\.gp$" . gnuplot-mode))
+(use-package lua-mode)
+(use-package markdown-mode
+  :config
+  (setq markdown-command "markdown_py -x markdown.extensions.wikilinks -x  markdown.extensions.smarty -x markdown.extensions.extra -x latex -x markdown.extensions.sane_lists -x markdown.extensions.toc -x markdown_checklist.extension -c ~/markdownConfig.yml"
+		markdown-enable-math t)
+  (local-set-key (kbd "<tab>") 'markdown-demote)
+  (local-set-key (kbd "S-<tab>") 'markdown-promote)
+  :mode "\\.md\\'")
+(use-package php-mode)
+(use-package pkgbuild-mode)
+(use-package qml-mode)
+(use-package scad-mode)
+(use-package smarttabs
+  :config
+  (smart-tabs-insinuate 'c 'c++ 'javascript))
+(use-package todotxt-mode
+  :config
+  (setq todotxt-default-file (expand-file-name "~/Sync/todo/todo.txt")))
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-ace-window.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-ace-window.el
deleted file mode 100644
index 5d5c341..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-ace-window.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-(global-set-key (kbd "M-p") 'ace-window)
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-arduino-mode.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-arduino-mode.el
deleted file mode 100644
index c64044e..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-arduino-mode.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-;; Arduino mode autoload
-(add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.pde\\'" . arduino-mode))
-(add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.ino\\'" . arduino-mode))
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-avy.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-avy.el
deleted file mode 100644
index 4f65390..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-avy.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-(eval-after-load "isearch"
-    '(define-key isearch-mode-map (kbd "C-'") 'avy-isearch))
-(global-set-key (kbd "C-;") 'avy-goto-char)
-(global-set-key (kbd "C-'") 'avy-goto-char-2)
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-company-jedi.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-company-jedi.el
deleted file mode 100644
index d22c546..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-company-jedi.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-(defun my/python-mode-hook ()
-  (add-to-list 'company-backends 'company-jedi))
-
-(add-hook 'python-mode-hook 'my/python-mode-hook)
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-company.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-company.el
deleted file mode 100644
index 41fe6a9..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-company.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-;; load company mode
-(add-hook 'after-init-hook 'global-company-mode)
-(setq company-idle-delay 0.1
-	  company-dabbrev-downcase nil
-	  company-dabbrev-ignore-case nil
-	  company-clang-arguments (quote ("-I/usr/include" "-I/usr/arm-frc-linux-gnueabi/include/")))
-(global-set-key (kbd "<C-tab>") 'company-manual-begin)
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-gnuplot-mode.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-gnuplot-mode.el
deleted file mode 100644
index ac24cc7..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-gnuplot-mode.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-(setq auto-mode-alist (append '(("\\.gp$" . gnuplot-mode)) auto-mode-alist))
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-hs-mode.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-hs-mode.el
deleted file mode 100644
index 597feb1..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-hs-mode.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-x h") `hs-hide-block)
-(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-x s") `hs-show-block)
-(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-x l") `hs-hide-level)
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-magit.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-magit.el
deleted file mode 100644
index ec8daad..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-magit.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-(global-set-key (kbd "C-x g") 'magit-status)
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-markdown-mode.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-markdown-mode.el
deleted file mode 100644
index 1cbe135..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-markdown-mode.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-(defun markdown-custom ()
-  "markdown-mode-hook"
-  (setq markdown-command "markdown_py -x markdown.extensions.wikilinks -x  markdown.extensions.smarty -x markdown.extensions.extra -x latex -x markdown.extensions.sane_lists -x markdown.extensions.toc -x markdown_checklist.extension -c ~/markdownConfig.yml"
-		markdown-enable-math t)
-  (local-set-key (kbd "<tab>") 'markdown-demote)
-  (local-set-key (kbd "S-<tab>") 'markdown-promote))
-(add-hook 'markdown-mode-hook '(lambda() (markdown-custom)))
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-smart-mode-line.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-smart-mode-line.el
deleted file mode 100644
index 80106cb..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-smart-mode-line.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-(setq sml/no-confirm-load-theme t)
-(sml/setup)
-(sml/apply-theme 'respectful)
-(add-to-list 'sml/replacer-regexp-list '("^~/Programs/" ":Prog:") t)
-(add-to-list 'sml/replacer-regexp-list '("^:Doc:Google Drive/" ":GDrive:") t)
-(add-to-list 'sml/replacer-regexp-list '("^:GDrive:Dublin2014-2015/" ":Dublin:") t)
-(setq rm-blacklist '(" company" " Undo-Tree"))
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-smarttabs.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-smarttabs.el
deleted file mode 100644
index a7c6173..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-smarttabs.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-(smart-tabs-insinuate 'c 'c++ 'javascript 'python)
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-smex.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-smex.el
deleted file mode 100644
index c0a7a29..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-smex.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-(global-set-key (kbd "M-x") 'smex)
-(global-set-key (kbd "M-X") 'smex-major-mode-commands)
-;; This is your old M-x.
-(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-c M-x") 'execute-extended-command)
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-todotxt-mode.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-todotxt-mode.el
deleted file mode 100644
index 403893a..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-todotxt-mode.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-(require 'todotxt-mode)
-(setq todotxt-default-file (expand-file-name "~/Sync/todo/todo.txt"))
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-undo-tree.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-undo-tree.el
deleted file mode 100644
index e78db7d..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-undo-tree.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-(add-hook 'after-init-hook 'global-undo-tree-mode)
-(global-set-key (kbd "M-/") 'undo-tree-visualize)
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-yasnippet.el b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-yasnippet.el
deleted file mode 100644
index a237b49..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-yasnippet.el
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-(yas-global-mode 1)
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/recipies/jedi.rcp b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/recipies/jedi.rcp
deleted file mode 100644
index 4d413db..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/recipies/jedi.rcp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-(:name jedi
-       :description "An awesome Python auto-completion for Emacs"
-       :type github
-       :pkgname "tkf/emacs-jedi"
-       :submodule nil
-       :depends (epc python-environment))
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/recipies/kerboscript-mode.rcp b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/recipies/kerboscript-mode.rcp
deleted file mode 100644
index 182605f..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/recipies/kerboscript-mode.rcp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-(:name kerboscript-mode
-       :description "basic syntax highlighting for kOS's scripting language kerboscript"
-       :type github
-       :pkgname "frosch03/kerboscript-mode"
-       :after (require 'kerboscript-mode))
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/recipies/scad-mode.rcp b/.emacs.d/el-get-user/recipies/scad-mode.rcp
deleted file mode 100644
index d191522..0000000
--- a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/recipies/scad-mode.rcp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-(:name scad-mode
-       :type http
-       :description "OpenSCAD Mode"
-       :url "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openscad/openscad/3c3ac52576297c5bc4b8bacce83f69fa33c730b9/contrib/scad-mode.el"
-       :after (progn
-                (autoload 'scad-mode "scad-mode" "Major mode for editing SCAD code." t)
-				(add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.scad$" . scad-mode))))
diff --git a/.emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-hydra.el b/.emacs.d/init-hydra.el
similarity index 100%
rename from .emacs.d/el-get-user/init-files/init-hydra.el
rename to .emacs.d/init-hydra.el