diff --git a/README.TXT b/README.TXT
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..195585f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.TXT
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+jsweeper
+--------
+
+JACK Sweeper is a port connection manager with support for port aliases and
+port groups. It is named after Minesweeper, due to the port grid it uses.
+
+By using port aliases and port groups, it is able to fit larger numbers of
+ports on screen than just by showing ports as is.
+
+It can talk to torbenh's sessionmanager.py via DBus calls.
+
+The configuration file is stored in XDG_CONFIG_DIR/jsweeper/jsweeper.ini
+
+Alias examples
+--------------
+
+Rules are evaluated sequentially, so rules at the start have precedence over
+later rules. These two rules will group most stereo ports of most programs.
+
+(.*)[_ -]1$ = \1.L
+(.*)[_ -]2$ = \2.R
+
+Rules can be used to rename ports logically, for example with an M-Audio 2496
+the following rules give human-meaningful names to the output ports.
+
+system:playback_1$ = system:line.L
+system:playback_2$ = system:line.R
+system:playback_9$ = system:spdif.L
+system:playback_10$ = system:spdif.R
+
+Client-side or JACK aliases can be also be selected in the configuration. Due
+to how JACK aliases work, client-side aliases can give better results.
+
+TODO
+----
+
+Automatic connections (aka 'Patchbay') are not implemented.
+GUI-based alias editing and some other GUI elements are not implemented.
+