diff --git a/firmware/setup-zmk.sh b/firmware/setup-zmk.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..dd6c3be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/firmware/setup-zmk.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env bash
+
+# clean up any existing containers or volumes
+# ignore errors if they do not exist
+docker container stop zmk-devcontainer || true
+docker container rm zmk-devcontainer || true
+docker volume rm zmk-config || true
+if [ -d ./zmk ]; then
+    echo zmk directory already exists, removing it...
+    sudo rm -rf zmk
+fi
+git clone https://github.com/zmkfirmware/zmk.git
+
+# add naming the docker container and run it
+cp zmk/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json zmk/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json.bak
+sed -i 's#"runArgs": \["--security-opt", "label=disable"\],#"runArgs": \["--security-opt", "label=disable", "--name", "zmk-devcontainer"\],#g' zmk/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
+docker volume create --driver local -o o=bind -o type=none -o device="$(pwd)/zmk-config" zmk-config
+
+devcontainer up --workspace-folder ./zmk
+devcontainer exec --workspace-folder ./zmk west init -l ./app/
+devcontainer exec --workspace-folder ./zmk west update
+
+# create a build scripts for the zmk app
+echo "
+#! /bin/bash
+echo doing a clean build...
+(
+    rm -rf build/
+    cd app/
+    west build -p -d build/left -b seeeduino_xiao_ble -- -DSHIELD=phiboard_left -DZMK_CONFIG="/workspaces/zmk-config"
+    west build -p -d build/right -b seeeduino_xiao_ble -- -DSHIELD=phiboard_right -DZMK_CONFIG="/workspaces/zmk-config"
+)
+" > zmk/phiboard-build.sh
+chmod +x zmk/phiboard-build.sh
+
+echo "
+#! /bin/bash
+echo doing a successive build...
+(
+    cd app/
+    west build -d build/left
+    west build -d build/right
+)
+" > zmk/phiboard-build-cached.sh
+chmod +x zmk/phiboard-build-cached.sh