diff --git a/DEVELOPER_SETUP.md b/DEVELOPER_SETUP.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..336c0be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DEVELOPER_SETUP.md
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+# 🛠️ Developer Setup Guide
+
+Welcome to the APIS development community! This guide will help you set up your local development environment to contribute to APIS.
+
+## 📋 Prerequisites
+
+Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed on your system:
+
+### General Tools
+- **Git**: For version control.
+- **Make**: For running build scripts.
+- **Python 3.6+**: Required for `apis-emulator` and other scripts.
+- **Java Development Kit (JDK) 11+**: Required for Java modules (`apis-main`, `apis-common`, etc.).
+- **Maven**: For building Java projects.
+
+### OS-Specific Dependencies
+
+#### Ubuntu/Debian
+```bash
+sudo apt update
+sudo apt install git make maven groovy python3-venv python3-pip
+```
+
+#### macOS
+We recommend using [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/):
+```bash
+brew install git make maven groovy python3
+```
+
+#### CentOS/RHEL
+```bash
+sudo yum install git make maven groovy python3
+```
+
+---
+
+## 🚀 Setting Up the Project
+
+### 1. Clone the Repository
+Clone your fork of the repository:
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/APIS.git
+cd APIS
+```
+
+### 2. Initialize Submodules
+The APIS project uses git submodules. Initialize them to pull the code for all components:
+```bash
+git submodule update --init --recursive
+```
+*Note: The `make` commands typically handle submodule cloning, but doing it manually ensures everything is ready.*
+
+### 3. Build the Project
+Use the provided `Makefile` to build all components:
+```bash
+make build
+```
+This process may take 5-10 minutes as it downloads dependencies and compiles code.
+
+### 4. Run the System
+Start all APIS services:
+```bash
+make run
+```
+
+---
+
+## 🔧 Troubleshooting
+
+### **Port Conflicts**
+If `make run` fails, check if the default ports are already in use:
+- **4382**: Main Controller
+- **4390**: Hardware Emulator
+- **27017/27018**: MongoDB
+
+To free a port (e.g., 4382) on Linux/macOS:
+```bash
+lsof -i :4382
+kill -9 <PID>
+```
+
+### **Permission Denied (Scripts)**
+If you encounter permission errors when running scripts:
+```bash
+chmod +x runner.sh
+chmod +x */*.sh
+```
+
+### **Maven Build Failures**
+- Ensure you are using a compatible JDK version (`java -version`).
+- Try cleaning the build: `make clean` followed by `make build`.
+
+---
+
+## 💻 Development Workflow
+
+1. **Create a Branch**: Always work on a new branch for your feature or fix.
+   ```bash
+   git checkout -b feature/my-new-feature
+   ```
+2. **Make Changes**: Edit the code in the respective submodule directories.
+3. **Test**: Run local tests if available (check sub-repo READMEs).
+4. **Commit**: Sign your commits (DCO).
+   ```bash
+   git commit -s -m "feat: description of change"
+   ```
+5. **Push**: Push to your fork and create a Pull Request.
+
+---
+
+## 📚 Component Documentation
+- [apis-main](https://github.com/hyphae/apis-main) - Core logic
+- [apis-emulator](https://github.com/hyphae/apis-emulator) - Hardware simulation
+- [apis-web](https://github.com/hyphae/apis-web) - Web interface backend
+
+Need help? Open an issue on GitHub!
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b430e23..8607cf9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ APIS consists of several interconnected software modules that work together seam
 
 ## 💻 Installation Guide
 
+> **👨‍💻 Developers:** Check out our [Developer Setup Guide](DEVELOPER_SETUP.md) for detailed instructions on setting up your local environment and contributing.
+
 ![image 2](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/66de9429-c395-4b02-a015-b4a11e455b1f)
 
 ### 🖥️ System Requirements
diff --git a/runner.sh b/runner.sh
index 1bfc7c2..9f000cf 100644
--- a/runner.sh
+++ b/runner.sh
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ elif [ "$UNAME" = 'Linux' ] ; then
 		#gnome-terminal --working-directory=$DIR -- bash -c "$COMMAND; bash"
 		gnome-terminal -- bash -c "cd $DIR && $COMMAND; bash"
 	elif type konsole > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
-		konsole --hold -e "cd $DIR && $COMMAND" &
+		konsole --hold -e bash -c "cd $DIR && $COMMAND; bash" &
 	elif type xfce4-terminal > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
-		xfce4-terminal --hold -e "cd $DIR && $COMMAND" &
+		xfce4-terminal --hold -e "bash -c 'cd $DIR && $COMMAND; bash'" &
 	elif type xterm > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 		xterm -hold -e "cd $DIR && $COMMAND" &
 	else