diff --git a/setup.sh b/setup.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b63ebc332
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+set -e
+
+# assumes machines already created
+N_MACHINES=4
+
+TESTNET_DIR=~/testnets
+CHAINS_AND_VALS=$TESTNET_DIR/chains_and_vals.json
+CHAINS_DIR=$TESTNET_DIR/chains
+VALS_DIR=$TESTNET_DIR/validators
+
+VALSETS=(validator-set-numero-uno BOA BunkBankBandaloo victory_validators)
+#VALSETS=(my-val-set)
+
+CHAINS=(blockchain1 chainiac Chainelle chain-a-daisy blockchain100 bandit-chain gambit-chain gambit-chain-duo gambit-c    hain-1002)
+#CHAINS=(my-chain)
+
+mkdir -p $TESTNET_DIR
+echo "{}" > $CHAINS_AND_VALS
+
+echo "Make some validator sets"
+# make some validator sets
+for valset in ${VALSETS[@]}; do
+        mintnet init validator-set $VALS_DIR/$valset
+        netmon chains-and-vals val $CHAINS_AND_VALS $VALS_DIR/$valset
+done
+
+echo "Make some blockchains"
+# make some blockchains with each validator set
+for i in ${!CHAINS[@]}; do
+	valset=$(($i % ${#VALSETS[@]}))
+        echo $valset
+        mintnet init chain --validator-set $VALS_DIR/${VALSETS[$valset]} $CHAINS_DIR/${CHAINS[$i]}
+done
+
+echo "Start the chains"
+for chain in ${CHAINS[@]}; do
+	machs=`python -c "import random; x=range(1, $(($N_MACHINES+1))); random.shuffle(x); print \",\".join(map(str,x))"` 
+        echo $machs
+        echo $chain
+        mintnet start --publish-all --machines mach[$machs] app-$chain $CHAINS_DIR/$chain
+	netmon chains-and-vals chain $CHAINS_AND_VALS $CHAINS_DIR/$chain
+done