diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
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+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,3 +2,111 @@
 
 Generate OpenWRT images from Nix derivations using the official
 ImageBuilders that are provided upstream.
+
+For OpenWRT releases since 19.07 there is profile helper functionality
+that helps you find the proper image specification (target, variant)
+according to your hardware's profile name.
+
+## Background
+
+In an ideal world, OpenWRT would be built from source in many
+fine-grained Nix derivations. Until someone implements that (please
+do!), this project exists to reuse the binary ImageBuilders that are
+included in every OpenWRT release. They are only available for
+x86_64-linux hosts.
+
+The ImageBuilder can generate new *sysupgrade* images with a
+customized set of packages and included files. **Caveat:** It cannot
+build *factory* images for a first-time installation on the vendor
+firmware.
+
+## Usage with vanilla Nix
+
+```nix
+let
+  pkgs = import <nixpkgs> {};
+
+  # use fetchurl, Hydra inputs, or something else to refer to this project
+  openwrt-imagebuilder = ../nix-openwrt-imagebuilder;
+
+  profiles = import (openwrt-imagebuilder + "/profiles.nix") { inherit pkgs; };
+
+  # example: find target/variant for an old Fritzbox
+  config = profiles.identifyProfile "avm_fritz7412" // {
+    # add package to include in the image, ie. packages that you don't
+    # want to install manually later
+    packages = [ "tcpdump" ];
+
+    disabledServices = [ "dnsmasq" ];
+
+    # include files in the images.
+    # to set UCI configuration, create a uci-defauts scripts as per
+    # official OpenWRT ImageBuilder recommendation.
+    files = pkgs.runCommandNoCC "image-files" {} ''
+      mkdir -p $out/etc/uci-defaults
+      cat > $out/etc/uci-defaults/99-custom <<EOF
+      uci -q batch << EOI
+      set system.@system[0].hostname='testap'
+      commit
+      EOI
+      EOF
+    '';
+  };
+
+in
+  # actually build the image
+  import (openwrt-imagebuilder + "/builder.nix") config
+```
+
+## Usage with Nix Flakes
+
+```nix
+{
+  inputs = {
+    openwrt-imagebuilder.url = "github:astro/nix-openwrt-imagebuilder";
+  };
+  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, openwrt-imagebuilder }: {
+    packages.x86_64-linux.my-router =
+      let
+        pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.x86_64-linux;
+
+        profiles = openwrt-imagebuilder.lib.profiles { inherit pkgs };
+
+        config = profiles.identifyProfile "avm_fritz7412" // {
+          # add package to include in the image, ie. packages that you don't
+          # want to install manually later
+          packages = [ "tcpdump" ];
+
+          disabledServices = [ "dnsmasq" ];
+
+          # include files in the images.
+          # to set UCI configuration, create a uci-defauts scripts as per
+          # official OpenWRT ImageBuilder recommendation.
+          files = pkgs.runCommandNoCC "image-files" {} ''
+            mkdir -p $out/etc/uci-defaults
+            cat > $out/etc/uci-defaults/99-custom <<EOF
+            uci -q batch << EOI
+            set system.@system[0].hostname='testap'
+            commit
+            EOI
+            EOF
+          '';
+        };
+
+      in
+        openwrt-imagebuilder.lib.build config;
+  };
+}
+```
+
+## Refreshing hashes
+
+Checksums of the `sha256sums` files on downloads.openwrt.org are add
+to this repository for a few recent releases. For updating, modify
+`release` in `generate-hashes.nix`, then run:
+
+```bash
+nix-shell -p nixFlakes
+nix run .#generate-hashes
+git add hashes/*.nix
+```