diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index b9424a8..70be39b 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -40,15 +40,28 @@ journalctl --user -u battery-tracker -f
`config.py` reads `DATABASE_URL` from the environment, falling back to `sqlite:///batteries.db`. Swapping to MariaDB is entirely a matter of setting that env var — no code changes needed. All column types are restricted to `Integer`, `String`, `Text`, `Boolean`, `DateTime` for MariaDB compatibility. Status is stored as `String(20)` (not `Enum`) to avoid DDL differences between SQLite and MariaDB.
### Models
-- `Battery`: label (unique), brand, status (`available`/`installed`/`retired`), device_id (FK nullable, `ondelete=SET NULL`), notes
-- `Device`: name (unique), battery_slots, notes
-- Helper methods on both models (`is_available()`, `installed_count()`, `has_mixed_brands()`) are used directly in templates and route logic.
+- `Battery`: label (unique), brand, status (`available`/`installed`/`retired`), device_id (FK nullable, `ondelete=SET NULL`), notes, size, chemistry, capacity_mah, tested_capacity_mah, tested_date, charge_cycles, purchase_date, storage_location
+- `Device`: name (unique), battery_slots, device_type, notes
+- Helper methods: `Battery.is_available/installed/retired()`, `Device.installed_count()`, `Device.installed_brands()`, `Device.has_mixed_brands()`
### Business rules (enforced in routes, not DB constraints)
- Assigning a retired battery → hard block with flash error
- Assigning to a full device → hard block with flash error
- Mixed brands on same device → flash warning, assignment still proceeds
- Deleting a battery → requires GET confirmation page first, then POST
+- Bulk install into device: capacity check before write; batteries already in target device are skipped; retired batteries are skipped
+- Unretire: sets status back to `available`
+- Unassign with `next` form field → redirects to that URL (must start with `/`); falls back to dashboard
+
+### Adding new columns to existing DB
+`create_all()` won't add columns to existing tables. Run via Python:
+```python
+import sqlite3
+conn = sqlite3.connect('batteries.db')
+conn.execute('ALTER TABLE
ADD COLUMN ')
+conn.commit(); conn.close()
+```
+Always snapshot the DB first: `cp batteries.db batteries.db.$(date +%Y-%m-%d).snapshot`
### Testing
Tests use a temporary file-based SQLite DB (via `tempfile.mkstemp`) created fresh per test — avoids SQLite in-memory per-connection isolation issues. The `seeded_client` fixture in `conftest.py` pre-populates via HTTP POST calls (not direct DB access), so tests exercise the full stack. Battery IDs in tests are positional (id=1 is always the first battery POSTed by the fixture).
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f566f4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+# Battery Tracker
+
+A self-hosted web app for tracking rechargeable batteries — where they are, what condition they're in, and which devices they're installed in.
+
+Built with Flask + SQLAlchemy. Runs on a Raspberry Pi or any Linux box with a systemd user service.
+
+## Features
+
+### Batteries
+- Add batteries in bulk (auto-generated labels like "Eneloop 001", "Eneloop 002")
+- Track status: **Available**, **Installed**, **Retired**
+- Store metadata: size (AA/AAA/18650/…), chemistry (NiMH/Li-ion/…), capacity, tested capacity, charge cycles, purchase date, storage location, notes
+- Visual health indicator when tested capacity is recorded (good/warn/bad)
+- Retire and unretire batteries
+
+### Devices
+- Add devices with a name, battery slot count, type (Remote Control, Flashlight, Sensor, …), and notes
+- Install batteries into devices — by brand/quantity or by picking a specific battery
+- Bulk install multiple batteries at once from the dashboard
+- Mixed-brand warning when batteries from different brands share a device
+- Edit device details in-place
+
+### Dashboard
+- Overview stats (total / available / installed / retired)
+- Full battery table with client-side filtering by status, brand, size, storage location, and free-text search
+- Column picker (Chemistry, Capacity, Storage, Purchase Date, Cycles) stored in localStorage
+- Quick-assign available batteries to a device without leaving the page
+- Bulk actions: Unassign, Retire, Delete, Set Field (storage location or brand), Install in Device
+
+### UI
+- Mobile-friendly: card-style table rows on small screens, full-width filter controls, stacked form buttons
+- Dark mode — follows the OS system preference automatically (`prefers-color-scheme`)
+- No JavaScript framework — vanilla JS only
+
+---
+
+## Tech Stack
+
+| Layer | Technology |
+|---|---|
+| Web framework | Flask 3.x |
+| ORM | SQLAlchemy 2.x (raw session, no Flask-SQLAlchemy) |
+| Database | SQLite (dev) / MariaDB (prod) |
+| WSGI server | Waitress |
+| Process manager | systemd user service |
+| Tests | pytest (45 acceptance tests) |
+
+---
+
+## Setup
+
+### Prerequisites
+- Python 3.10+
+- `python3-venv`
+
+### Install
+
+```bash
+git clone
+cd battery-tracker-app
+
+python3 -m venv .venv
+source .venv/bin/activate
+pip install -r requirements.txt
+```
+
+### Run (development)
+
+```bash
+source .venv/bin/activate
+flask run
+# → http://127.0.0.1:5000
+```
+
+### Run (production — systemd user service)
+
+```bash
+bash sbin/install-service.sh # prompts for host/port, installs and enables the service
+systemctl --user start battery-tracker
+systemctl --user status battery-tracker
+journalctl --user -u battery-tracker -f
+```
+
+### Database
+
+SQLite is used by default (`batteries.db` in the project root). To switch to MariaDB, set the environment variable before starting:
+
+```bash
+export DATABASE_URL="mysql+pymysql://user:pass@host/dbname"
+```
+
+See `MIGRATION.md` for migrating an existing SQLite database to MariaDB.
+
+### Seed data (optional)
+
+```bash
+source .venv/bin/activate
+python seed.py
+```
+
+---
+
+## Running Tests
+
+```bash
+source .venv/bin/activate
+pytest tests/ -v
+```
+
+Tests use a fresh temporary SQLite database per test and exercise the full HTTP stack.
+
+---
+
+## Project Structure
+
+```
+app.py Flask app factory + all routes
+models.py SQLAlchemy models (Battery, Device)
+config.py Database URL config
+seed.py Optional seed data script
+migrate_to_mariadb.py SQLite → MariaDB migration script
+MIGRATION.md MariaDB migration procedure
+requirements.txt
+sbin/
+ install-service.sh systemd user service installer
+templates/
+ base.html Layout, CSS variables, dark mode, nav
+ dashboard.html Battery list with filters and bulk actions
+ battery_add.html Add batteries form
+ battery_detail.html Battery detail + edit
+ battery_delete.html Delete confirmation
+ assign.html Assign battery to device
+ device_list.html Device list with type filter
+ device_add.html Add device form
+ device_detail.html Device detail + install + edit
+tests/
+ conftest.py pytest fixtures
+ test_acceptance.py 45 acceptance tests
+```