diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index d3a1b8c..a646b96 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -96,12 +96,40 @@ version = "1.0.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "acbf1af155f9b9ef647e42cdc158db4b64a1b61f743629225fde6f3e0be2a7c7"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "equivalent"
+version = "1.0.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "5443807d6dff69373d433ab9ef5378ad8df50ca6298caf15de6e52e24aaf54d5"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "hashbrown"
+version = "0.14.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "290f1a1d9242c78d09ce40a5e87e7554ee637af1351968159f4952f028f75604"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "heck"
 version = "0.4.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "95505c38b4572b2d910cecb0281560f54b440a19336cbbcb27bf6ce6adc6f5a8"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "indexmap"
+version = "2.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d530e1a18b1cb4c484e6e34556a0d948706958449fca0cab753d649f2bce3d1f"
+dependencies = [
+ "equivalent",
+ "hashbrown",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "itoa"
+version = "1.0.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "b1a46d1a171d865aa5f83f92695765caa047a9b4cbae2cbf37dbd613a793fd4c"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "proc-macro2"
 version = "1.0.76"
@@ -120,6 +148,45 @@ dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ryu"
+version = "1.0.16"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f98d2aa92eebf49b69786be48e4477826b256916e84a57ff2a4f21923b48eb4c"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "serde"
+version = "1.0.195"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "63261df402c67811e9ac6def069e4786148c4563f4b50fd4bf30aa370d626b02"
+dependencies = [
+ "serde_derive",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "serde_derive"
+version = "1.0.195"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "46fe8f8603d81ba86327b23a2e9cdf49e1255fb94a4c5f297f6ee0547178ea2c"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "serde_yaml"
+version = "0.9.30"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "b1bf28c79a99f70ee1f1d83d10c875d2e70618417fda01ad1785e027579d9d38"
+dependencies = [
+ "indexmap",
+ "itoa",
+ "ryu",
+ "serde",
+ "unsafe-libyaml",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "strsim"
 version = "0.10.0"
@@ -142,6 +209,8 @@ name = "tester"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "clap",
+ "serde",
+ "serde_yaml",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -150,6 +219,12 @@ version = "1.0.12"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "3354b9ac3fae1ff6755cb6db53683adb661634f67557942dea4facebec0fee4b"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "unsafe-libyaml"
+version = "0.2.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ab4c90930b95a82d00dc9e9ac071b4991924390d46cbd0dfe566148667605e4b"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "utf8parse"
 version = "0.2.1"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 2a8cbec..b78d78d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -7,3 +7,5 @@ edition = "2021"
 
 [dependencies]
 clap = { version = "4.4.16", features = ["derive"] }
+serde = { version = "1.0.195", features = ["derive"] }
+serde_yaml = "0.9.30"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..680488e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+# Tester CMPUT 415 (rust version)
+
+This is a (mostly) drop-in replacement for the previous tester written for CMPUT 415.
+
+Most of the options are specified in the [config file](#configuration-file), so the cli is minimal. We do specify some options:
+``` rust
+Usage: tester [OPTIONS] --config-file <CONFIG> <COMMAND>
+
+Commands:
+  validate  Validate test matching and config file correctness
+  run       Run all tests
+  grade     Grade with grading config
+  help      Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)
+
+Options:
+  -v, --verbosity...                   Sets the verbosity of the tester
+  -c, --config-file <CONFIG>           Set the config file
+  -g, --grading-conf <GRADING_CONFIG>  Set the grading config file
+  -h, --help                           Print help
+  -V, --version                        Print version
+
+```
+
+the verbosity defines the level of logging, you can play around with it (specify `-v[v]+` for more verbose logging).
+
+## Configuration File
+
+The configuration file is specified in [YAML](https://yaml.org/spec/1.2.2/), so go check it out. Below is a fully featured config file, with more to come:
+
+``` yaml
+input_path: "/path/to/dir"
+output_path: "/path/to/out/dir"
+in_stream_path: "/path/to/in/stream"
+
+tested_executables:
+  - name: "team1"
+    executable: "/path/to/exec"
+  - name: "team2"
+    executable: "/path/to/exec2"
+
+runtimes:
+  - name: "team1"
+    executable: "/path/to/exec"
+  - name: "team1"
+    executable: "/path/to/exec"
+
+toolchains:
+  - name: "toolchain1"
+    steps:
+      - name: "step1"
+        executable_path: "$EXE"
+        arguments:
+          - $INPUT
+          - $OUTPUT
+        output: "out.test"
+      - name: "step2"
+        executable_path: "/bin/bash"
+        arguments:
+          - echo "Hello World"
+        output: "-"
+  - name: "toolchain2"
+    steps:
+      - name: "step1"
+        executable_path: "/bin/bash"
+        arguments:
+          - echo "Hello toolchain 2!"
+        output: "-"
+```
+
+You can refer to the [original tester](https://github.com/cmput415/Tester) documentation to see some more options (#TODO will be pasting that here)
diff --git a/src/grade.rs b/src/grade.rs
index fd55e01..c8c7f39 100644
--- a/src/grade.rs
+++ b/src/grade.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::path::Path;
 
-pub fn grade(verbosity: u8, config_file: PathBuf, grade_config: Option<&Path>) {
+use crate::util;
+
+pub fn grade(verbosity: u8, config: util::config::Config, grade_config: Option<&Path>) {
     println!("Grading!");
 }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index ffe15dd..8ec0d7b 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use clap::{Parser, Subcommand};
 mod validate;
 mod run;
 mod grade;
+pub mod util;
 
 fn main() {
     // get cli args
@@ -12,11 +13,15 @@ fn main() {
 
     // parse the verbosity and eliminate the Option<>
     let verbosity = get_verbosity(cli.verbosity);
+    let config = util::config::parse_config(cli.config_file);
+
+    //parse the config file
+    // let config = parse_config(cli.config_file);
 
     match &cli.command {
-        Command::Validate => validate::validate(verbosity, cli.config_file),
-        Command::Run      => run::run(verbosity, cli.config_file),
-        Command::Grade    => grade::grade(verbosity, cli.config_file, cli.grading_conf.as_deref()),
+        Command::Validate => validate::validate(verbosity, config),
+        Command::Run      => run::run(verbosity, config),
+        Command::Grade    => grade::grade(verbosity, config, cli.grading_conf.as_deref()),
     }
 }
 
@@ -28,6 +33,8 @@ struct Cli {
     #[arg(short, long, action = clap::ArgAction::Count)]
     verbosity: Option<u8>,
 
+    //TODO implement a thread count variable for the runner
+
     /// Set the config file
     #[arg(short, long, value_name = "CONFIG")]
     config_file: PathBuf,
diff --git a/src/run.rs b/src/run.rs
index 1dcb660..a2d7891 100644
--- a/src/run.rs
+++ b/src/run.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use crate::util;
 
-pub fn run(verbosity: u8, config_file: PathBuf) {
+pub fn run(verbosity: u8, config: util::config::Config) {
     println!("Running!");
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+
+}
diff --git a/src/util.rs b/src/util.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef68c36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util.rs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+pub mod config;
diff --git a/src/util/config.rs b/src/util/config.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1aa5457
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/config.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+use serde::Deserialize;
+use serde_yaml::{self};
+
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
+pub struct Config {
+    tested_executables: Vec<Team>,
+
+    input_path: PathBuf,
+    output_path: PathBuf,
+    in_stream_path: PathBuf,
+
+    runtimes: Option<Vec<Team>>,
+
+    toolchains: Vec<Toolchain>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
+pub struct Team {
+    name: String,
+    executable: PathBuf,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
+pub struct Toolchain {
+    name: String,
+    steps: Vec<Step>,}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
+pub struct Step {
+    name: String,
+
+    executable_path: Option<PathBuf>, // if None then we use the current executable path
+    arguments: Vec<String>, // special string $INPUT corresponds to previous step output
+    output: String, // the output file name
+
+    uses_runtime: Option<bool>,
+    uses_in_stream: Option<bool>,
+    allow_error: Option<bool>
+}
+
+pub fn parse_config(path: PathBuf) -> Config {
+    // load the yaml from the system path, if it fails, tell the user and exit
+    let yaml_load = std::fs::File::open(path);
+    let yaml_file = match yaml_load {
+        Ok(file)   => file,
+        Err(error) => panic!("Failed to load configuration file 🤮, error thrown: {:?}", error),
+    };
+
+    let config: Config = match serde_yaml::from_reader(yaml_file) {
+        Ok(conf)     => conf,
+        Err(error) => panic!("Failed to parse YAML file 😕, error: {}", error),
+    };
+
+    return config;
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic]
+    fn test_nonexistant_config() {
+        let path: PathBuf = PathBuf::from("src/util/test/parse_config/non_existant.yaml");
+        parse_config(path);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_load_config() {
+        let path: PathBuf = PathBuf::from("src/util/test/parse_config/config.yaml");
+        let config = parse_config(path);
+        println!("{:?}", config);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic]
+    fn test_load_bad_config() {
+        let path: PathBuf = PathBuf::from("src/util/test/parse_config/bad_config.yaml");
+        let config = parse_config(path);
+        println!("{:?}", config);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/util/test/parse_config/bad_config.yaml b/src/util/test/parse_config/bad_config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6436c18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/test/parse_config/bad_config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+
+input_path: "/path/to/dir"
+in_stream_path: "/path/to/in/stream"
+
+tested_executables:
+  - name: "team1"
+    executable: "/path/to/exec"
+  - name: "team2"
+    executable: "/path/to/exec2"
+
+runtimes:
+  - name: "team1"
+    executable: "/path/to/exec"
+  - name: "team1"
+    executable: "/path/to/exec"
+
+toolchains:
+  - name: "toolchain1"
+    steps:
+      - name: "step1"
+        executable_path: "$EXE"
+        arguments:
+          - $INPUT
+          - $OUTPUT
+        output: "out.test"
+      - name: "step2"
+        executable_path: "/bin/bash"
+        arguments:
+          - echo "Hello World"
+        output: "-"
+  - name: "toolchain2"
+    steps:
+      - name: "step1"
+        executable_path: "/bin/bash"
+        arguments:
+          - echo "Hello toolchain 2!"
+        output: "-"
diff --git a/src/util/test/parse_config/config.yaml b/src/util/test/parse_config/config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e166161
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/test/parse_config/config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+input_path: "/path/to/dir"
+output_path: "/path/to/out/dir"
+in_stream_path: "/path/to/in/stream"
+
+tested_executables:
+  - name: "team1"
+    executable: "/path/to/exec"
+  - name: "team2"
+    executable: "/path/to/exec2"
+
+runtimes:
+  - name: "team1"
+    executable: "/path/to/exec"
+  - name: "team1"
+    executable: "/path/to/exec"
+
+toolchains:
+  - name: "toolchain1"
+    steps:
+      - name: "step1"
+        executable_path: "$EXE"
+        arguments:
+          - $INPUT
+          - $OUTPUT
+        output: "out.test"
+      - name: "step2"
+        executable_path: "/bin/bash"
+        arguments:
+          - echo "Hello World"
+        output: "-"
+  - name: "toolchain2"
+    steps:
+      - name: "step1"
+        executable_path: "/bin/bash"
+        arguments:
+          - echo "Hello toolchain 2!"
+        output: "-"
diff --git a/src/util/test/parse_config/file1.txt b/src/util/test/parse_config/file1.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/util/test/parse_config/file10.txt b/src/util/test/parse_config/file10.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/util/test/parse_config/file2.txt b/src/util/test/parse_config/file2.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/util/test/parse_config/file3.txt b/src/util/test/parse_config/file3.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/util/test/parse_config/file4.txt b/src/util/test/parse_config/file4.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/util/test/parse_config/file5.txt b/src/util/test/parse_config/file5.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/util/test/parse_config/file6.txt b/src/util/test/parse_config/file6.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/util/test/parse_config/file7.txt b/src/util/test/parse_config/file7.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/util/test/parse_config/file8.txt b/src/util/test/parse_config/file8.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/util/test/parse_config/file9.txt b/src/util/test/parse_config/file9.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/validate.rs b/src/validate.rs
index 2bb60d6..fb88886 100644
--- a/src/validate.rs
+++ b/src/validate.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use crate::util;
 
-pub fn validate(verbosity: u8, config_file: PathBuf) {
+pub fn validate(verbosity: u8, config: util::config::Config) {
     println!("Validating");
 }
+
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+
+}