diff --git a/src/client/Makefile.am b/src/client/Makefile.am
--- a/src/client/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/client/Makefile.am
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ include_HEADERS = distren.h
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = libdistren.la
 
-libdistren_la_SOURCES = distren.h libdistren.h libdistren.c libdistren_job.c libdistren_unbias.c
+libdistren_la_SOURCES = distren.h libdistren.h libdistren.c libdistren_job.c libdistren_unbias.c libdistren_config.c
 #evidently the following should not be LDADD, but LDFLAGS because automake doesn't like the idea of LDADD for libraries for some reason... or I am very confused
 libdistren_la_LIBADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@
 libdistren_la_CXXFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@
diff --git a/src/client/libdistren.c b/src/client/libdistren.c
--- a/src/client/libdistren.c
+++ b/src/client/libdistren.c
@@ -45,6 +45,19 @@ int distren_init_mf(distren_t *handle, d
 
   (*handle)->malloc = mymalloc;
   (*handle)->free = myfree;
+
+  /* now the environment is ready for general use */
+  if(_distren_getoptions(*handle))
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "error getting configuration\n");
+      distren_free(*handle);
+      return 1;
+    }
+  
+  /**
+     @todo open a connection to the server now and return error if we can't
+     connect. 
+   */
   
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/client/libdistren.h b/src/client/libdistren.h
--- a/src/client/libdistren.h
+++ b/src/client/libdistren.h
@@ -55,3 +55,10 @@ void *_malloc(distren_t distren, size_t 
    All of libdisren should use this instead of malloc.h's free()
 */
 void _free(distren_t distren, void *tofree);
+
+/**
+   Sets up the distren handle with information garnered from
+   configuration files, etc. Uses the environment variable
+   DISTREN_CONFIG or the built-in default config file location.
+ */
+int _distren_getoptions(distren_t handle);
diff --git a/src/client/libdistren_config.c b/src/client/libdistren_config.c
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client/libdistren_config.c
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/*
+  Copyright 2008 Nathan Phillip Brink, Ethan Zonca, Matt Orlando
+
+  This file is a part of DistRen.
+
+  DistRen is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+  it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+  (at your option) any later version.
+
+  DistRen is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+  GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+  along with DistRen.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+/*
+  Functions and code for retrieving the client's configuration information.
+ */
+
+#include <libdistren.h>
+
+int _distren_getoptions(distren_t handle)
+{
+  
+}