diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -22,9 +22,15 @@ AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/server/distrend.c]
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
 
 AC_PROG_CC
+AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
+
+PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG(0.17.2)
+
+PKG_CHECK_MODULES(DISTLIBS, libconfuse >= 2.6)
 
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
 src/Makefile
+src/common/Makefile
 src/server/Makefile
 src/client/Makefile
 ])
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
-SUBDIRS = server client
+SUBDIRS = common server client
diff --git a/src/client/Makefile.am b/src/client/Makefile.am
--- a/src/client/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/client/Makefile.am
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
 bin_PROGRAMS = distren
-distrend_SORUCES = distren.c
+distren_SOURCES = distren.c
+distren_LDADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@ @top_builddir@/src/common/libdistren.la
+distren_CXXFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@ -I@top_srcdir@/src/common
diff --git a/src/client/distren.c b/src/client/distren.c
--- a/src/client/distren.c
+++ b/src/client/distren.c
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <confuse.h>
-
 /*
   Copyright 2008 Nathan Phillip Brink, Ethan Zonca
 
@@ -20,22 +17,9 @@
   along with distren.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 */
 
+#include <stdio.h>
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
-
-  /* Conf File Parser */
-    cfg_opt_t opts[] =
-    {
-        CFG_STR("test", "mneh", CFGF_NONE),
-        CFG_END()
-     };
-       cfg_t *cfg;
-       cfg = cfg_init(opts, CFGF_NONE);
-       if(cfg_parse(cfg, "distren.conf") == CFG_PARSE_ERROR)
-           return 1;
-/* End Conf File Parser */
-
-
-  cfg_free(cfg); 
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/common/Makefile.am b/src/common/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+pkglib_LTLIBRARIES = libdistren.la
+
+libdistren_la_SOURCES = options.c options.h
+#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/common/options.c b/src/common/options.c
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/options.c
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+/*
+  Copyright 2008 Nathan Phillip Brink, Ethan Zonca
+
+  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/>.
+*/
+
+#include "options.h"
+
+#include <confuse.h>
+
+int genericfunc() 
+{
+  
+  /* Conf File Parser */
+    cfg_opt_t opts[] =
+    {
+        CFG_STR("test", "mneh", CFGF_NONE),
+        CFG_END()
+     };
+       cfg_t *cfg;
+       cfg = cfg_init(opts, CFGF_NONE);
+       if(cfg_parse(cfg, "distren.conf") == CFG_PARSE_ERROR)
+           return 1;
+/* End Conf File Parser */
+
+
+  cfg_free(cfg); 
+
+       cfg = cfg_init(opts, CFGF_NONE);
+       if(cfg_parse(cfg, "distrend.conf") == CFG_PARSE_ERROR)
+           return 1;
+/* End Conf File Parser */
+
+printf("Conf File Test", cfg_getstr(cfg, "test"));
+
+
+  cfg_free(cfg); 
+
+}
diff --git a/src/common/options.h b/src/common/options.h
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/options.h
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/*
+  Copyright 2008 Nathan Phillip Brink, Ethan Zonca
+
+  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/>.
+*/
+
diff --git a/src/server/Makefile.am b/src/server/Makefile.am
--- a/src/server/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/server/Makefile.am
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
 bin_PROGRAMS = distrend
-distrend_SORUCES = distrend.c
+distrend_SOURCES = distrend.c
+distrend_LDADD = @DISTLIBS_LIBS@ @top_builddir@/src/common/libdistren.la
+distrend_CXXFLAGS = @DISTLIBS_CFLAGS@ -I@top_srcdir@/src/common
diff --git a/src/server/distrend.c b/src/server/distrend.c
--- a/src/server/distrend.c
+++ b/src/server/distrend.c
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <confuse.h>
 /*
   Copyright 2008 Nathan Phillip Brink, Ethan Zonca
 
@@ -19,24 +17,12 @@
   along with distren.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 */
 
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 
-/* Conf File Parser */
-    cfg_opt_t opts[] =
-    {
-        CFG_STR("test", "mneh", CFGF_NONE),
-        CFG_END()
-     };
-       cfg_t *cfg;
-       cfg = cfg_init(opts, CFGF_NONE);
-       if(cfg_parse(cfg, "distrend.conf") == CFG_PARSE_ERROR)
-           return 1;
-/* End Conf File Parser */
-
-printf("Conf File Test", cfg_getstr(cfg, "test"));
-
-
-  cfg_free(cfg); 
   return 0;
 }