diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a0f5e6b1..d99076a7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -28,13 +28,16 @@ sudo systemctl enable --now code-server
 
 ```bash
 curl -sSOL https://github.com/cdr/code-server/releases/download/3.3.0/code-server-3.3.0-amd64.rpm
-sudo dnf install code-server-3.3.0-amd64.rpm
+sudo yum install -y code-server-3.3.0-amd64.rpm
 sudo systemctl enable --now code-server
 # Now visit http://127.0.0.1:8080. Your password is in ~/.config/code-server/config.yaml
 ```
 
 ### npm
 
+**note:** Installing via `npm` requires building native module dependencies. See [./doc/npm.md](./doc/npm.md)
+for the dependency install process depending on your OS.
+
 ```bash
 npm install -g code-server
 code-server
diff --git a/doc/CONTRIBUTING.md b/doc/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 37be0f7d..def3df0f 100644
--- a/doc/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/doc/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -3,9 +3,16 @@
 - [Detailed CI and build process docs](../ci)
 - [Our VS Code Web docs](../src/node/app)
 
-## Development Workflow
+## Requirements
 
-- [VS Code prerequisites](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/wiki/How-to-Contribute#prerequisites)
+Please refer to [VS Code's prerequisites](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/wiki/How-to-Contribute#prerequisites).
+
+Differences:
+
+- We are not constrained by node version
+- We use [fnpm](https://github.com/goreleaser/nfpm) to build .deb and .rpm packages
+
+## Development Workflow
 
 ```shell
 yarn
@@ -33,8 +40,6 @@ works internally.
 
 ## Build
 
-- [VS Code prerequisites](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/wiki/How-to-Contribute#prerequisites)
-
 ```shell
 yarn
 yarn vscode
@@ -45,3 +50,14 @@ cd release
 yarn --production
 node . # Run the built JavaScript with Node.
 ```
+
+Now you can make it static and build packages with:
+
+```
+yarn release:static
+yarn test:static-release
+yarn package
+```
+
+The static release will be in `./release-static` and the release packages
+(.deb, .rpm, self contained release) in `./release-packages`.
diff --git a/doc/npm.md b/doc/npm.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..84712f61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/npm.md
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# npm Install Requirements
+
+If you're installing the npm module you'll need certain dependencies to build
+the native modules used by VS Code.
+
+## Ubuntu, Debian
+
+```bash
+sudo apt-get install -y \
+  build-essential \
+  pkg-config \
+  libx11-dev \
+  libxkbfile-dev \
+  libsecret-1-dev
+```
+
+## Fedora, Red Hat, SUSE
+
+```bash
+sudo yum groupinstall -y 'Development Tools'
+sudo yum config-manager --set-enabled PowerTools
+sudo yum install -y python2 libsecret-devel libX11-devel libxkbfile-devel
+npm config set python python2
+```
+
+## macOS
+
+Install [Xcode](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/downloads/) and run:
+
+```bash
+xcode-select --install
+```