diff --git a/dist/.gitignore b/dist/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..40340965
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+*.6
+freedm.adoc
+freedoom[12].adoc
diff --git a/dist/README b/dist/README
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4a9d7e5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/README
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+This directory contains some files that should be useful for system
+installations on Unix-like operating systems, including desktop
+entries, AppData XML files, and a shell script to run Freedoom in a
+simple manner.
+
+Unless otherwise noted, these files should be considered public domain
+material and not subject to the usual Freedoom license terms.
diff --git a/dist/freedoom b/dist/freedoom
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..0e956e84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/freedoom
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/bin/sh -
+
+# These ports should really be ordered by ease-of-use.  Most likely
+# advanced users with many ports installed will invoke their preferred
+# one directly rather than depend on this script...
+
+PORTS="odamex prboom-plus prboom eternity gzdoom zdoom chocolate-doom"
+
+# Just a single argument starting the command is allowed, -p, in order
+# to explicitly set a port on the command line. -- is also supported
+# so that -p can be instead sent directly to the port's argument list.
+
+if [ $# -gt 0 ]; then
+    if [ "$1" = "-p" ]; then
+        PORT="$2"
+        shift; shift
+    elif [ "$1" = "--" ]; then
+        shift
+    fi
+fi
+
+if [ "$(basename "$0")" = "freedm" ]; then
+    IWAD=freedm.wad
+elif [ "$(basename "$0")" = "freedoom1" ]; then
+    IWAD=freedoom1.wad
+elif [ "$(basename "$0")" = "freedoom2" ]; then
+    IWAD=freedoom2.wad
+else
+    IWAD=freedoom2.wad
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$PORT" ] && [ -h "$HOME"/.doomport ]; then
+    if [ -f "$(readlink -f "$HOME"/.doomport)" ] \
+        && [ -x "$(readlink -f "$HOME"/.doomport)" ]; then
+        PORT="$(readlink -f "$HOME"/.doomport)"
+    fi
+fi
+
+if [ "$PORT" ]; then
+    "$PORT" -iwad $IWAD "$@"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+dirpath=$(eval echo "\${PATH}" 2>/dev/null | tr : ' ')
+
+for port in $PORTS; do
+    for dir in $dirpath; do
+        for file in "$dir"/"$port"; do
+            if [ -f "$file" ] && [ -x "$file" ]; then
+                "$file" -iwad $IWAD "$@"
+                exit 0
+            fi
+        done
+    done
+done
diff --git a/dist/freedoom.adoc b/dist/freedoom.adoc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1fc8af7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/freedoom.adoc
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+freedoom(6)
+===========
+:doctype: manpage
+
+NAME
+----
+freedoom - Automatically launch Freedoom with an engine
+
+SYNOPSIS
+--------
+*freedoom* ['-p' 'PORT'|'--'] ['ARGS']
+
+DESCRIPTION
+-----------
+Freedoom is a project to create a complete free-content game based on
+the 'Doom' engine (often called ``source ports'' or simply ``ports''),
+which itself is free software.  In addition, it maintains
+compatibility with 'Doom' itself and is capable of playing the wide
+variety of modifications (``mods'') that have been released by an
+active community since 1993.
+
+This command is a simple shell script to assist in running Freedoom,
+which is not a game engine itself nor part of any engine project, but
+playing Freedoom should remain simple.  Only accepted as the first
+argument, you may pass '-p PORT', which will run Freedoom using the
+'PORT' specified.  As an alternative, you may make a symbolic link
+named +$HOME/.doomport+ to your preferred port.  A port specified on
+the command line explicitly overrides +$HOME/.doomport+, whereas the
+existence of the symbolic link will override the detection of port
+based on a hard-coded list.
+
+Additional arguments passed to the program, or after specifying '--'
+as the first option, will be passed to the engine being called.  This
+can allow you to use options such as '-file' to load mods or anything
+else available with the engine of choice.
+
+COPYRIGHT
+---------
+Freedoom is licensed under a permissive three-clause BSD license.  For
+details, see the source tree or any +COPYING+/+COPYRIGHT+ file that
+may have been installed by distribution packaging.
+
+This manual page and the launcher script are both placed under the
+public domain.