diff --git a/make/projects-dir.mk b/make/projects-dir.mk
index b6173311..9a7d3be8 100644
--- a/make/projects-dir.mk
+++ b/make/projects-dir.mk
@@ -51,15 +51,15 @@ endif
 
 # ------------ commands
 
-MOD_SCRIPT_DIR = ./jw-build/scripts
-PGIT           = CLONE_PROJECTS="$(PROJECTS)" /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/pgit.sh /opt/jw-build/bin/pgit.sh) pgit.sh-not-found)
-BUILD_PY       = python $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/build.py -b $(shell pwd) $(BUILD_PY_EXTRA_ARGS)
-PURGE_SH       = /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/purge-stale-projects.sh /opt/jw-build/bin/purge-stale-projects.sh) purge-not-found)
-RELEASE_SH     = /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/build-release.sh /opt/jw-build/bin/build-release.sh) release-not-found)
-BROWSER       ?= firefox
-GIT_SRV_ADMIN  = JW_BUILD_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS="$(JW_BUILD_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS)" $(GIT_SSH) $(JANWARE_USER)@git.jannet.de /opt/jw-build/bin/git-srv-admin.sh 
-CVS_ADMIN      = JW_BUILD_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS="$(JW_BUILD_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS)" $(GIT_SSH) $(JANWARE_USER)@git.jannet.de /opt/jw-build/bin/cvs-admin.sh 
-
+MOD_SCRIPT_DIR        = ./jw-build/scripts
+PGIT                  = CLONE_PROJECTS="$(PROJECTS)" /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/pgit.sh /opt/jw-build/bin/pgit.sh) pgit.sh-not-found)
+BUILD_PY              = python $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/build.py -b $(shell pwd) $(BUILD_PY_EXTRA_ARGS)
+PURGE_SH              = /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/purge-stale-projects.sh /opt/jw-build/bin/purge-stale-projects.sh) purge-not-found)
+RELEASE_SH            = /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/build-release.sh /opt/jw-build/bin/build-release.sh) release-not-found)
+PKG_MANAGER_SH       ?= /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/pkg-manager.sh /opt/jw-build/bin/pkg-manager.sh) pkg-manager-not-found)
+BROWSER              ?= firefox
+GIT_SRV_ADMIN         = JW_BUILD_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS="$(JW_BUILD_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS)" $(GIT_SSH) $(JANWARE_USER)@git.jannet.de /opt/jw-build/bin/git-srv-admin.sh 
+CVS_ADMIN             = JW_BUILD_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS="$(JW_BUILD_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS)" $(GIT_SSH) $(JANWARE_USER)@git.jannet.de /opt/jw-build/bin/cvs-admin.sh 
 # ------------ targets
   
 all: pull.done
@@ -76,11 +76,14 @@ clean-dirs:
 	ls */dirs-all.done 2>/dev/null | sed 's%/.*%%' | xargs -r $(BUILD_PY) clean
 
 echo-prereq-build:
-	@make pull.done >/dev/null 2>&1
+	@make --no-print-directory pull.done >/dev/null 2>&1
 	@python $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/projects.py $(PROJECTS_PY_EXTRA_ARGS) required-pkg $(BUILD_PROJECTS)
 
+install-prereq-build:
+	make --no-print-directory echo-prereq-build 2>/dev/null | xargs -r $(PKG_MANAGER_SH) install
+
 echo-prereq-release:
-	@make pull.done >/dev/null 2>&1
+	@make --no-print-directory pull.done >/dev/null 2>&1
 	@python $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/projects.py $(PROJECTS_PY_EXTRA_ARGS) required-pkg --flavour release $(BUILD_PROJECTS)
 
 doc-project doc-module:
diff --git a/scripts/pkg-manager.sh b/scripts/pkg-manager.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bd29af96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/pkg-manager.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+log()
+{
+	echo $@ >&2
+}
+
+err()
+{
+	echo $@ >&2
+}
+
+fatal()
+{
+	err "Giving up: $@"
+	exit 1
+}
+
+usage()
+{
+	cat<<-EOT
+	$myname cmd args
+	EOT
+}
+
+run()
+{
+	log "Running ==== $@"
+	eval sudo "$@"
+}
+
+cmd_install()
+{
+	case $ID in
+	opensuse|suse)
+		eval run zypper in "$@"
+		;;
+	debian)
+		eval run apt-get install "$@"
+		;;
+	*)
+		fatal "Tried to install to unsupported platform \"$ID\""
+		;;
+	esac
+}
+
+# -- here we go
+myname=`basename $0`
+. /etc/os-release
+cmd="$1"
+shift
+eval cmd_$cmd "$@"
+