diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7392527..e1c8acd 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,13 +3,10 @@
 .vscode/
 node_modules/
 prisma/
+./user/
 
 # files
 *.env*
 *.db*
 *.log
-user/config.yml
-user/**/*.*
-!user/**/.gitkeep
-!user/templates/*
 summary.md
diff --git a/db/sqlite/schema.prisma b/db/sqlite/schema.prisma
index 7c080b0..e6458ce 100644
--- a/db/sqlite/schema.prisma
+++ b/db/sqlite/schema.prisma
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ generator client {
 
 datasource db {
     provider = "sqlite"
-    url      = "file:../user/database.db"
+    url      = env("DB_CONNECTION_URL")
 }
 
 model ArchivedChannel {
diff --git a/scripts/postinstall.js b/scripts/postinstall.js
index 49b0ceb..78ef91b 100644
--- a/scripts/postinstall.js
+++ b/scripts/postinstall.js
@@ -4,9 +4,16 @@ const fs = require('fs-extra');
 const util = require('util');
 const exec = util.promisify(require('child_process').exec);
 const { short } = require('leeks.js');
+const {
+	resolve, join,
+} = require('path');
 
 const fallback = { prisma: './node_modules/prisma/build/index.js' };
 
+function pathify(path) {
+	return resolve(__dirname, '../', path);
+}
+
 function log(...strings) {
 	console.log(short('&9[postinstall]&r'), ...strings);
 }
@@ -24,7 +31,7 @@ async function npx(cmd) {
 	const {
 		stderr,
 		stdout,
-	} = await exec(cmd);
+	} = await exec(cmd, { cwd: pathify('./') }); // { env } = process.env
 	if (stdout) console.log(stdout.toString());
 	if (stderr) console.log(stderr.toString());
 }
@@ -42,15 +49,20 @@ if (!providers.includes(provider)) throw new Error(`DB_PROVIDER must be one of:
 log(`provider=${provider}`);
 log(`copying ${provider} schema & migrations`);
 
-if (fs.existsSync('./prisma')) {
+if (fs.existsSync(pathify('./prisma'))) {
 	fs.rmSync('./prisma', {
 		force: true,
 		recursive: true,
 	});
 } else {
-	fs.mkdirSync('./prisma');
+	fs.mkdirSync(pathify('./prisma'));
+}
+fs.copySync(pathify(`./db/${provider}`), pathify('./prisma')); // copy schema & migrations
+
+if (provider === 'sqlite' && !process.env.DB_CONNECTION_URL) {
+	process.env.DB_CONNECTION_URL = 'file:' + join(process.cwd(), './user/database.db');
+	log(`set DB_CONNECTION_URL=${process.env.DB_CONNECTION_URL}`);
 }
-fs.copySync(`./db/${provider}`, './prisma'); // copy schema & migrations
 
 (async () => {
 	await npx('prisma generate');
diff --git a/scripts/start.sh b/scripts/start.sh
index 89fede7..fb9728c 100755
--- a/scripts/start.sh
+++ b/scripts/start.sh
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+source="${BASH_SOURCE}"
+base_dir=$(dirname $(dirname "$source"))
 
 echo "Checking environment..."
-node scripts/preinstall
+script=scripts/preinstall
+node "$base_dir/$script"
 
 echo "Preparing the database..."
-node scripts/postinstall
+script=scripts/postinstall
+node "$base_dir/$script"
 
 echo "Starting..."
-node src/
\ No newline at end of file
+script=src/
+node "$base_dir/$script"
diff --git a/src/client.js b/src/client.js
index 25f43c9..ce63190 100644
--- a/src/client.js
+++ b/src/client.js
@@ -15,25 +15,28 @@ const ms = require('ms');
 
 module.exports = class Client extends FrameworkClient {
 	constructor(config, log) {
-		super({
-			intents: [
-				...[
-					GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessages,
-					GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessageReactions,
-					GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessageTyping,
-					GatewayIntentBits.MessageContent,
-					GatewayIntentBits.Guilds,
-					GatewayIntentBits.GuildMembers,
-					GatewayIntentBits.GuildMessages,
+		super(
+			{
+				intents: [
+					...[
+						GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessages,
+						GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessageReactions,
+						GatewayIntentBits.DirectMessageTyping,
+						GatewayIntentBits.MessageContent,
+						GatewayIntentBits.Guilds,
+						GatewayIntentBits.GuildMembers,
+						GatewayIntentBits.GuildMessages,
+					],
+					...(process.env.PUBLIC_BOT !== 'true' ? [GatewayIntentBits.GuildPresences] : []),
 				],
-				...(process.env.PUBLIC_BOT !== 'true' ? [GatewayIntentBits.GuildPresences] : []),
-			],
-			partials: [
-				Partials.Channel,
-				Partials.Message,
-				Partials.Reaction,
-			],
-		});
+				partials: [
+					Partials.Channel,
+					Partials.Message,
+					Partials.Reaction,
+				],
+			},
+			{ baseDir: __dirname },
+		);
 
 		const locales = {};
 		fs.readdirSync(join(__dirname, 'i18n'))
@@ -57,13 +60,19 @@ module.exports = class Client extends FrameworkClient {
 		const levels = ['error', 'info', 'warn'];
 		if (this.config.logs.level === 'debug') levels.push('query');
 
-		/** @type {PrismaClient} */
-		this.prisma = new PrismaClient({
+		const prisma_options = {
 			log: levels.map(level => ({
 				emit: 'event',
 				level,
 			})),
-		});
+		};
+
+		if (process.env.DB_PROVIDER === 'sqlite' && !process.env.DB_CONNECTION_URL) {
+			prisma_options.datasources = { db: { url:'file:' + join(process.cwd(), './user/database.db') } };
+		}
+
+		/** @type {PrismaClient} */
+		this.prisma = new PrismaClient(prisma_options);
 
 		this.prisma.$on('error', e => this.log.error.prisma(`${e.target} ${e.message}`));
 		this.prisma.$on('info', e => this.log.info.prisma(`${e.target} ${e.message}`));
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 62126c6..dc77ec8 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ console.log(banner(pkg.version)); // print big title
 
 const semver = require('semver');
 const { colours } = require('leeks.js');
+const path = require('path');
 
 // check node version
 if (!semver.satisfies(process.versions.node, pkg.engines.node)) {
@@ -36,6 +37,16 @@ if (!semver.satisfies(process.versions.node, pkg.engines.node)) {
 	process.exit(1);
 }
 
+const base_dir = path.resolve(path.join(__dirname, '../'));
+const cwd = path.resolve(process.cwd());
+if (base_dir !== cwd) {
+	console.log('\x07' + colours.yellowBright('Warning: The current working directory is not the same as the base directory.'));
+	console.log(colours.yellowBright('This may result in unexpected behaviour, particularly with missing environment variables.'));
+	console.log('  Base directory: ' + colours.gray(base_dir));
+	console.log('  CWD: ' + colours.gray(cwd));
+	console.log(colours.blueBright('  Learn more at https://lnk.earth/dt-cwd.'));
+}
+
 // this could be done first, but then there would be no banner :(
 process.env.NODE_ENV ??= 'production'; // make sure NODE_ENV is set
 require('./env').load(); // load and check environment variables
@@ -46,16 +57,12 @@ const logger = require('./lib/logger');
 const Client = require('./client');
 const http = require('./http');
 
+// user directory may or may not exist depending on if sqlite is being used
+// so the config file could be missing even though the directory exists
 if (!fs.existsSync('./user/config.yml')) {
-	const examplePath = './user/example.config.yml';
-	if (!fs.existsSync(examplePath)) {
-		console.log('\x07' + colours.redBright('The config file does not exist, and the example file is missing so cannot be copied from.'));
-		process.exit(1);
-	} else {
-		console.log('Creating config file...');
-		fs.copyFileSync(examplePath, './user/config.yml');
-		console.log(`Copied config to ${'./user/config.yml'}`);
-	}
+	console.log('The config file does not exist, copying defaults...');
+	fs.cpSync(path.join(__dirname, 'user'), './user', { recursive: true });
+	console.log('Created user directory at', path.join(cwd, 'user'));
 }
 
 const config = YAML.parse(fs.readFileSync('./user/config.yml', 'utf8'));
diff --git a/src/user/avatars/.gitkeep b/src/user/avatars/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/user/example.config.yml b/src/user/config.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from user/example.config.yml
rename to src/user/config.yml
diff --git a/src/user/templates/transcript.md.mustache b/src/user/templates/transcript.md.mustache
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb69b1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/user/templates/transcript.md.mustache
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#{{ channelName }} ticket transcript
+
+---
+
+* ID: {{ ticket.id }} ({{ guildName }})
+* Number: {{ ticket.category.name }} #{{ ticket.number }}
+* Topic: {{ #ticket.topic }}{{ . }}{{ /ticket.topic }}{{ ^ticket.topic }}(no topic){{ /ticket.topic }}
+* Created on: {{ #ticket }}{{ createdAtFull }}{{ /ticket }}
+* Created by: {{ #ticket.createdBy }}"{{ displayName }}" @{{ username }}#{{ discriminator }}{{ /ticket.createdBy }}
+* Closed on: {{ #ticket }}{{ closedAtFull }}{{ /ticket }}
+* Closed by: {{ #ticket.closedBy }}"{{ displayName }}" @{{ username }}#{{ discriminator }}{{ /ticket.closedBy }}{{ ^ticket.closedBy }}(automated){{ /ticket.closedBy }}
+* Closed because: {{ #ticket.closedReason }}{{ ticket.closedReason }}{{ /ticket.closedReason }}{{ ^ticket.closedReason }}(no reason){{ /ticket.closedReason }}
+* Claimed by: {{ #ticket.claimedBy }}"{{ displayName }}" @{{ username }}#{{ discriminator }}{{ /ticket.claimedBy }}{{ ^ticket.claimedBy }}(not claimed){{ /ticket.claimedBy }}
+{{ #ticket.feedback }}
+* Feedback:
+  * Rating: {{ rating }}/5
+  * Comment: {{ comment }}{{ ^comment }}(no comment){{ /comment }}
+{{ /ticket.feedback }}
+* Participants:
+{{ #ticket.archivedUsers }}
+  * "{{ displayName }}" @{{ username }}#{{ discriminator }} ({{ userId }})
+{{ /ticket.archivedUsers }}
+* Pinned messages: {{ #pinned }}{{ . }}{{ /pinned }}
+
+---
+
+{{ #ticket.archivedMessages }}
+<{{ number }}> [{{ createdAtTimestamp }}] {{author.displayName}}: {{ text }}
+
+{{ /ticket.archivedMessages }}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/user/uploads/.gitkeep b/src/user/uploads/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29