diff --git a/debian-devuan-netboot.sh b/debian-devuan-netboot.sh
index 0dd9d97..db56d64 100755
--- a/debian-devuan-netboot.sh
+++ b/debian-devuan-netboot.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 # Nico Schottelius, 2019-12-09
 # the ugly code is llnu
 
-#this can only run in the ungleich-tools directory because of the cat magiccommand........
+set -e
+set -x
 
 if [ $# -ne 2 ]; then
     echo $0 suite out-directory
@@ -15,41 +16,45 @@ suite=$1; shift
 outdir=$1; shift
 
 date=$(date +%F)
+mkdir -p ${outdir}
 
 basename=${suite}-${date}
-dir=${outdir}/${basename}
-kernel=${outdir}/kernel-${basename}
-initramfs=${outdir}/initramfs-${basename}
+abs_outdir=$(cd ${outdir} && pwd -P)
+
+chroot_dir=${abs_outdir}/${basename}
+kernel=${abs_outdir}/kernel-${basename}
+initramfs=${abs_outdir}/initramfs-${basename}
+
 keyurl=https://code.ungleich.ch/ungleich-public/__ungleich_staff_ssh_access/raw/master/files
 
-debootstrap "${suite}" "${dir}"
+debootstrap "${suite}" "${chroot_dir}"
 
 # need non-free for firmware-bnx2
-echo "deb http://pkgmaster.devuan.org/merged ${suite} main contrib non-free" > ${dir}/etc/apt/sources.list
+echo "deb http://pkgmaster.devuan.org/merged ${suite} main contrib non-free" > ${chroot_dir}/etc/apt/sources.list
 
-chroot ${dir} apt update
-chroot ${dir} apt install  -y openssh-server rdnssd linux-image-amd64 firmware-bnx2
+chroot ${chroot_dir} apt update
+chroot ${chroot_dir} apt install  -y openssh-server rdnssd linux-image-amd64 firmware-bnx2 inetutils-ping
 
-echo "unconfigured-host" > ${dir}/etc/hostname
+echo "unconfigured-host" > ${chroot_dir}/etc/hostname
 
-cp ${dir}/boot/vmlinuz-* ${kernel}
+cp ${chroot_dir}/boot/vmlinuz-* ${kernel}
 
-echo '* * * * * root ip -o -6 addr show | grep -E -v " lo |one" > /etc/issue'  > ${dir}/etc/cron.d/ipv6addr
+echo '* * * * * root ip -o -6 addr show | grep -E -v " lo |one" > /etc/issue' > ${chroot_dir}/etc/cron.d/ipv6addr
 
-mkdir -p ${dir}/root/.ssh
+mkdir -p ${chroot_dir}/root/.ssh
 
 for key in balazs dominique jinguk nico; do
-    curl -s ${keyurl}/${key}.pub >> ${dir}/root/.ssh/authorized_keys
+    curl -s ${keyurl}/${key}.pub >> ${chroot_dir}/root/.ssh/authorized_keys
 done
 
 # Fix possible permission issue from above
-chown -R root:root ${dir}/root/
+chown -R root:root ${chroot_dir}/root/
 
 ################################################################################
 # networking
 
 # always lo
-cat > ${dir}/etc/network/interfaces << EOF
+cat > ${chroot_dir}/etc/network/interfaces << EOF
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
 
@@ -57,7 +62,7 @@ source-directory /etc/network/interfaces.d
 EOF
 
 # find the boot interfaces at boot
-cat > ${dir}/etc/rc.local <<EOF
+cat > ${chroot_dir}/etc/rc.local <<EOF
 mac=\$(cat /proc/cmdline | tr ' ' '\n' | awk -F= '/bootdev/ { print \$2 }')
 dev=\$(ip -o link | awk -F: "/\$mac/ { print \\\$2 }" | sed 's/ *//g')
 
@@ -71,12 +76,12 @@ ifup "\${dev}"
 exit 0
 EOF
 
-chmod a+rx "${dir}/etc/rc.local"
+chmod a+rx "${chroot_dir}/etc/rc.local"
 
 # ensure there is /init in the initramfs -> otherwise there is a kernel panic
 # reason: initramfs is designed to be PRE regular os, so /init usually hands over to /sbin/init
 # in our case, they are just the same
-ln -fs /sbin/init ${dir}/init
+ln -fs /sbin/init ${chroot_dir}/init
 
 # Finally building the initramfs
-( cd ${dir} ; find . | cpio -H newc -o | gzip -9 > ${initramfs} )
+( cd ${chroot_dir} ; find . | cpio -H newc -o | gzip -9 > ${initramfs} )