diff --git a/compilation_instructions.md b/compilation_instructions.md
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+# SPEC compilation instructions
+
+The default installation method for SPEC uses CMake and installs
+the python wrappers and an xspec executable. 
+
+## Installation using Anaconda
+
+We recommend you use Anaconda to create a coherent build environment and prevent 
+dependency conflicts.
+
+Control over the installation can be had by editing `cmake_config.json`, to guide 
+CMake to the right compilers etc. 
+Configurations for different machines are stored in `${SPEC_ROOT}/cmake_machines`,
+to use these, link them to cmake_config.json: `ln -s cmake_config cmake_machines/<config_file.json>`
+
+>[!TIP]
+>install as much as possible in your environment using the `conda` command, 
+>only use 'pip' at the very end for the last packages. 
+>if you have not added the `conda-forge` channel do so by
+>`conda config --add channels conda-forge`
+
+Get the repository and install the necessary compilers and libraries
+```bash
+git clone git@github.com:PrincetonUniversity/SPEC.git 
+conda create -n "spec_wrapper" python=3.11 # create your environment for SPEC
+conda activate spec_wrapper
+conda install gcc_linux-64 gxx_linux-64 gfortran_linux-64 # or macOS versions, see note below
+conda install hdf5 openblas libopenblas fftw scalapack openmpi cmake ninja
+conda install h5py matplotlib f90nml scipy scikit-build mpi4py ipython
+pip install f90wrap
+```
+
+>[!NOTE]
+> for macOS users use the respective compiler packages; 
+> `conda install clang_osx-64 clangxx_osx-64 gfortran_osx-64`
+
+
+Finally, install SPEC and the wrapper (logs will be in `compile.log`)
+```
+pip install -v . 2>&1 | tee compile.log
+```
+
+Install the `py_spec` python library
+```
+cd Utilities/pythontools/
+pip install -e .
+```
+
+### Troubleshooting Anaconda install
+If using a newer version of python, `f2py3` is no longer shipped. If your system contains an old python install (for example from your OS), CMake can find its `f2py3` and give try to use it to compile the wrappers instead of your environments `f2py`. 
+Test this by looking if you have an `f2py3` in your path: `$which f2py3`. 
+The easiest workaround is to create a link called f2py3 that links to f2py so it is found first. 
+```
+ln -s ~/anaconda3/envs/spec_wrapper/bin/f2py ~/anaconda3/envs/spec_wrapper/bin/f2py3
+```
+
+You might have HDF5 or FFTW environment variables set (for example for a VMEC install). This can throw off CMake, which we want to use only anaconda. 
+```
+unset HDF5, HDF5_ROOT, HDF5_HOME, FFTW, FFTW_DIR
+```
+
+
+
+### Testing your SPEC installation
+
+First, verify that the stand-alone executable is usable.
+A few test cases are provided in `InputFiles/TestCases`.
+
+Create a new directory for SPEC runs and change into it
+
+```bash
+mkdir ~/SPEC_runs
+cd ~/SPEC_runs
+```
+
+Copy a demo input file into the current working directory:
+
+```bash
+cp ~/SPEC/InputFiles/TestCases/G3V01L0Fi.001.sp .
+```
+
+Call SPEC with an input file (`*.sp`) as argument on the command line:
+
+```bash
+xspec G3V01L0Fi.001.sp
+```
+
+You should see the screen output of the SPEC run.
+Among the last lines should be something similar to this:
+
+```
+ending :       0.88 : myid=  0 ; completion ; time=      0.88s =     0.01m =   0.00h =  0.00d ; date= 2022/02/17 ; time= 17:35:33 ; ext = G1V02L0Fi.001                                               
+ending :            : 
+xspech :            :
+xspech :       0.88 : myid=  0 : time=    0.01m =   0.00h =  0.00d ;
+```
+
+This indicates that the stand-alone executable is usable.
+
+Next, the python wrapper is tested.
+
+1. Check that the SPEC version can be found:
+    
+    ```bash
+    python -c "from spec import spec_f90wrapped as spec; print('SPEC version: {:}'.format(spec.constants.version))"
+    ```
+    
+    This should print a message like "SPEC version: 3.1" on the screen.
+    
+2. Check that the Python wrapper can be used as a stand-alone code:
+    
+    ```bash
+    OMP_NUM_THREADS=1 python ~/SPEC/Utilities/python_wrapper/spec/core.py G3V01L0Fi.001.sp
+    ```
+    
+    This should conclude with the message `SPEC called from python finished!`.
+    
+3. Run the optimization example code:
+    
+    ```bash
+    OMP_NUM_THREADS=1 python ~/SPEC/Utilities/python_wrapper/examples/example.py
+    ```
+    
+    This should run a basic optimization problem,
+    where the SPEC inputs are controlled via `scipy.optimize`.
+    
+4. Run the interactive re-convergence example code:
+    
+    ```bash
+    OMP_NUM_THREADS=1 python ~/SPEC/Utilities/python_wrapper/examples/example_2.py
+    ```
+    
+    This should compute a SPEC equilibrium, then change the central pressure,
+    re-converge SPEC, etc. for a set of five values of the central pressure
+    in a two-volume classical Stellarator case.
+    After the pressure scan with re-convergence,
+    a plot of the MHD energy vs. the central pressure is shown.
+
+
+## Other legacy installations
+It is still possible to compile SPEC using `make` or `cmake` directly, and bypass the wrapper installation. 
+
+### CMake installation
+Spec can be installed using CMake to find the relevant libraries to link against. 
+You can control 
+in the root directory of SPEC do the following: 
+```bash
+mkdir build
+cd build
+cmake ..
+make
+```
+This will compile SPEC (not the wrappers). The `xspec` executable is found in ${SPEC_ROOT}/build/build/bin/xspec
+
+### Make installation
+SPEC can also be installed using the `make` command in the root directory. 
+
+The `make` install is controlled by the `BUILD_ENV` environment variable. 
+Available options are found in the `SPECfile`
+where different link and compile flags for many machines are found. 
+
+If you cannot find your machine in the list, copy a similar machine and adapt as needed. 
+Then compile by running the command
+
+```bash
+BUILD_ENV=<machine_name> make
+```
+
+The `make` process creates files in the SPEC_ROOT directory, and creates the `xspec` executable there. 
+
+
+## Build process
+the source files are found in the `${SPEC_ROOT}/src/ directory`.
+The `.f90` files contain macros that are expanded during the make process using the `m4` command. 
+
+Depending on the build type, the macro-expanded code is either found in `build/src/`, in the root directory, or in the `_skbuild` folder. 
+
+>[!TIP]
+>The line numbers in error messages correspond to the macro-expanded code
+
+The macros are defined in `src/macros`
diff --git a/Compile.md b/outdated_compilation_instructions.md
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rename from Compile.md
rename to outdated_compilation_instructions.md
diff --git a/setup_conda.sh b/setup_conda.sh
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--- a/setup_conda.sh
+++ /dev/null
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-
-
-# create conda environment for SPEC
-conda env create -f spec_conda_env.yml
-
-# make sure environment variables get managed correctly
-pushd ~/anaconda3/envs/spec_env
-mkdir -p ./etc/conda/activate.d
-mkdir -p ./etc/conda/deactivate.d
-
-echo "
-export OLD_LD_LIBRARY_PATH=\${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
-export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=\${HOME}/anaconda3/envs/spec_env/lib:\${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
-
-export FFTW_ROOT=\${HOME}/anaconda3/envs/spec_env
-" > ./etc/conda/activate.d/env_vars.sh
-
-echo "
-export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=\${OLD_LD_LIBRARY_PATH}
-unset OLD_LD_LIBRARY_PATH
-
-unset FFTW_ROOT
-" > ./etc/conda/deactivate.d/env_vars.sh
-
-popd
-
diff --git a/spec_conda_env.yml b/spec_conda_env.yml
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index a34a03dd..00000000
--- a/spec_conda_env.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-name: spec_env
-channels:
-  - conda-forge
-  - defaults
-dependencies:
-  - c-compiler
-  - fortran-compiler
-  - mpi4py
-  - ninja
-  - cmake
-  - scikit-build
-  - fftw
-  - hdf5
-  - numpy
-  - openmp
-  - openblas
-  - matplotlib
-  - scipy
-