diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6620aa8..81f94bc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,6 +8,24 @@
 build noted below, but the document does describe the overall idea
 of what we're trying to accomplish.
 
+When this project was first conceived, the idea was to build some
+docker instances and use them as "build machines".  Initially,
+we built a minimal tool set, installed it on another docker
+instance, and then built the remainder there.
+
+This turned out to be unnecessary.  You can do everything on one
+machine.  For that matter, you don't even have to do the bootstrap
+phase separately from the full implementation.  You can change the
+`makefile` to just build everything in one go, if you prefer.  We
+still like building, and saving, a minimal bootstrap image just
+because it provides a nice baseline for subsequent testing and changes
+to the full build.
+
+You also don't need to use docker at all.  You can use any VM or Linux
+machine to do this work so long as the libraries, headers, and
+compilers on it are compatible (i.e., close enough in version) to the
+machines where you want to run the tools.
+
 
 ## How To Use The Makefile