diff --git a/include/cppship/cmd/index.h b/include/cppship/cmd/index.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee1fefe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/cppship/cmd/index.h
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <optional>
+#include <string>
+
+#include "cppship/util/fs.h"
+
+namespace cppship::cmd {
+
+struct IndexOptions {
+    std::string operation;
+    std::optional<std::string> name;
+    std::optional<std::string> path;
+    std::optional<std::string> git;
+};
+
+int run_index(const IndexOptions& options);
+
+}
diff --git a/include/cppship/cmd/install.h b/include/cppship/cmd/install.h
index 0faaf10..ce37d5f 100644
--- a/include/cppship/cmd/install.h
+++ b/include/cppship/cmd/install.h
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "cppship/core/profile.h"
+#include <optional>
 
 namespace cppship::cmd {
 
 struct InstallOptions {
     Profile profile = Profile::debug;
+    std::string root;
 };
 
 int run_install(const InstallOptions& options);
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/include/cppship/cmd/publish.h b/include/cppship/cmd/publish.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..664c566
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/cppship/cmd/publish.h
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <optional>
+
+#include "cppship/util/fs.h"
+
+namespace cppship::cmd {
+
+struct PublishOptions {
+    fs::path index;
+};
+
+int run_publish(const PublishOptions& options);
+
+}
diff --git a/include/cppship/cppship.h b/include/cppship/cppship.h
index 441b80f..0cfd480 100644
--- a/include/cppship/cppship.h
+++ b/include/cppship/cppship.h
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 #include "cppship/cmd/clean.h"
 #include "cppship/cmd/cmake.h"
 #include "cppship/cmd/fmt.h"
+#include "cppship/cmd/index.h"
 #include "cppship/cmd/init.h"
 #include "cppship/cmd/install.h"
 #include "cppship/cmd/lint.h"
+#include "cppship/cmd/publish.h"
 #include "cppship/cmd/run.h"
-#include "cppship/cmd/test.h"
\ No newline at end of file
+#include "cppship/cmd/test.h"
diff --git a/include/cppship/util/fs.h b/include/cppship/util/fs.h
index 8ee1f64..c6822b8 100644
--- a/include/cppship/util/fs.h
+++ b/include/cppship/util/fs.h
@@ -27,13 +27,9 @@ class ScopedCurrentDir {
     fs::path mPrevCwd;
 };
 
-inline void create_if_not_exist(const fs::path& path)
-{
-    if (fs::exists(path)) {
-        return;
-    }
+void create_if_not_exist(const fs::path& path);
 
-    fs::create_directory(path);
-}
+inline constexpr std::string_view kCppShipDirName = ".cppship";
+fs::path get_cppship_dir();
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/lib/cmd/index.cpp b/lib/cmd/index.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96366e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/cmd/index.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+#include "cppship/cmd/index.h"
+#include "cppship/core/manifest.h"
+#include "cppship/exception.h"
+#include "cppship/util/cmd.h"
+#include "cppship/util/fs.h"
+#include "cppship/util/log.h"
+#include "cppship/util/string.h"
+#include <filesystem>
+#include <range/v3/algorithm/contains.hpp>
+#include <range/v3/view.hpp>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+using namespace cppship;
+
+int cmd::run_index(const IndexOptions& options)
+{
+    const std::vector<std::string> supported_operations { "add", "remove", "list" };
+    if (!ranges::contains(supported_operations, options.operation)) {
+        throw Error { std::format("Unrecognized operation '{}'", options.operation) };
+    }
+    const auto cppship_dir = get_cppship_dir();
+    const auto index_store_dir = cppship_dir / "index_store";
+    create_if_not_exist(index_store_dir);
+
+    if (options.operation == "list") {
+        const auto out = check_output("conan remote list");
+        const auto lines = util::split(out, boost::is_any_of("\n"));
+        fmt::print("local package indexes:\n");
+        for (const auto& line : lines | ranges::views::filter([&index_store_dir](std::string_view line) {
+                 return line.find(index_store_dir.string()) != std::string::npos;
+                 ;
+             })) {
+            fmt::print("  {}\n", line);
+        }
+        return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+    }
+
+    if (!options.name) {
+        throw Error { "--name option required" };
+    }
+    const auto index_dir = index_store_dir / options.name.value();
+    if (options.operation == "add") {
+        if (fs::exists(index_dir)) {
+            throw Error { fmt::format("index with name '{}' already exists", options.name.value()) };
+        }
+
+        if (!options.path && !options.git) {
+            throw Error { std::format("one of --path or --git must be given") };
+        }
+        const auto url = options.path.value_or(options.git.value_or(""));
+        const auto git_cmd = fmt::format("git clone {} {}", url, index_dir.string());
+        int res = run_cmd(git_cmd);
+        if (res != 0) {
+            throw Error { "git clone failed" };
+        }
+
+        const auto conan_cmd = fmt::format(
+            "conan remote add --type local-recipes-index {} {}", options.name.value(), index_dir.string());
+        res = run_cmd(conan_cmd);
+        if (res != 0) {
+            throw Error { fmt::format("failed adding '{}' as local index", index_dir.string()) };
+        }
+    }
+    if (options.operation == "remove") {
+        if (!fs::exists(index_dir)) {
+            throw Error { std::format("no index with name '{}' exists", options.name.value()) };
+        }
+        fs::remove_all(index_dir);
+
+        const auto conan_cmd = fmt::format("conan remote remove {}", options.name.value());
+        int res = run_cmd(conan_cmd);
+        if (res != 0) {
+            throw Error { fmt::format("failed adding '{}' as local index", index_dir.string()) };
+        }
+    }
+
+    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+}
diff --git a/lib/cmd/init.cpp b/lib/cmd/init.cpp
index feed4c5..388e835 100644
--- a/lib/cmd/init.cpp
+++ b/lib/cmd/init.cpp
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@ int cmd::run_init(const InitOptions& options)
     }
 
     return EXIT_SUCCESS;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/lib/cmd/install.cpp b/lib/cmd/install.cpp
index 975298f..a09c9c2 100644
--- a/lib/cmd/install.cpp
+++ b/lib/cmd/install.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include <cstdlib>
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <thread>
 
 #include <gsl/narrow>
@@ -32,9 +33,11 @@ int cmd::run_install([[maybe_unused]] const InstallOptions& options)
         return EXIT_SUCCESS;
     }
 
-    const auto dst = fmt::format("/usr/local/bin/{}", manifest.name());
-    status("install", "{} to {}", bin_file.string(), dst);
+    const auto root = fs::path(options.root);
+    const auto dst = root / "bin" / manifest.name();
+    cppship::create_if_not_exist(dst.parent_path());
+    status("install", "{} to {}", bin_file.string(), dst.string());
     fs::copy_file(bin_file, dst, fs::copy_options::overwrite_existing);
     return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 #endif
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/lib/cmd/publish.cpp b/lib/cmd/publish.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ee49e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/cmd/publish.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#include "cppship/cmd/publish.h"
+#include "cppship/core/manifest.h"
+#include "cppship/exception.h"
+#include "cppship/util/fs.h"
+#include "cppship/util/log.h"
+
+using namespace cppship;
+
+int cmd::run_publish(const PublishOptions& options) { return EXIT_SUCCESS; }
diff --git a/lib/util/fs.cpp b/lib/util/fs.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb1c4c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/util/fs.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#include "cppship/util/fs.h"
+#include <cstdlib>
+
+void cppship::create_if_not_exist(const fs::path& path)
+{
+    if (fs::exists(path)) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (path.has_parent_path()) {
+        create_if_not_exist(path.parent_path());
+    }
+
+    fs::create_directory(path);
+}
+
+fs::path cppship::get_cppship_dir() { return fs::path(std::getenv("HOME")) / kCppShipDirName; }
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index c6d83cd..1f4e99b 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 #include "cppship/cppship.h"
 #include "cppship/exception.h"
+#include "cppship/util/fs.h"
 #include "cppship/util/log.h"
 
 #ifndef CPPSHIP_VERSION
@@ -159,9 +160,7 @@ std::list<SubCommand> build_commands(const ArgumentParser& common)
 
     // install
     auto& install = commands.emplace_back("install", common, [](const ArgumentParser& cmd) {
-        return cmd::run_install({
-            .profile = parse_profile(cmd.get("--profile")),
-        });
+        return cmd::run_install({ .profile = parse_profile(cmd.get("--profile")), .root = cmd.get("--root") });
     });
 
     install.parser.add_description("install binary if exists");
@@ -169,6 +168,10 @@ std::list<SubCommand> build_commands(const ArgumentParser& common)
         .help("build with specific profile")
         .metavar("profile")
         .default_value(std::string { kProfileRelease });
+    install.parser.add_argument("--root")
+        .help("specify the installation root")
+        .metavar("root")
+        .default_value(get_cppship_dir().string());
 
     // run
     auto& run = commands.emplace_back("run", common, [](const ArgumentParser& cmd) {
@@ -271,6 +274,22 @@ std::list<SubCommand> build_commands(const ArgumentParser& common)
 
     cmake.parser.add_description("generate cmake CMakeFiles.txt");
 
+    // index
+    auto& index = commands.emplace_back("index", common, [](const ArgumentParser& cmd) {
+        return run_index(cmd::IndexOptions {
+            .operation = cmd.get("operation"),
+            .name = cmd.present("name"),
+            .path = cmd.present("--path"),
+            .git = cmd.present("git"),
+        });
+    });
+
+    index.parser.add_description("manage package indexes");
+    index.parser.add_argument("operation").help("operation [add, remove, list]");
+    index.parser.add_argument("--name").help("name of index");
+    index.parser.add_argument("--path").help("filesystem path to local index to add");
+    index.parser.add_argument("--git").help("git URL to index to add");
+
     return commands;
 }
 
@@ -322,4 +341,4 @@ try {
 } catch (const std::exception& e) {
     error("unknown error {}", e.what());
     return EXIT_FAILURE;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/tests/util/fs.cpp b/tests/util/fs.cpp
index 11b4d24..309f55c 100644
--- a/tests/util/fs.cpp
+++ b/tests/util/fs.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
+#include <iostream>
 
 #include "cppship/util/fs.h"
 
@@ -16,4 +18,39 @@ TEST(fs, ScopedCurrentDir)
     }
 
     EXPECT_EQ(fs::current_path(), cwd);
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+TEST(fs, CreateIfNotExist)
+{
+    const auto tmpdir = fs::temp_directory_path();
+    const auto testdir = fs::path("cppship-unitests");
+
+    ScopedCurrentDir guard(tmpdir);
+
+    if (fs::exists(testdir)) {
+        fs::remove_all(testdir);
+    }
+    fs::create_directory(testdir);
+
+    {
+        ScopedCurrentDir guard2(testdir);
+        const auto newdir = fs::path("subdir1");
+        EXPECT_FALSE(fs::exists(newdir));
+        cppship::create_if_not_exist(newdir);
+        EXPECT_TRUE(fs::exists(newdir));
+    }
+    {
+        ScopedCurrentDir guard2(testdir);
+        const auto newdir = fs::path("./subdir2/subsubdir1");
+        EXPECT_FALSE(fs::exists(newdir));
+        cppship::create_if_not_exist(newdir);
+        EXPECT_TRUE(fs::exists(newdir));
+    }
+    {
+        ScopedCurrentDir guard2(testdir);
+        const auto newdir = fs::path("subdir3/subsubdir1/subsubsubdir1");
+        EXPECT_FALSE(fs::exists(newdir));
+        cppship::create_if_not_exist(newdir);
+        EXPECT_TRUE(fs::exists(newdir));
+    }
+}