diff --git a/cookiecutter.json b/cookiecutter.json
index 5c06bc13..c866af15 100644
--- a/cookiecutter.json
+++ b/cookiecutter.json
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@
   "git_username": "Yourusername",
   "default_docker_registry": "itisfoundation",
   "release_date": "{% now 'utc', '%Y' %}",
-  "version": "0.1.0",
+  "version": "0.1.0",  
+  "version_display": "{{ cookiecutter.version }}",  
   "_extensions": [
     "jinja2_time.TimeExtension"
   ]
diff --git a/hooks/post_gen_project.py b/hooks/post_gen_project.py
index d4e238c8..a9368f91 100644
--- a/hooks/post_gen_project.py
+++ b/hooks/post_gen_project.py
@@ -3,19 +3,34 @@
 #
 # SEE https://cookiecutter.readthedocs.io/en/stable/advanced/hooks.html
 
+# pylint: disable=missing-function-docstring
+# pylint: disable=unspecified-encoding
+
+import os
+import re
 import shutil
 import sys
-from pathlib import Path
-import os
 from contextlib import contextmanager
+from pathlib import Path
 
+import yaml
 
 SELECTED_DOCKER_BASE = "{{ cookiecutter.docker_base }}"
 SELECTED_GIT_REPO = "{{ cookiecutter.git_repo }}"
+METADATA_PATH = (
+    "{{ cookiecutter._output_dir }}/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/metadata.yml"
+)
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def _context_print(msg: str):
+    print(msg, end="...", flush=True)
+    yield
+    print("DONE")
 
 
-def create_dockerfile():
-    folder_name = Path("docker") / SELECTED_DOCKER_BASE.split(":")[0]
+def _create_dockerfile():
+    folder_name = Path("docker") / SELECTED_DOCKER_BASE.split(":", maxsplit=1)[0]
 
     # list folders
     # NOTE: it needs to be a list as we delete the folders
@@ -25,7 +40,7 @@ def create_dockerfile():
             shutil.rmtree(folder)
 
 
-def create_ignore_listings():
+def _create_ignore_listings():
     # .gitignore
     common_gitignore = Path("Common.gitignore")
     python_gitignore = Path("Python.gitignore")
@@ -56,33 +71,41 @@ def create_ignore_listings():
     common_dockerignore.unlink()
 
 
-def create_repo_folder():
+def _create_repo_folder():
     if SELECTED_GIT_REPO != "github":
         shutil.rmtree(".github")
     if SELECTED_GIT_REPO != "gitlab":
         shutil.rmtree(".gitlab")
 
 
-@contextmanager
-def context_print(
-    msg,
-):
-    print("-", msg, end="...", flush=True)
-    yield
-    print("DONE")
+def _postpro_osparc_metadata():
+    metadata_path = Path(METADATA_PATH)
+    content = metadata_path.read_text()
+    metadata = yaml.safe_load(content)
+    if metadata.get("version") == metadata.get("version_display", "UNDEFINED"):
+        with _context_print(
+            "metadata: version_display==version, removing version_display"
+        ):
+            # NOTE: prefer to substitue than re-serialize with yaml to avoid risk of
+            # reformatting values
+            pattern = re.compile(r"^version_display:.*\n?", re.MULTILINE)
+            metadata_path.write_text(pattern.sub("", content))
 
 
 def main():
     print("Starting post-gen-project hook:", flush=True)
     try:
-        with context_print("Pruning docker/ folder to selection"):
-            create_dockerfile()
+        with _context_print("Pruning docker/ folder to selection"):
+            _create_dockerfile()
+
+        with _context_print("Updating .gitignore and .dockerignore configs"):
+            _create_ignore_listings()
 
-        with context_print("Updating .gitignore and .dockerignore configs"):
-            create_ignore_listings()
+        with _context_print("Adding config for selected external repository"):
+            _create_repo_folder()
 
-        with context_print("Adding config for selected external repository"):
-            create_repo_folder()
+        
+        _postpro_osparc_metadata()
 
     except Exception as exc:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
         print("ERROR", exc)
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/Makefile b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/Makefile
index e21d95f8..57dbc757 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/Makefile
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ SHELL := /bin/bash
 REPO_DIR := $(abspath $(CURDIR)/..)
 
 # NOTE that IMAGES variable can change when docker-compose.yml gets rebuilt. Do NOT use := !!!
-IMAGES = $(shell ./bin/yq.bash eval '.services.*.image' docker-compose.yml)
+IMAGES = $(shell ./bin/yq eval '.services.*.image' docker-compose.yml)
 
 export DOCKER_REGISTRY ?= registry:5000
 
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ update-version:
 compose: update-version ## creates docker-compose.yml
 	# creating compose specs
 	cd $(REPO_DIR) \
-	&& .osparc/bin/ooil.bash compose -f .osparc/docker-compose.yml
+	&& .osparc/bin/ooil compose -f .osparc/docker-compose.yml
 
 
 .PHONY: build build-nc
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/activate b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/activate
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..1bcfd52f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/activate
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# Store the current PATH
+export _OLD_OSPARC_PATH=$PATH
+
+
+# Get the directory of the currently running script
+BIN_DIR=$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)
+OSPARC_ENV=$(dirname "${BIN_DIR}")
+
+
+# Add .osparc/bin to the PATH
+export PATH="$BIN_DIR/.osparc/bin:$PATH"
+
+
+deactivate () {
+    # Unset the OLD_PATH variable    
+    # ! [ -z ${VAR+_} ] returns true if VAR is declared at all
+    if ! [ -z "${_OLD_OSPARC_PATH:+_}" ] ; then
+        PATH="$_OLD_OSPARC_PATH"
+        export PATH
+        unset _OLD_OSPARC_PATH
+    fi
+
+    # The hash command must be called to get it to forget past
+    # commands. Without forgetting past commands the $PATH changes
+    # we made may not be respected
+    hash -r 2>/dev/null
+
+
+    # Removes (osparc) in prompt
+    if ! [ -z "${_OLD_OSPARC_PS1+_}" ] ; then
+        PS1="$_OLD_OSPARC_PS1"
+        export PS1
+        unset _OLD_OSPARC_PS1
+    fi
+
+    unset OSPARC_ENV
+    unset OSPARC_ENV_PROMPT
+    if [ ! "${1-}" = "nondestructive" ] ; then
+    # Self destruct!
+        unset -f deactivate
+        echo "osparc environment deactivated"
+    fi
+}
+
+# unset irrelevant variables
+deactivate nondestructive
+
+
+# Adds (osparc) in prompt
+if [ "xosparc" != x ] ; then
+    OSPARC_ENV_PROMPT=".osparc"
+else
+    OSPARC_ENV_PROMPT=$(basename "$OSPARC_ENV")
+fi
+export OSPARC_ENV_PROMPT
+
+
+if [ -z "${OSPARC_ENV_DISABLE_PROMPT-}" ] ; then
+    _OLD_OSPARC_PS1="${PS1-}"
+    PS1="(${OSPARC_ENV_PROMPT}) ${PS1-}"
+    export PS1
+fi
+
+# Inform the user
+echo "Environment activated. To deactivate, type 'deactivate'"
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/ooil.bash b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/ooil
similarity index 91%
rename from {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/ooil.bash
rename to {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/ooil
index b67ab7ac..fb85469d 100755
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/ooil.bash
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/ooil
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ WORKDIR="$(pwd)"
 #
 # NOTE: with --interactive --tty the command below will
 #    produce colors in the outputs. The problem is that
-# .   ooil.bash >VERSION will insert special color codes
+# .   ooil >VERSION will insert special color codes
 # .   in the VERSION file which make it unusable as a variable
 # .   when cat VERSION !!
 #
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ run() {
 # MAIN
 #
 # USAGE
-#    ./scripts/ooil.bash --help
+#    ooil --help
 
 run "$@"
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/yq.bash b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/yq
similarity index 81%
rename from {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/yq.bash
rename to {{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/yq
index 43be19e0..99b23150 100755
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/yq.bash
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/bin/yq
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/bash
+set -o errexit
+set -o nounset
+set -o pipefail
+IFS=$'\n\t'
 
 # Define variables
 YQ_IMAGE="mikefarah/yq"
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/metadata.yml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/metadata.yml
index 3af3a0e6..2f465269 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/metadata.yml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.osparc/metadata.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ key: simcore/services/{%- if cookiecutter.project_type == "computational" -%}com
 type: {{ cookiecutter.project_type }}
 integration-version: 1.0.0
 version: {{ cookiecutter.version }}
+version_display: {{ cookiecutter.version_display }}
 description: {{ cookiecutter.project_short_description }}
 contact: {{ cookiecutter.contact_email }}
 thumbnail: https://github.com/ITISFoundation/osparc-assets/blob/cb43207b6be2f4311c93cd963538d5718b41a023/assets/default-thumbnail-cookiecutter-osparc-service.png?raw=true
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/Makefile b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/Makefile
index 0cf16bed..6f2d23b5 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/Makefile
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/Makefile
@@ -30,15 +30,15 @@ METADATA := .osparc/metadata.yml
 .PHONY: VERSION
 VERSION: $(METADATA) ## generates VERSION from metadata
 	# updating $@ from $<
-	@$(OSPARC_DIR)/bin/ooil.bash get-version --metadata-file $< > $@
+	@$(OSPARC_DIR)/bin/ooil get-version --metadata-file $< > $@
 
 service.cli/run: $(METADATA) ## generates run from metadata
 	# Updates adapter script from metadata in $<
-	@$(OSPARC_DIR)/bin/ooil.bash run-creator --metadata $< --runscript $@
+	@$(OSPARC_DIR)/bin/ooil run-creator --metadata $< --runscript $@
 
 docker-compose.yml: $(METADATA) ## generates docker-compose
 	# Injects metadata from $< as labels
-	@$(OSPARC_DIR)/bin/ooil.bash compose --to-spec-file $@ --metadata $<
+	@$(OSPARC_DIR)/bin/ooil compose --to-spec-file $@ --metadata $<
 
 
 
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ info-build: ## displays info on the built image
 # TESTS-----------------------------------------------------------------
 .PHONY: test tests
 test tests:  ## runs validation tests
-	@$(OSPARC_DIR)/bin/ooil.bash test .
+	@$(OSPARC_DIR)/bin/ooil test .
 
 
 
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ test tests:  ## runs validation tests
 
 .PHONY: version-service-patch version-service-minor version-service-major
 version-service-patch version-service-minor version-service-major: $(METADATA) ## kernel/service versioning as patch
-	$(OSPARC_DIR)/bin/ooil.bash bump-version --metadata-file $<  --upgrade $(subst version-service-,,$@)
+	$(OSPARC_DIR)/bin/ooil bump-version --metadata-file $<  --upgrade $(subst version-service-,,$@)
 	# syncing metadata upstream
 	@$(MAKE) VERSION
 
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ info: ## general info
 	@echo ' docker buildx               : $(shell docker buildx version)'
 	@echo ' docker-compose              : $(shell docker-compose --version)'
 	# exe: integration tools
-	@echo ' ooil version                : $(shell $(OSPARC_DIR)/bin/ooil.bash --version)'
+	@echo ' ooil version                : $(shell $(OSPARC_DIR)/bin/ooil --version)'