diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2c877c8..95cd978 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -100,3 +100,15 @@ feel free to create a PR to help out.
 
 to add support for your favorite software, add a python module named after the software with a setup_menu function
 where possible stick to the windows menu [design guidelines](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/desktop/bb226797(v=vs.85))
+
+- [ ] add editable install instructions
+
+### samples
+You can install the unimenu samples with
+```bash
+pip install git+https://github.com/hannesdelbeke/unimenu@main#subdirectory=dev
+```
+then you can run them with e.g.
+```python
+import unimenu_samples.any_dcc_test
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dev/README.md b/dev/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b5b1ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+dev related things go here, and can be installed with
+```bash
+pip install git+https://github.com/hannesdelbeke/unimenu@main#subdirectory=dev
+```
+
+later we can add tests here too.
diff --git a/dev/pyproject.toml b/dev/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6766738
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = ["setuptools", "setuptools-scm"]
+#build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
+
+
+[tool.setuptools]
+packages = ["unimenu_samples"]  # todo later add tests
+
+
+[project]
+name = "unimenu-dev"
+authors = [
+    {name = "hannes"},
+]
+description = "modules to help with unimenu development"
+readme = "README.md"
+requires-python = ">=3.4"
+keywords = ["unimenu", "menu", "dev"]
+# license = { file = "LICENSE" }
+classifiers = [
+    "Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7",
+]
+dependencies = [
+    'importlib-metadata; python_version<"3.7"', "unimenu",
+]
+#dynamic = ["version"]
+version = "0.0.1"
+
+[project.optional-dependencies]
+yaml = ["pyyaml"]
+
+#[project.scripts]
+#my-script = "my_package.module:function"
+
+
+[project.urls]
+Homepage = "https://github.com/hannesdelbeke/unimenu"
+Documentation = "https://github.com/hannesdelbeke/unimenu/wiki"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/dev/unimenu_samples/__init__.py b/dev/unimenu_samples/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/samples/any_dcc_test.py b/dev/unimenu_samples/any_dcc_test.py
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/any_dcc_test.py
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/any_dcc_test.py
diff --git a/samples/config.json b/dev/unimenu_samples/config.json
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/config.json
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/config.json
diff --git a/samples/maya_startup_plugin.py b/dev/unimenu_samples/maya_startup_plugin.py
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/maya_startup_plugin.py
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/maya_startup_plugin.py
diff --git a/samples/menu_config.yaml b/dev/unimenu_samples/menu_config.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/menu_config.yaml
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/menu_config.yaml
diff --git a/samples/menu_config_blender.yaml b/dev/unimenu_samples/menu_config_blender.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/menu_config_blender.yaml
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/menu_config_blender.yaml
diff --git a/samples/menu_config_unreal.yaml b/dev/unimenu_samples/menu_config_unreal.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/menu_config_unreal.yaml
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/menu_config_unreal.yaml
diff --git a/samples/menu_config_unreal_append.yaml b/dev/unimenu_samples/menu_config_unreal_append.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/menu_config_unreal_append.yaml
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/menu_config_unreal_append.yaml
diff --git a/samples/menu_screen_katana.jpg b/dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_katana.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/menu_screen_katana.jpg
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_katana.jpg
diff --git a/samples/menu_screen_krita.jpg b/dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_krita.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/menu_screen_krita.jpg
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_krita.jpg
diff --git a/samples/menu_screen_mari.jpg b/dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_mari.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/menu_screen_mari.jpg
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_mari.jpg
diff --git a/samples/menu_screen_maya.jpg b/dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_maya.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/menu_screen_maya.jpg
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_maya.jpg
diff --git a/samples/menu_screen_nuke.jpg b/dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_nuke.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/menu_screen_nuke.jpg
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_nuke.jpg
diff --git a/samples/menu_screen_substance_painter.jpg b/dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_substance_painter.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/menu_screen_substance_painter.jpg
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_substance_painter.jpg
diff --git a/samples/menu_screen_system_tray.png b/dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_system_tray.png
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/menu_screen_system_tray.png
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_system_tray.png
diff --git a/samples/menu_screen_unreal5.jpg b/dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_unreal5.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/menu_screen_unreal5.jpg
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/menu_screen_unreal5.jpg
diff --git a/samples/nuke_sample.py b/dev/unimenu_samples/nuke_sample.py
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/nuke_sample.py
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/nuke_sample.py
diff --git a/samples/qt_sample.py b/dev/unimenu_samples/qt_sample.py
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/qt_sample.py
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/qt_sample.py
diff --git a/samples/qt_system_tray.py b/dev/unimenu_samples/qt_system_tray.py
similarity index 100%
rename from samples/qt_system_tray.py
rename to dev/unimenu_samples/qt_system_tray.py