diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_conda.yml b/.github/workflows/build_conda.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1965b765
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_conda.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+name: build_conda
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    container:
+      image: ghcr.io/noaa-gfdl/fre-cli:miniconda24.7.1_gcc14.2.0
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout Files
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          submodules: 'recursive'
+
+      - name: Run Conda to Build
+        run: |
+          # append the reqd channels
+          conda config --append channels conda-forge
+          conda config --append channels noaa-gfdl
+
+          # install conda-build and conda-verify
+          conda install conda-build conda-verify
+
+          # conda build
+          conda build .
diff --git a/.github/workflows/distcheck.yml b/.github/workflows/distcheck.yml
index c583b9c0..4229ca95 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/distcheck.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/distcheck.yml
@@ -3,40 +3,40 @@
 # CI testing for the FRE-NCtools repo, builds and runs unit tests
 # image dockerfile is maintained here:
 # https://gitlab.gfdl.noaa.gov/fre/hpc-me
-name: FRE-NCtools CI
-on:
-  workflow_run:
-    workflows: ["FRE-NCtools Check Expensive"]
-    types:
-      - completed
-jobs:
-  CI:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        with_mpi: ['','--with-mpi']
-        enable_quad_precision: ['', '--enable-quad-precision']
-    container:
-      image: ghcr.io/noaa-gfdl/fre-nctools-ci-rocky-gnu:14.2.0_v2
-      env:
-        MPI: ${{ matrix.with_mpi }}
-        QUAD_P: ${{ matrix.enable_quad_precision }}
-    steps:
-    - name: Checkout
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        submodules: recursive
-    - name: Configure
-      run: |
-        mkdir build && cd build
-        autoreconf -i ../configure.ac
-        ../configure $MPI $QUAD_P || cat config.log
-    - name: Build distribution with check
-      run: make DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS="$MPI $QUAD_P" -C build -j
-    - name: Save log file on failure
-      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4.4.0
-      if: failure()
-      with:
-        name: test-suites
-        path: |
-          build/tests/test-suite.log
+#name: FRE-NCtools CI
+#on:
+#  workflow_run:
+#    workflows: ["FRE-NCtools Check Expensive"]
+#    types:
+#      - completed
+#jobs:
+#  CI:
+#    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+#    strategy:
+#      matrix:
+#        with_mpi: ['','--with-mpi']
+#        enable_quad_precision: ['', '--enable-quad-precision']
+#    container:
+#      image: ghcr.io/noaa-gfdl/fre-nctools-ci-rocky-gnu:14.2.0_v2
+#      env:
+#        MPI: ${{ matrix.with_mpi }}
+#        QUAD_P: ${{ matrix.enable_quad_precision }}
+#    steps:
+#    - name: Checkout
+#      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+#      with:
+#        submodules: recursive
+#    - name: Configure
+#      run: |
+#        mkdir build && cd build
+#        autoreconf -i ../configure.ac
+#        ../configure $MPI $QUAD_P || cat config.log
+#    - name: Build distribution with check
+#      run: make DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS="$MPI $QUAD_P" -C build -j
+#    - name: Save log file on failure
+#      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4.4.0
+#      if: failure()
+#      with:
+#        name: test-suites
+#        path: |
+#          build/tests/test-suite.log
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 60f07dcf..bc8c62ce 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -3,38 +3,38 @@
 # CI testing for the FRE-NCtools repo, builds and runs unit tests
 # image dockerfile is maintained here:
 # https://gitlab.gfdl.noaa.gov/fre/hpc-me
-name: FRE-NCtools CI
-on: [push, pull_request]
-jobs:
-  CI:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        with_mpi: ['','--with-mpi']
-        enable_quad_precision: ['', '--enable-quad-precision']
-    container:
-      image: ghcr.io/noaa-gfdl/fre-nctools-ci-rocky-gnu:14.2.0_v2
-      env:
-        MPI: ${{ matrix.with_mpi }}
-        QUAD_P: ${{ matrix.enable_quad_precision }}
-    steps:
-    - name: Checkout
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        submodules: recursive
-    - name: Configure
-      run: |
-        mkdir build && cd build
-        autoreconf -i ../configure.ac
-        ../configure $MPI $QUAD_P || cat config.log
-    - name: Build
-      run: make -C build -j
-    - name: Run most tests (skip the slow ones)
-      run: make -C build -j check
-    - name: Save log file on failure
-      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4.4.0
-      if: failure()
-      with:
-        name: test-suites
-        path: |
-          build/tests/test-suite.log
+#name: FRE-NCtools CI
+#on: [push, pull_request]
+#jobs:
+#  CI:
+#    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+#    strategy:
+#      matrix:
+#        with_mpi: ['','--with-mpi']
+#        enable_quad_precision: ['', '--enable-quad-precision']
+#    container:
+#      image: ghcr.io/noaa-gfdl/fre-nctools-ci-rocky-gnu:14.2.0_v2
+#      env:
+#        MPI: ${{ matrix.with_mpi }}
+#        QUAD_P: ${{ matrix.enable_quad_precision }}
+#    steps:
+#    - name: Checkout
+#      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+#      with:
+#        submodules: recursive
+#    - name: Configure
+#      run: |
+#        mkdir build && cd build
+#        autoreconf -i ../configure.ac
+#        ../configure $MPI $QUAD_P || cat config.log
+#    - name: Build
+#      run: make -C build -j
+#    - name: Run most tests (skip the slow ones)
+#      run: make -C build -j check
+#    - name: Save log file on failure
+#      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4.4.0
+#      if: failure()
+#      with:
+#        name: test-suites
+#        path: |
+#          build/tests/test-suite.log
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main_expensive.yml b/.github/workflows/main_expensive.yml
index c98c4fca..d6ed8e18 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main_expensive.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main_expensive.yml
@@ -3,42 +3,42 @@
 # CI testing for the FRE-NCtools repo, builds and runs unit tests
 # image dockerfile is maintained here:
 # https://gitlab.gfdl.noaa.gov/fre/hpc-me
-name: FRE-NCtools Check Expensive
-on:
-  workflow_run:
-    workflows: ["FRE-NCtools CI"]
-    types:
-      - completed
-jobs:
-  CI:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        with_mpi: ['','--with-mpi']
-        enable_quad_precision: ['', '--enable-quad-precision']
-    container:
-      image: ghcr.io/noaa-gfdl/fre-nctools-ci-rocky-gnu:14.2.0_v2
-      env:
-        MPI: ${{ matrix.with_mpi }}
-        QUAD_P: ${{ matrix.enable_quad_precision }}
-    steps:
-    - name: Checkout
-      uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        submodules: recursive
-    - name: Configure
-      run: |
-        mkdir build && cd build
-        autoreconf -i ../configure.ac
-        ../configure $MPI $QUAD_P || cat config.log
-    - name: Build
-      run: make -C build -j
-    - name: Run most tests (skip the slow ones)
-      run: make -C build check-very-expensive
-    - name: Save log file on failure
-      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4.4.0
-      if: failure()
-      with:
-        name: test-suites
-        path: |
-          build/tests/test-suite.log
+#name: FRE-NCtools Check Expensive
+#on:
+#  workflow_run:
+#    workflows: ["FRE-NCtools CI"]
+#    types:
+#      - completed
+#jobs:
+#  CI:
+#    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+#    strategy:
+#      matrix:
+#        with_mpi: ['','--with-mpi']
+#        enable_quad_precision: ['', '--enable-quad-precision']
+#    container:
+#      image: ghcr.io/noaa-gfdl/fre-nctools-ci-rocky-gnu:14.2.0_v2
+#      env:
+#        MPI: ${{ matrix.with_mpi }}
+#        QUAD_P: ${{ matrix.enable_quad_precision }}
+#    steps:
+#    - name: Checkout
+#      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+#      with:
+#        submodules: recursive
+#    - name: Configure
+#      run: |
+#        mkdir build && cd build
+#        autoreconf -i ../configure.ac
+#        ../configure $MPI $QUAD_P || cat config.log
+#    - name: Build
+#      run: make -C build -j
+#    - name: Run most tests (skip the slow ones)
+#      run: make -C build check-very-expensive
+#    - name: Save log file on failure
+#      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4.4.0
+#      if: failure()
+#      with:
+#        name: test-suites
+#        path: |
+#          build/tests/test-suite.log
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ba8a0b5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+autoreconf -i
+./configure --prefix=$PREFIX
+make -j
+make install
diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5d93bbe6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+name: fre-nctools
+channels:
+  - conda-forge
+  - noaa-gfdl
+dependencies:
+ - autoconf
+ - automake
+ - libnetcdf
+ - netcdf-fortran
+ - nco
+ - hdf5=1.14.*=mpi*
+ - openmp
+ - mpich
+ - tcsh
diff --git a/man/Makefile.am b/man/Makefile.am
index 72e38103..4b74e9e5 100644
--- a/man/Makefile.am
+++ b/man/Makefile.am
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
   river_regrid.txt \
   scatter-ncc.txt \
   split_ncvars.pl.txt \
+  split_ncvars.pl.1 \
   timavg.txt \
   timavg.csh.1 \
   time_average.txt \
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ man_MANS += \
   plevel.sh.1 \
   river_regrid.1 \
   scatter-ncc.1 \
+  split_ncvars.pl.txt \
   split_ncvars.pl.1 \
   timavg.1 \
   timavg.csh.1 \
diff --git a/man/split_ncvars.pl.1 b/man/split_ncvars.pl.1
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4e505f9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/split_ncvars.pl.1
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+.so man1/split_ncvars.pl
diff --git a/meta.yaml b/meta.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ddb008bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package:
+  name: fre-nctools
+  version: alpha
+
+source:
+  path: .
+
+build:
+  number: 0
+
+requirements:
+  build:
+    - conda-forge::autoconf
+    - conda-forge::automake
+    - conda-forge::libnetcdf
+    - conda-forge::netcdf-fortran
+    - conda-forge::nco
+    - conda-forge::hdf5=1.14.*=mpi*
+    - conda-forge::openmp
+    - conda-forge::mpich
+    - conda-forge::tcsh
+  run:
+
+test:
+  commands:
+    - echo 'yay! we made it!'
+    - pwd && ls
+    - autoreconf -i
+    - ./configure --prefix=$PREFIX
+    - make check RUN_EXPENSIVE_TESTS=yes
+
+about:
+  license: LGPL-3.0
+  summary: Tools for manipulating and creating netCDF inputs for FMS managed models
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 2aa22217..2b5eb8e9 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -213,4 +213,4 @@ split_ncvars.pl: split_ncvars/split_ncvars.pl.in Makefile
 install-exec-hook:
 	ln $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/split_ncvars.pl $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/split_ncvars
 install-data-hook:
-	ln $(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1/split_ncvars.pl.1 $(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1/split_ncvars.1
+	ln $(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1/split_ncvars.pl.1 $(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1/split_ncvars.1 || echo OOPS