diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 76d8fe3..1cf9d47 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -17,6 +17,49 @@ make detailed repairs and wait for it to break again.
 This version of the system should provide all of the basic Recipe management functions, including adding new recipes, pasting in lists of ingredients, and managing
 shopping categories. The ultimate intent is to provide all functions that the original Python app did.
 
+## Building the app
+
+You must have Maven installed on your system to build a copy of the app
+from scratch. You must have Java 11 or later installed on your
+system to run Maven and to runn the app.
+
+This project can be built on the command line using the
+``mvn clean install`` command if you have Maven installed in
+your PATH.
+
+Note that the first time you run Maven, it may download a lot of
+data from the Internet. This data will be cached by Maven so
+thereafter, you will not need an Internet connection unless
+there are changes to the app.
+
+## Running the app
+
+This project can be run from the command line by using the
+``mvn spring-boot:run`` command. Or do an install build and
+use the JAR file that Maven builds in the ``target`` directory.
+for example:
+```
+java -jar target/gourmetj-0.1.1-SNAPSHOT.jar
+```
+
+The actual JAR name will vary depending on the build version.
+You can copy this jar to any location you prefer.
+
+You must have a recipe database file (see below) to store the
+recipes in. By default, it will be looked for in your
+home directory.
+
+To actually access the application, open your web browser
+to ``http://localhost:8080``
+
+## Database
+
+This product uses the same database as the Python-based version
+of the system, which is a SQLite3 database named ``recipes.db``.
+
+At the moment this app cannot build a database from scratch,
+so you must use an existing copy of a ``recipes.db`` file.
+
 ## Note on JavaServer Faces
 The Spring Boot version supersedes a previous port based on the Apache Tobago JSF tag library. It uses the PrimeFaces JSF tag library, as presently that platform has better Spring Boot support. Plus Tobago is quite different from most of the
 extension tag libraries to the point where it almost isn't JSF.