README edits

.github/workflows/test.yml

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: Test installer
+name: Installer status
 
 on: 
   push:

README.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-![Test installer](https://github.com/Smithsonian/smax-server/actions/workflows/test.yml/badge.svg)
+![Installer status](https://github.com/Smithsonian/smax-server/actions/workflows/test.yml/badge.svg)
 
 <picture>
   <source srcset="resources/CfA-logo-dark.png" alt="CfA logo" media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)"/>
@@ -9,6 +9,18 @@
 
 # SMA-X server setup
 
+## Table of contents
+
+ - [Introduction](#introduction)
+ - [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)
+ - [Installation](#installing)
+ - [Related GitHub repos](#related-repos)
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+<a name="introduction"></a>
+## Instroduction
+
 The SMA information eXchange (SMA-X) is a high performance and versatile data sharing platform for distributed 
 software systems. It is built around a central Redis database, and provides atomic access to structured data, 
 including specific branches and/or leaf nodes, with associated metadadata. SMA-X was developed at the Submillimeter
@@ -17,13 +29,14 @@ individual programs.
 
 SMA-X consists of a set of server-side [LUA](https://lua.org/) scripts that run on [Redis](https://redis.io) (or one 
 of its forks / clones such as [Valkey](https://valkey.io) or [Dragonfly](https://dragonfly.io)); a set of libraries to 
-interface client applications; and a set of command-line tools build with them. Currently we provide client libraries 
+interface client applications; and a set of command-line tools built with them. Currently we provide client libraries 
 for C/C++ and Python 3. We may provide Java and/or Rust client libraries too in the future.
 
-This repository is for the SMA-X server configuration specifically. It contains a LUA scripts, a script to load them into
-a database and a `systemd` unit file that allows to load the SMA-X scripts automatically whenever Redis is started.
-
+This repository is for the SMA-X server configuration specifically. It contains a LUA scripts, a shell script to load 
+them into a database, and a `systemd` unit file that allows to load the SMA-X scripts automatically whenever Redis is 
+started.
 
+<a name="prerequisites"></a>
 ## Prerequisites
 
 Before you install the SMA-X server configuration, you will need to install [Redis](https://redis.io) (or one 
@@ -34,19 +47,31 @@ After installing Redis (or equivalent), edit `/etc/redis.conf` (or equivalent) t
 a sample configuration file for local connections (from 127.0.0.1 only) and with logging enabled (see `redis.conf` in 
 this repo). You may want to edit the `bind` setting to allow connections to your Redis server from your local network.
 
-## Installing
+<a name="installing"></a>
+## Installation
 
 After you have installed and configured Redis (or equivalent), you can configure the Redis server for SMA-X. Simply run
 
 ```bash
   sudo ./install.sh
 ```
 
-It will ask you some questions on how exactly you want SMA-X to be installed and deployed.
+It will ask you some questions on how exactly you want SMA-X to be installed and deployed. Optionally, you may define
+an alternative installation mode as an argument to `install.sh`. The following modes are supported:
 
-After a successful installation you may use `systemctl` to manage `redis` and the `smax-scripts` services.
+ - `auto`: Automatic installation and startup
+ - `sma` : Automatic installation and startup at the SMA
+ - `help`: Provides a simple help screen only.
+
+Additionally, you may define a couple of shell variables prior to invoking `install.sh` to guide its behavior:
 
+ - `DESTDIR` : Set the deployment root directory (default is `/usr`)
+ - `PREFIX`  : Set a staging prefix. If `PREFIX` is defined and not empty, `install.sh` will stage only, without
+   starting up services (which are not yet in their final location).
+
+After a successful installation you may use `systemctl` to manage `redis` and the `smax-scripts` services.
 
+<a name="related-repos"></a>
 ## Related GitHub repos
 
 For a C/C++ client library for SMA-X see [Smithsonian/smax-clib](https://github.com/Smithsonian/smax-clib), or for a