diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3eef982..468dd73 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ add_definitions('-Wall')
 
 add_library (lw12 lw12.c)
 add_executable (lw12ctl lw12.c lw12ctl.c)
+target_link_libraries (lw12ctl readline)
diff --git a/lw12ctl.c b/lw12ctl.c
index 7eee40d..0da6221 100644
--- a/lw12ctl.c
+++ b/lw12ctl.c
@@ -10,23 +10,195 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#include <readline/readline.h>
+
 #include "lw12.h"
 
-int main() {
-    int sockfd = 0;
-    struct sockaddr_in server_addr;
+#define DebugPrintPos fprintf(stderr, "%s:%d\n", __FILE__, __LINE__)
 
+
+int exit_interactive_session = 0;
+int sockfd = 0;
+struct sockaddr_in server_addr;
+
+
+static int lw12_cmd_light(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+    if (argc == 0) {
+        printf("Not enough parameters, choices are:\n");
+        printf(" on     - turn the LED stripe on\n");
+        printf(" off    - turn the LED stripe off\n");
+        printf(" set <color> <value>"
+                " - set a color value (e.g. 'light set red 244')\n");
+    }
+    if (strncasecmp(argv[0], "on", strlen(argv[0])) == 0) {
+        lw12_sendcmd(sockfd, &server_addr, (char *)LIGHTS_ON);
+        lw12_sendcmd(sockfd, &server_addr, (char *)LIGHTS_INIT);
+    } else if (strncasecmp(argv[0], "off", strlen(argv[0])) == 0) {
+        lw12_sendcmd(sockfd, &server_addr, (char *)LIGHTS_OFF);
+    } else if (strncasecmp(argv[0], "set", strlen(argv[0])) == 0) {
+        if (argc < 3) {
+            printf("Not enough parameters, usage:\n");
+            printf("set <color> <value>"
+                    " - set a color value (e.g. 'light set red 244')\n");
+            return 1;
+        }
+
+        // todo set color
+        char cmd[LW12_CMD_LENGTH];
+        // last char gets not copied?!
+        strncpy(cmd, LIGHT_COLOR, LW12_CMD_LENGTH);
+
+        int pos;
+        if (strncasecmp(argv[1], "red", strlen(argv[1])) == 0)
+            pos = 0;
+        else if (strncasecmp(argv[1], "green", strlen(argv[1])) == 0)
+            pos = 1;
+        else if (strncasecmp(argv[1], "blue", strlen(argv[1])) == 0)
+            pos = 2;
+        else {
+            printf("Unknown color selected, use: red, green or blue\n");
+            return 1;
+        }
+        uint8_t colorvalue = (uint8_t)atoi(argv[2]);
+        cmd[4 + pos] = (char)colorvalue;
+        // last char gets not copied?!
+        cmd[LW12_CMD_LENGTH-1] = '\xef';
+        lw12_sendcmd(sockfd, &server_addr, (char *)cmd);
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int lw12_cmd_exit(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+    exit_interactive_session = 1;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int lw12_cmd_dummy(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+    return 1;
+}
+
+struct lw12_command {
+    const char *cmd;
+    int (*handler)(int argc, char *argv[]);
+    const char *usage;
+};
+
+static struct lw12_command lw12_commands[] = {
+    {"light", lw12_cmd_light,
+        "Control the LED stripe. Turn it on/off and change the colors" },
+    {"foobar", lw12_cmd_dummy,
+        "Exit program"},
+    {"foobaz", lw12_cmd_dummy,
+        "Exit program"},
+    {"exit", lw12_cmd_exit,
+        "Exit program"},
+    {"quit", lw12_cmd_exit,
+        "Exit program"}
+}; 
+
+int parse_commands(int argc, char *argv[]) {
+    struct lw12_command *cmd, *match = NULL;
+    int count = 0;
+    int ret = 0;
+
+    cmd = lw12_commands;
+    while (cmd->cmd) {
+        if(strncasecmp(cmd->cmd, argv[0], strlen(argv[0])) == 0) {
+            match = cmd;
+
+            // nessecary?
+            if (strcasecmp(cmd->cmd, argv[0]) == 0) {
+                count = 1;
+                break;
+            }
+            count++;
+        }
+        cmd++;
+    }
+
+    if (count > 1) {
+        printf("Ambiguous commnd '%s'; possible commands:", argv[0]);
+        cmd = lw12_commands;
+        while (cmd->cmd) {
+            if (strncasecmp(cmd->cmd, argv[0], strlen(argv[0])) == 0) {
+                printf(" %s", cmd->cmd);
+            }
+            cmd++;
+        }
+        printf("\n");
+        ret = 1;
+    } else if (count == 0) {
+        printf("Unknown command '%s'\n", argv[0]);
+        ret = 1;
+    } else {
+        ret = match->handler(argc - 1, &argv[1]);
+    }
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+void cmd_loop() {
+#define max_args 10
+#define buf_size 256
+    char cmdbuf[buf_size];
+    char *cmd;
+    char *pos;
+    char *argv[max_args];
+    int argc;
+
+    do {
+        cmd = readline("> ");
+        if (cmd == NULL)
+            break;
+
+        pos = cmd;
+        while (*pos != '\0') {
+            // convert \n to separate argument
+            if (*pos == '\n') {
+                *pos = '\0';
+                break;
+            }
+            pos++;
+        }
+        argc = 0;
+        pos = cmd;
+        // count number of arguments
+        for (;;) {
+            // ignore spaces in the beginning
+            while (*pos == ' ')
+                pos++;
+            if (*pos == '\0')
+                break;
+            argv[argc] = pos;
+            argc++;
+            if (argc == max_args)
+                break;
+            // string arguments
+            if (*pos == '"') {
+                char *pos2 = strrchr(pos, '"');
+                if (pos2)
+                    pos = pos2 + 1;
+            }
+            while (*pos != '\0' & *pos != ' ')
+                pos++;
+            if (*pos == ' ')
+                *pos++ = '\0';
+        }
+
+        parse_commands(argc, argv);
+
+        if (cmd != cmdbuf)
+            free(cmd);
+
+    } while (!exit_interactive_session);
+}
+
+int main() {
     char serverip[] = "192.168.178.24";
     uint16_t serverport = 5000;
 
     lw12_connect(&sockfd, &server_addr, serverport, serverip);
-    lw12_sendcmd(sockfd, &server_addr, (char *)LIGHTS_ON);
-    lw12_sendcmd(sockfd, &server_addr, (char *)LIGHTS_INIT);
-
-    usleep(2000000);
-
-    lw12_sendcmd(sockfd, &server_addr, (char *)LIGHTS_OFF);
-
+    cmd_loop();
     close(sockfd);
 
     return 0;