diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5cd4db81d1c981cf0dbf9bf65d2e6a85b3f63f8f..e1295fd8fad415530e1df248e9514d39de6b415d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@
 *.retry
 .vagrant
 ansible.log
+venv
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a13ba158f144477444c990fd5e6190d011a3e1ff..8ea35eb2ceae75aa4ff30d5d2077a8ee01182068 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,13 +16,22 @@ You will need to pick a subdomain and delegate its DNS for the system to manage.
 
 The following commands should be run  ***locally on your computer*** in order to install and deploy Lilypad on the remote machines.
 
-## 0. Install the float and LEAP platform pre-requisites
+## 0. Clone the float repository
+
+...and enter it
+
+```shell
+git clone https://0xacab.org/leap/container-platform/lilypad
+cd lilypad
+```
+
+## 1. Install the float and LEAP platform pre-requisites
 
 This installation guide is tested on Debian Bullseye.
 Other Linux distributions might need additional steps to install all requirements in the correct version.
 
 ```shell
-sudo apt-get install golang build-essential bind9utils python3-pysodium python3-jinja2 python3-netaddr python3-openssl python3-yaml python3-six python3-pycryptodome ansible git ansible-mitogen
+sudo apt-get install golang build-essential bind9utils git
 
 go install git.autistici.org/ale/x509ca@latest
 go install git.autistici.org/ale/ed25519gen@latest
@@ -30,15 +39,17 @@ go install git.autistici.org/ai3/go-common/cmd/pwtool@latest
 export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/go/bin
 ```
 
-## 1. Clone the float repository
+We'll use [virtualenv](https://virtualenv.pypa.io/en/latest/) to manage and install python packages:
+```
+virtualenv -p /usr/bin/python3 venv
+source ./venv/bin/activate
+pip install -r ./requirements.txt
+```
 
-...and enter it
+This will create a virtual environment where we can install+version control specific python dependencies.
+
+When working on this project, if you're in a new shell, you'll need to run the `source ./venv/bin/activate` command again to re-enter the virtual environment.
 
-```shell
-git clone https://0xacab.org/leap/container-platform/lilypad
-cd lilypad
-```
-    
 ## 2. Initialize the ansible vault
 
 ... by creating a password file. Keep the public user ID of your OpenPGP keys at hand:
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ecee867fc342ea7408976336b5fa09ed496779b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+ansible==6.2.0
+ansible-core==2.12.10
+cffi==1.15.1
+cryptography==38.0.4
+Jinja2==3.1.2
+MarkupSafe==2.1.1
+mitogen==0.3.3
+netaddr==0.8.0
+packaging==21.3
+pycparser==2.21
+pyOpenSSL==22.1.0
+pyparsing==3.0.9
+pysodium==0.7.12
+PyYAML==6.0
+resolvelib==0.5.4