diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 52606f5a..49871c13 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,22 +3,19 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
 
 project(randomgen VERSION 0.1)
-enable_language(CXX)
 
+include(GNUInstallDirs)
 include(cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake)
 
-# ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# unit test setup
+xo_cxx_toplevel_options2()
 
-enable_testing()
-# activate code coverage for all executables + libraries (when configured with -DCODE_COVERAGE=ON)
-add_code_coverage()
-# 1. assuming that /nix/store/ prefixes .hpp files belonging to gcc, catch2 etc.
-#    we're not interested in code coverage for these sources.
-# 2. exclude the utest/ subdir, we don't need coverage on the unit tests themselves;
-#    rather,  want coverage on the code that the unit tests exercise.
-#
-add_code_coverage_all_targets(EXCLUDE /nix/store/* utest/*)
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=debug
+xo_toplevel_debug_config2()
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=coverage
+xo_toplevel_coverage_config2()
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
 # bespoke (usually temporary) c++ settings
@@ -27,19 +24,6 @@ set(PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS "")
 #set(PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS "-fconcepts-diagnostics-depth=2")
 add_definitions(${PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS})
 
-# ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# common include paths etc.
-
-xo_toplevel_compile_options()
-
-# ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# external dependencies
-#
-# set CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX to analog of /usr
-# to use .cmake assistants from /usr/lib/cmake/indentlog
-#
-# xo_dependency(..)
-
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 add_subdirectory(example)
@@ -50,14 +34,7 @@ add_subdirectory(example)
 
 set(SELF_LIB randomgen)
 xo_add_headeronly_library(${SELF_LIB})
-#add_library(${SELF_LIB} INTERFACE)
-#xo_include_headeronly_options2(${SELF_LIB})
-
-# ----------------------------------------------------------------
-# standard install + provide find_package() support
-
 xo_install_library4(${SELF_LIB} ${PROJECT_NAME}Targets)
-#xo_install_include_tree()
 xo_export_cmake_config(${PROJECT_NAME} ${PROJECT_VERSION} ${PROJECT_NAME}Targets)
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake b/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
index 96592216..3cbc8f79 100644
--- a/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
+++ b/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
@@ -1,14 +1,35 @@
-if (("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL "") OR ("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL "prefix"))
-    # default to typical install location for xo-project-macros
-    set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/cmake)
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# for example:
+#   $ PREFIX=/usr/local
+#   $ cmake -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=prefix -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$PREFIX -B .build
+#
+# will get
+#   CMAKE_MODULE_PATH
+# from xo-cmake-config --cmake-module-path
+#
+# and expect .cmake macros in
+#   CMAKE_MODULE_PATH/xo_macros/xo_cxx.cmake
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+find_program(XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE NAMES xo-cmake-config REQUIRED)
+
+if ("${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE}" STREQUAL "XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE-NOT_FOUND")
+    message(FATAL "could not find xo-cmake-config executable")
 endif()
 
+message(STATUS "XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE=${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE}")
+
 if (NOT XO_SUBMODULE_BUILD)
-    message("-- CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}")
-    message("-- CMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}")
+    if (("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL "") OR ("${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}" STREQUAL prefix))
+        # default to typical install location for xo-project-macros
+        execute_process(COMMAND ${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE} --cmake-module-path OUTPUT_VARIABLE CMAKE_MODULE_PATH)
+        message(STATUS "CMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH}")
+    endif()
 endif()
 
 # needs to have been installed somewhere on CMAKE_MODULE_PATH,
 # (e.g. from xo-cmake with the same value for CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX)
 #
-include(xo_macros/xo-project-macros)
+include(xo_macros/xo_cxx)
+
+xo_cxx_bootstrap_message()