diff --git a/xo-pywebutil/.github/workflows/main.yml b/xo-pywebutil/.github/workflows/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b2676ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pywebutil/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+name: build xo-pywebutil + dependencies
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [ "main" ]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [ "main" ]
+
+env:
+  # Customize the CMake build type here (Release, Debug, RelWithDebInfo, etc.)
+  BUILD_TYPE: Release
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    # The CMake configure and build commands are platform agnostic and should work equally well on Windows or Mac.
+    # You can convert this to a matrix build if you need cross-platform coverage.
+    # See: https://docs.github.com/en/free-pro-team@latest/actions/learn-github-actions/managing-complex-workflows#using-a-build-matrix
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+    - name: checkout source
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+    - name: Install catch2
+      # install catch2.  see [[https://stackoverflow.com/questions/57982945/how-to-apt-get-install-in-a-github-actions-workflow]]
+      run: sudo apt-get install -y catch2
+
+    - name: Install pybind11-dev
+      run: sudo apt-get install -y pybind11-dev
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone xo-cmake
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/xo-cmake
+        path: repo/xo-cmake
+
+    - name: Configure xo-cmake
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_xo-cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/xo-cmake
+
+    - name: Build xo-cmake (trivial)
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_xo-cmake --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install xo-cmake
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_xo-cmake
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone indentlog
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/indentlog
+        path: repo/indentlog
+
+    - name: Configure indentlog
+      # configure cmake for indentlog in dedicated build directory.
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_indentlog -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/indentlog
+
+    - name: Build indentlog
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_indentlog --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install indentlog
+      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_indentlog
+
+#    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+#
+#    - name: Clone subsys
+#      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+#      with:
+#        repository: Rconybea/subsys
+#        path: repo/subsys
+#
+#    - name: Configure subsys
+#      # configure cmake for subsys in dedicated build directory.
+#      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_subsys -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/subsys
+#
+#    - name: Build subsys
+#      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_subsys --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+#
+#    - name: Install subsys
+#      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+#      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_subsys
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone refcnt
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/refcnt
+        path: repo/refcnt
+
+    - name: Configure refcnt
+      # configure cmake for refcnt in dedicated build directory.
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_refcnt -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/refcnt
+
+    - name: Build refcnt
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_refcnt --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install refcnt
+      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_refcnt
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone callback
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/xo-callback
+        path: repo/callback
+
+    - name: Configure callback
+      # configure cmake for callback in dedicated build directory.
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_callback -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/callback
+
+    - name: Build callback
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_callback --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install callback
+      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_callback
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone webutil
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/xo-webutil
+        path: repo/webutil
+
+    - name: Configure webutil
+      # configure cmake for webutil in dedicated build directory.
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_webutil -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/webutil
+
+    - name: Build webutil
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_webutil --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install webutil
+      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_webutil
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Clone pyutil
+      uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      with:
+        repository: Rconybea/xo-pyutil
+        path: repo/pyutil
+
+    - name: Configure pyutil
+      # configure cmake for pyutil in dedicated build directory.
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_pyutil -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local repo/pyutil
+
+    - name: Build pyutil
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_pyutil --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Install pyutil
+      # install into ${{github.workspace}}/local
+      run: cmake --install ${{github.workspace}}/build_pyutil
+
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    - name: Configure self (pywebutil)
+      # Configure CMake in a 'build' subdirectory. `CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE` is only required if you are using a single-configuration generator such as make.
+      # See https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/variable/CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE.html?highlight=cmake_build_type
+      run: cmake -B ${{github.workspace}}/build_pywebutil -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local/share/cmake -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${{github.workspace}}/local -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Build self (pywebutil)
+      # Build your program with the given configuration
+      run: cmake --build ${{github.workspace}}/build_pywebutil --config ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
+
+    - name: Test self (pywebutil)
+      working-directory: ${{github.workspace}}/build_pywebutil
+      # Execute tests defined by the CMake configuration.
+      # See https://cmake.org/cmake/help/latest/manual/ctest.1.html for more detail
+      run: ctest -C ${{env.BUILD_TYPE}}
diff --git a/xo-pywebutil/.gitignore b/xo-pywebutil/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..53a9c92f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pywebutil/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# lsp keeps state here
+.cache
+# typical build directory
+.build*
+# lsp: symlink to file in build directory (established manually)
+compile_commands.json
diff --git a/xo-pywebutil/CMakeLists.txt b/xo-pywebutil/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9851b8cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pywebutil/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# xo-pywebutil/CMakeLists.txt
+
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
+
+project(xo_pywebutil VERSION 0.1)
+
+include(GNUInstallDirs)
+include(cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake)
+
+xo_cxx_toplevel_options3()
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# c++ settings (usually temporary)
+
+set(PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS "")
+add_definitions(${PROJECT_CXX_FLAGS})
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# sources
+
+add_subdirectory(src/pywebutil)
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# provide find_package() support
+
+xo_export_cmake_config(${PROJECT_NAME} ${PROJECT_VERSION} ${PROJECT_NAME}Targets)
diff --git a/xo-pywebutil/EXAMPLES b/xo-pywebutil/EXAMPLES
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a495d316
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pywebutil/EXAMPLES
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Creating this pybind11 library to hold low-dependency wrappers
+used for interaction between {websock/, pywebsock/} and other subsystems.
+
+1. This library needs to be a (runtime) dependency of pyxxx libraries that
+   use reactor::EventStore, for example pyprocess/,  to supply wrappers
+   for EndpointDescr and Alist.
+
+2. If we chose to put this code in pywebsock/,   then pywebsock + libwebsocket
+   would become runtime dependencies of libraries like pyprocess/.
diff --git a/xo-pywebutil/README.md b/xo-pywebutil/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52d702da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pywebutil/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+# python bindings for c++ webutil library (xo-webutil)
+
+## Getting Started
+
+### build + install dependencies
+
+- [github/Rconybea/xo-pyutil](https://github.com/Rconybea/xo-pyutil)
+- [github/Rconybea/xo-webutil](https://github.com/Rconybea/xo-webutil)
+
+### build + install
+
+```
+$ cd xo-pywebutil
+$ mkdir build
+$ cd build
+$ INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local  # or wherever you prefer, e.g. ~/local
+$ cmake \
+    -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/cmake \
+    -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${INSTALL_PREFIX} \
+    -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${INSTALL_PREFIX} ..
+$ make
+$ make install
+```
+(also see .github/workflows/main.yml)
+
+## Examples
+
+Assumes `xo-pywebutil` installed to `~/local2/lib`
+```
+$ PYTHONPATH=~/local2/lib:$PYTHONPATH python
+>>> import xo_pywebutil
+>>> dir(xo_pywebutil)
+['EndpointDescr', 'StreamEndpointDescr', '__doc__', '__file__', '__loader__', '__name__', '__package__', '__spec__']
+>>> from xo_pywebutil import *
+```
+
+## Development
+
+### build for unit test coverage
+```
+$ cd xo-pywebutil
+$ mkdir build-ccov
+$ cd build-ccov
+$ cmake \
+    -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/cmake \
+    -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${INSTALL_PREFIX} \
+    -DCODE_COVERAGE=ON \
+    -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug ..
+```
+
+### LSP (language server) support
+
+LSP looks for compile commands in the root of the source tree;
+while Cmake creates them in the root of its build directory.
+
+```
+$ cd xo-pywebutil
+$ ln -s build/compile_commands.json  # supply compile commands to LSP
+```
+
+### display cmake variables
+
+- `-L` list variables
+- `-A` include 'advanced' variables
+- `-H` include help text
+
+```
+$ cd xo-pywebutil/build
+$ cmake -LAH
+```
diff --git a/xo-pywebutil/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake b/xo-pywebutil/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aba31169
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pywebutil/cmake/xo-bootstrap-macros.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# for example:
+#   $ PREFIX=/usr/local   # for example
+#   $ 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=${XO_CMAKE_CONFIG_EXECUTABLE}")
+
+if (NOT XO_SUBMODULE_BUILD)
+    if (("${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_cxx)
+
+xo_cxx_bootstrap_message()
diff --git a/xo-pywebutil/cmake/xo_pywebutilConfig.cmake.in b/xo-pywebutil/cmake/xo_pywebutilConfig.cmake.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..18eaf04d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pywebutil/cmake/xo_pywebutilConfig.cmake.in
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+@PACKAGE_INIT@
+
+include(CMakeFindDependencyMacro)
+find_dependency(xo_pyutil)
+include("${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/@PROJECT_NAME@Targets.cmake")
+check_required_components("@PROJECT_NAME@")
diff --git a/xo-pywebutil/include/README.md b/xo-pywebutil/include/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3df846f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pywebutil/include/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+placeholder for future pywebutil #include files
diff --git a/xo-pywebutil/src/pywebutil/CMakeLists.txt b/xo-pywebutil/src/pywebutil/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cc68d6e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pywebutil/src/pywebutil/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# xo-pywebutil/src/pywebutil/CMakeLists.txt
+
+set(SELF_LIB xo_pywebutil)
+set(SELF_SRCS pywebutil.cpp)
+
+xo_pybind11_library(${SELF_LIB} ${PROJECT_NAME}Targets ${SELF_SRCS})
+xo_pybind11_dependency(${SELF_LIB} webutil)
+xo_pybind11_dependency(${SELF_LIB} xo_pyutil)
diff --git a/xo-pywebutil/src/pywebutil/pywebutil.cpp b/xo-pywebutil/src/pywebutil/pywebutil.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8618eba9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pywebutil/src/pywebutil/pywebutil.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+/* @file pywebutil.cpp */
+
+#include "pywebutil.hpp"
+#include "xo/webutil/HttpEndpointDescr.hpp"
+#include "xo/webutil/StreamEndpointDescr.hpp"
+#include "xo/pyutil/pyutil.hpp"
+#include <pybind11/chrono.h>
+
+namespace xo {
+    //using xo::web::Alist;
+    using xo::web::HttpEndpointDescr;
+    //using xo::time::utc_nanos;
+    namespace py = pybind11;
+
+    namespace web {
+        PYBIND11_MODULE(PYWEBUTIL_MODULE_NAME(), m) {
+            //PYxxx_IMPORT_MODULE();
+
+            /* module docstring */
+            m.doc() = "pybind11 plugin for xo.web_util";
+
+            py::class_<HttpEndpointDescr>(m, "EndpointDescr")
+                .def_property_readonly("uri_pattern", &HttpEndpointDescr::uri_pattern)
+                .def("__repr__", &HttpEndpointDescr::display_string);
+
+            py::class_<StreamEndpointDescr>(m, "StreamEndpointDescr")
+                .def_property_readonly("uri_pattern", &StreamEndpointDescr::uri_pattern)
+                .def("__repr__", &StreamEndpointDescr::display_string);
+        } /*web*/
+    } /*namespace web*/
+} /*namespace xo*/
+
+/* end pywebutil.cpp */
diff --git a/xo-pywebutil/src/pywebutil/pywebutil.hpp.in b/xo-pywebutil/src/pywebutil/pywebutil.hpp.in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..086701c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xo-pywebutil/src/pywebutil/pywebutil.hpp.in
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/* @file pywebutil.hpp
+ *
+ * automatically generated from src/pywebutil/pywebutil.hpp.in
+ * see src/pywebutil/CMakeLists.txt
+ */
+
+/* python requires module name = library name
+ * example:
+ *   PYBIND11_MODULE(PYWEBUTIL_MODULE_NAME(), m) { ... }
+ */
+#define PYWEBUTIL_MODULE_NAME() @SELF_LIB@
+
+/* example:
+ *   py::module_::import(PYWEBUTIL_MODULE_NAME_STR)
+ */
+#define PYWEBUTIL_MODULE_NAME_STR "@SELF_LIB@"
+
+/* example:
+ *   PYWEBUTIL_IMPORT_MODULE()
+ * replaces
+ *   py::module_::import("pywebutil")
+ */
+#define PYWEBUTIL_IMPORT_MODULE() py::module_::import("@SELF_LIB@")
+
+/* end pywebutil.hpp */