diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6628a4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+/hw1/hw1pr1/*.o
+/hw1/hw1pr2/*.o
+/hw1/hw1pr3/*.o
+
+/hw2/hw2pr1/*.o
+/hw2/hw2pr2/*.o
+/hw2/hw2pr3/*.o
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e69de29..1456d4d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+This is just a private github repo to help me keep in sync on my work computers what I've been doing in my homework.
+
+Could in the future also be useful as a reference for past work.
diff --git a/hw1/hw1pr1/makefile b/hw1/hw1pr1/makefile
index 1f556a9..101cc25 100644
--- a/hw1/hw1pr1/makefile
+++ b/hw1/hw1pr1/makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 all: main.o
 main.o: hw1pr1.cpp
-	g++ -std=c++17 -lpthread hw1pr1.cpp -o hw1pr1
+	g++ -std=c++17 -lpthread hw1pr1.cpp -o hw1pr1.o
 clean:
-	rm -rf *.o hw1pr1
+	rm -rf *.o
diff --git a/hw1/hw1pr2/makefile b/hw1/hw1pr2/makefile
index d7ca9fa..b3538b6 100644
--- a/hw1/hw1pr2/makefile
+++ b/hw1/hw1pr2/makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 all: main.o
 main.o: hw1pr2.cpp
-	g++ -std=c++17 -lpthread hw1pr2.cpp -o hw1pr2
+	g++ -std=c++17 -lpthread hw1pr2.cpp -o hw1pr2.o
 clean:
-	rm -rf *.o hw1pr2
+	rm -rf *.o
diff --git a/hw1/hw1pr3/makefile b/hw1/hw1pr3/makefile
index 546a813..3995242 100644
--- a/hw1/hw1pr3/makefile
+++ b/hw1/hw1pr3/makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 all: main.o
 main.o: hw1pr3.cpp
-	g++ -std=c++17 hw1pr3.cpp -o hw1pr3
+	g++ -std=c++17 hw1pr3.cpp -o hw1pr3.o
 clean:
-	rm -rf *.o hw1pr3
+	rm -rf *.o
diff --git a/hw2/hw2pr1/makefile b/hw2/hw2pr1/makefile
index b1beddf..da787b0 100644
--- a/hw2/hw2pr1/makefile
+++ b/hw2/hw2pr1/makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 all: main.o
 main.o: hw2pr1.cpp
-	g++ -std=c++17 hw2pr1.cpp -o hw2pr1
+	g++ -std=c++17 hw2pr1.cpp -o hw2pr1.o
 clean:
-	rm -rf *.o hw2pr1
+	rm -rf *.o