diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 23cdfee..cb9b5cb 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 # Define the object files
-OBJS = bin/boot.o bin/kernel.o bin/idt.o bin/isr.o bin/screen.o bin/utils.o bin/string.o
+OBJS = bin/boot.o bin/kernel.o bin/idt.o bin/isr.o bin/screen.o bin/utils.o bin/string.o bin/stdio.o
 
 # Define the compiler and assembler
-CC = gcc
+CC = gcc -D__is_katauos
 AS = nasm
 
 # Define the compiler flags
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ bin/utils.o: src/utils.c
 bin/string.o: src/string.c
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
+bin/stdio.o: src/stdio.c
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
+
 clean:
 	rm -rf bin/
 	rm -f $(OUTPUT)
diff --git a/include/stdio.h b/include/stdio.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d90f68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/stdio.h
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#ifndef STDIO_H
+#define STDIO_H
+
+//TODO: these should be contained in newlib i guess
+//but until i implement it let it be here yo
+#define EOF (-1)
+#define INT_MAX 2147483647
+
+int printf(const char* __restrict, ...);
+int putchar(int);
+int puts(const char*);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/isr.c b/src/isr.c
index 2a56355..0fb4450 100644
--- a/src/isr.c
+++ b/src/isr.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ void isr_install() {
 void isr0()
 {
     terminal_writestring(exception_messages[0]);
-    asm("hlt");    
+    asm("hlt");
 }
 void isr1()
 {
diff --git a/src/kernel.c b/src/kernel.c
index ae7e1b0..aaa0583 100644
--- a/src/kernel.c
+++ b/src/kernel.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "../include/isr.h"
 #include "../include/screen.h"
+#include "../include/stdio.h"
 #include "../include/utils.h"
 
 /* Check if the compiler thinks you are targeting the wrong operating system. */
@@ -16,9 +17,12 @@
 void kmain()
 {
 	terminal_initialize();
-	terminal_writestring("KatauOS booting up\n");
+	printf("KatauOS booting up\n");
 	isr_install();
-	terminal_writestring("Kernel init sequence completed\n");
+	printf("Kernel init sequence completed\n");
+
+	char yooo[256] = "heheh";
+	printf("test string: %s\n", yooo);
 
 	while(1)
 	{
diff --git a/src/stdio.c b/src/stdio.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35ec51f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stdio.c
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+#include "../include/stdio.h"
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <stddef.h>
+#include "../include/string.h"
+
+#ifdef __is_katauos
+#include "../include/screen.h"
+#endif
+
+int puts(const char* string) {
+	return printf("%s\n", string);
+}
+
+int putchar(int ic) {
+#if defined(__is_katauos)
+	char c = (char) ic;
+	terminal_write(&c, sizeof(c));
+#else
+	// TODO: Implement stdio and the write system call.
+#endif
+	return ic;
+}
+
+
+static bool print(const char* data, size_t length) {
+	const unsigned char* bytes = (const unsigned char*) data;
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < length; i++)
+		if (putchar(bytes[i]) == EOF)
+			return false;
+	return true;
+}
+
+int printf(const char* restrict format, ...) {
+	va_list parameters;
+	va_start(parameters, format);
+
+	int written = 0;
+
+	while (*format != '\0') {
+		size_t maxrem = INT_MAX - written;
+
+		if (format[0] != '%' || format[1] == '%') {
+			if (format[0] == '%')
+				format++;
+			size_t amount = 1;
+			while (format[amount] && format[amount] != '%')
+				amount++;
+			if (maxrem < amount) {
+				// TODO: Set errno to EOVERFLOW.
+				return -1;
+			}
+			if (!print(format, amount))
+				return -1;
+			format += amount;
+			written += amount;
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		const char* format_begun_at = format++;
+
+		if (*format == 'c') {
+			format++;
+			char c = (char) va_arg(parameters, int /* char promotes to int */);
+			if (!maxrem) {
+				// TODO: Set errno to EOVERFLOW.
+				return -1;
+			}
+			if (!print(&c, sizeof(c)))
+				return -1;
+			written++;
+		} else if (*format == 's') {
+			format++;
+			const char* str = va_arg(parameters, const char*);
+			size_t len = strlen(str);
+			if (maxrem < len) {
+				// TODO: Set errno to EOVERFLOW.
+				return -1;
+			}
+			if (!print(str, len))
+				return -1;
+			written += len;
+		} else {
+			format = format_begun_at;
+			size_t len = strlen(format);
+			if (maxrem < len) {
+				// TODO: Set errno to EOVERFLOW.
+				return -1;
+			}
+			if (!print(format, len))
+				return -1;
+			written += len;
+			format += len;
+		}
+	}
+
+	va_end(parameters);
+	return written;
+}