diff --git a/x04-noisy-echo/ansi.hrl b/x04-noisy-echo/ansi.hrl
index bee7090..c834754 100644
--- a/x04-noisy-echo/ansi.hrl
+++ b/x04-noisy-echo/ansi.hrl
@@ -208,3 +208,21 @@
 % 2. Control sequences reference: https://invisible-island.net/xterm/ctlseqs/ctlseqs.html
 % 3. Historical background: https://invisible-island.net/xterm/modified-keys.html
 %-define(XTERM_
+
+% readline keys
+-define(KBD_ESC, [27]).
+-define(KBD_C_a, [1]).
+-define(KBD_C_b, [2]).
+-define(KBD_C_d, [4]).
+-define(KBD_C_e, [5]).
+-define(KBD_C_f, [6]).
+-define(KBD_C_g, [7]).
+-define(KBD_C_k, [11]).
+-define(KBD_C_l, [12]).
+-define(KBD_C_n, [14]).
+-define(KBD_C_p, [16]).
+
+% M-b -> [ESC, $b]
+-define(KBD_M_b, [?KBD_ESC, $b]).
+-define(KBD_M_d, [?KBD_ESC, $d]).
+-define(KBD_M_f, [?KBD_ESC, $f]).
diff --git a/x04-noisy-echo/kbd_debug b/x04-noisy-echo/kbd_debug
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b5bc32a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x04-noisy-echo/kbd_debug
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env escript
+
+%% script for keycode mapping
+
+main([]) ->
+    ok = shell:start_interactive({noshell, raw}),
+    dum([]).
+
+dum(Q) ->
+    io:format("~tw\r\n", [Q]),
+    NewChar = io:get_chars("", 1),
+    dum(Q ++ NewChar).
diff --git a/x04-noisy-echo/nechoc b/x04-noisy-echo/nechoc
index d721f4f..f65cb18 100755
--- a/x04-noisy-echo/nechoc
+++ b/x04-noisy-echo/nechoc
@@ -1,18 +1,32 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env escript
 
+%% needs:
+%% - line parsing
+%% - keyboard input
+%% - drawing to screen
+
 -mode(compile).
 
 % john state
 -record(js,
-        {tsock = none :: gen_tcp:socket(),
-         nsock = none :: enoise:noise_socket()}).
+        {rcv   = <<>> :: binary(),
+         kbdq  = []   :: iolist(),
+         ibuf  = []   :: string(),
+         tsock = none :: none | gen_tcp:socket(),
+         nsock = none :: none | enoise:noise_socket()}).
 
 
-main([]) ->
+main([])        -> main_ii(6969);
+main([PortNum]) -> main_ii(list_to_integer(PortNum)).
+
+main_ii(PortNum) ->
     TcpOpts = [binary, {packet, 0}, {active, once}],
-    {ok, TSock} = gen_tcp:connect("localhost", 6969, TcpOpts),
+    {ok, TSock} = gen_tcp:connect("localhost", PortNum, TcpOpts),
     ok = inet:setopts(TSock, [{active, once}]),
     {ok, NSock, _HandshakeState} = enoise:connect(TSock, noise_options()),
+    % need keyboard process
+    Self = self(),
+    spawn_link(fun() -> kbd_loop(Self) end),
     j_loop(#js{tsock = TSock, nsock = NSock}).
 
 noise_options() ->
@@ -22,15 +36,73 @@ noise_options() ->
      {e, KP}].
 
 
-j_loop(JS = #js{nsock = NSock}) ->
+j_loop(JS = #js{rcv = Rcv, tsock = TSock, nsock = NSock}) ->
+    ok = inet:setopts(TSock, [{active, once}]),
     receive
         {noise, NSock, Bytes} ->
-            ok = io:format("< ~tp~n", [Bytes]),
-            j_loop(JS);
+            NewRcv = <<Rcv/binary, Bytes/binary>>,
+            io:format("NewRcv = ~p~n", [NewRcv]),
+            NewJS = j_received(NewRcv, JS),
+            j_loop(NewJS);
+        {kbd, line, Line} ->
+            NewJS = j_kbdln(Line, JS),
+            j_loop(NewJS);
+        {tcp_closed, TSock} ->
+            io:format("tcp socket closed unexpectedly, exiting~n"),
+            exit(tcp_closed);
         Unknown ->
-            ok = io:format("~tp unknown message, killing self: ~tp~n",
-                           [self(), Unknown]),
-            exit(normal)
+            ok = io:format("unknown message ~tp~n", [Unknown]),
+            j_loop(JS)
+    end.
+
+j_kbdln(Line, JS = #js{nsock = NS}) ->
+    FinalMsg = unicode:characters_to_binary([string:chomp(Line), "\r\n"]),
+    ok = enoise:send(NS, FinalMsg),
+    JS.
+
+% not the time for readline
+% % user hit return, flush queue
+% j_kbd("\r", JS = #js{kbdq = KQ, nsock = NS}) ->
+%     FinalMsg = unicode:characters_to_binary([KQ, "\r\n"]),
+%     ok = enoise:send(NS, FinalMsg),
+%     NewJS = JS#js{kbdq = []}
+%     NewJS;
+% % user hit something else, add to queue
+% % fixme: parse ANSI escape sequences here, maybe xterm
+% j_kbd(Str1, JS = #js{kbdq = KQ}) ->
+%     JS#js{kbdq = KQ ++ Str1}.
+
+
+j_received(Rcv, JS) ->
+    case takeln(Rcv) of
+        none ->
+            JS#js{rcv = Rcv};
+        {line, Line, Rcv2} ->
+            ok = j_rln(Line),
+            j_received(Rcv2, JS)
     end.
 
 
+j_rln(Line) ->
+    io:format("< ~ts~n", [string:chomp(Line)]).
+
+takeln(X) ->
+    takeln(<<>>, X).
+
+takeln(Acc, <<"\r\n", Rest/binary>>) ->
+    {line, <<Acc/binary, "\r\n">>, Rest};
+takeln(Acc, <<B:8, Rest/binary>>) ->
+    takeln(<<Acc/binary, B:8>>, Rest);
+takeln(_Acc, <<>>) ->
+    none.
+
+
+kbd_loop(Parent) ->
+    Line = io:get_line("> "),
+    Parent ! {kbd, line, Line},
+    kbd_loop(Parent).
+
+%kbd_loop(Parent) ->
+%    Char = io:get_chars("", 1),
+%    Parent ! {kbd, Char},
+%    kbd_loop(Parent).
diff --git a/x04-noisy-echo/nechod b/x04-noisy-echo/nechod
index 4c8be2e..008a14f 100755
--- a/x04-noisy-echo/nechod
+++ b/x04-noisy-echo/nechod
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@
 
 % ho from pimp pov
 -record(pho,
-        {pid  :: pid(),
-         ref  :: reference(),
-         name :: string()}).
+        {pid   = none  :: none | pid(),
+         ref   = none  :: none | reference(),
+         taken = false :: boolean(),
+         name  = none  :: none | string()}).
 
 %% pimp state
 -record(ps,
@@ -25,10 +26,9 @@
 
 
 main([]) ->
-    io:format("RBX example 4 telnet echo server daemon~n"
-              "`one' part of the many-to-one relationship~n",
-              []),
-    p_init().
+    p_init(6969);
+main([PortNum]) ->
+    p_init(list_to_integer(PortNum)).
 
 
 noise_options() ->
@@ -43,9 +43,8 @@ noise_options() ->
 
 
 % pimp process startup
-p_init() ->
+p_init(Port) ->
     p_logln("pimp startup (p_init)"),
-    Port = 6969,
     Opts = [binary, {packet, 0}, {active, once}],
     case gen_tcp:listen(Port, Opts) of
         {ok, LSock} ->
@@ -60,12 +59,12 @@ p_init() ->
 
 p_loop(PS = #ps{hos = Hos}) ->
     receive
-        {ho, _HoPid, taken} ->
-            NewPS = p_spawn_ho(PS),
+        {ho, HoPid, taken} ->
+            NewPS = p_taken(HoPid, PS),
             p_loop(NewPS);
         {ho, HoPid, sent, Data} ->
             HoName = p_ho_name(HoPid, PS),
-            SendMessage = io_lib:format("~ts :: ~ts\r\n", [HoName, Data]),
+            SendMessage = io_lib:format("~ts> ~ts\r\n", [HoName, Data]),
             ok = p_echo_except(HoPid, HoName, SendMessage, Hos),
             p_loop(PS);
         Down = {'DOWN', _, _, _, _} ->
@@ -76,6 +75,20 @@ p_loop(PS = #ps{hos = Hos}) ->
             p_loop(PS)
     end.
 
+p_taken(Pid, PS = #ps{hos = Hos}) ->
+    Hos_II = mark_taken(Pid, Hos, []),
+    PS_II  = PS#ps{hos = Hos_II},
+    PS_III = p_spawn_ho(PS_II),
+    PS_III.
+
+mark_taken(Pid, [Ho = #pho{pid = Pid} | Rest], Acc) ->
+    NewHo = Ho#pho{taken = true},
+    lists:reverse(Acc) ++ [NewHo | Rest];
+mark_taken(Pid, [WrongHo | Rest], Acc) ->
+    mark_taken(Pid, Rest, [WrongHo | Acc]);
+mark_taken(_, [], Acc) ->
+    lists:reverse(Acc).
+
 % given pid of ho, get her name
 p_ho_name(HoPid, #ps{hos = Hos}) ->
     case lists:keyfind(HoPid, #pho.pid, Hos) of
@@ -100,7 +113,8 @@ p_spawn_ho(PS = #ps{lsock = LSock, hos = Hos, ho_names = Names}) ->
 
 % ho down, remove her from roster
 p_ho_down({'DOWN', _Ref, process, Pid, Info}, PS = #ps{hos = Hos}) ->
-    ok = p_logfln("ho down: ~tp; reason: ~tw", [Pid, Info]),
+    Ho = lists:keyfind(Pid, #pho.pid, Hos),
+    ok = p_logfln("ho down: ~ts; reason: ~tw", [Ho#pho.name, Info]),
     NewHos = lists:keydelete(Pid, #pho.pid, Hos),
     NewPS = PS#ps{hos = NewHos},
     NewPS.
@@ -110,7 +124,10 @@ p_ho_down({'DOWN', _Ref, process, Pid, Info}, PS = #ps{hos = Hos}) ->
 % skip if equal
 p_echo_except(SrcPid, SrcName, Data, [#pho{pid = SrcPid} | Rest]) ->
     p_echo_except(SrcPid, SrcName, Data, Rest);
-p_echo_except(SrcPid, SrcName, Data, [#pho{pid = DstPid} | Rest]) ->
+% skip if not taken
+p_echo_except(SrcPid, SrcName, Data, [#pho{taken = false} | Rest]) ->
+    p_echo_except(SrcPid, SrcName, Data, Rest);
+p_echo_except(SrcPid, SrcName, Data, [#pho{pid = DstPid, taken = true} | Rest]) ->
     DstPid ! {pimp, send, Data},
     p_echo_except(SrcPid, SrcName, Data, Rest);
 p_echo_except(_, _, _, []) ->
@@ -147,7 +164,8 @@ h_loop(HS = #hs{name = Name, daddy = Daddy, asock = ASock, nsock = NSock}) ->
             ok = h_rcvd(Name, Data_II),
             Daddy ! {ho, self(), sent, Data_II},
             h_loop(HS);
-        {pimp, send, Data} ->
+        {pimp, send, Data} = M ->
+            io:format("~p received ~p~n", [self(), M]),
             ok = h_send(Name, NSock, Data),
             h_loop(HS);
         {tcp_closed, ASock} ->
@@ -160,7 +178,7 @@ h_loop(HS = #hs{name = Name, daddy = Daddy, asock = ASock, nsock = NSock}) ->
 
 % pimp log in bold
 p_logln(LogStr) ->
-    Msg = io_lib:format("!! Daddy :: ~ts~n", [LogStr]),
+    Msg = io_lib:format("Daddy: ~ts~n", [LogStr]),
     PimpChars = ?ANSI_BOLD([Msg]),
     io:put_chars(PimpChars).
 
@@ -170,7 +188,7 @@ p_logfln(LogStr, Args) ->
 
 % ho log dimmed
 h_logln(HoName, LogStr) ->
-    FMsg = io_lib:format("!! ~ts :: ~ts~n", [HoName, LogStr]),
+    FMsg = io_lib:format("~ts: ~ts~n", [HoName, LogStr]),
     HoChars = ?ANSI_DIM([FMsg]),
     io:put_chars(HoChars).
 
@@ -179,12 +197,15 @@ h_logfln(HoName, MsgStr, Args) ->
 
 % normal: john messages
 h_rcvd(Name, MsgStr) ->
-    Msg = io_lib:format("<< ~ts :: ~ts~n", [Name, MsgStr]),
+    Msg = io_lib:format("~ts< ~ts~n", [Name, string:chomp(MsgStr)]),
     io:put_chars(Msg).
 
 h_send(Name, NSock, Msg) ->
-    ok = io:format(">> ~ts :: ~ts~n", [Name, Msg]),
-    enoise:send(NSock, Msg).
+    FMsg = io_lib:format("~ts> ~ts~n", [Name, string:chomp(Msg)]),
+    HoChars = [?ANSI_DIM(FMsg)],
+    ok = io:put_chars(HoChars),
+    Send = unicode:characters_to_binary([string:chomp(Msg), "\r\n"]),
+    ok = enoise:send(NSock, Send).
 
 
 init_ho_names() ->