diff --git a/scsh/SPAN/SPAN-client.scm b/scsh/SPAN/SPAN-client.scm
index a57c4b1..b957bd3 100644
--- a/scsh/SPAN/SPAN-client.scm
+++ b/scsh/SPAN/SPAN-client.scm
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 ;;; (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF
 ;;; THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
-(define (ask-server request port-number)
+(define (SPAN-ask-server request port-number)
   (call-with-values
     (lambda ()
       (socket-client (get-host-name) port-number))
diff --git a/scsh/SPAN/SPAN-server.scm b/scsh/SPAN/SPAN-server.scm
index 6a9b2a7..55228b6 100644
--- a/scsh/SPAN/SPAN-server.scm
+++ b/scsh/SPAN/SPAN-server.scm
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 ;;; (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF
 ;;; THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
-(define (tell-client request port-number sock)
+(define (SPAN-tell-client request port-number sock)
   (call-with-values
       (lambda ()
         (socket-accept sock))
diff --git a/scsh/SPAN/SPAN.scm b/scsh/SPAN/SPAN.scm
index 872689b..492feb6 100644
--- a/scsh/SPAN/SPAN.scm
+++ b/scsh/SPAN/SPAN.scm
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-;;; SPAN.scm - Scheme Perl Archive Network 
+;;; SPAN.scm - Scheme Perl Archive Network
 ;;;
 ;;; Copyright (c) 2011-2012 Johan Ceuppens
 ;;;
@@ -26,4 +26,28 @@
 ;;; (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF
 ;;; THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
+(define SPAN-shell-droptext-1
+"The following questions are intended to help you with the
+configuration. The CPAN module needs a directory of its own to cache
+important index files and maybe keep a temporary mirror of CPAN files.
+This may be a site-wide or a personal directory."
+
+(define (SPAN-question~ droptext question answer defaultchoice)
+  (let ((s ""))
+    (display droptext)
+    (newline)
+    (display question)(display " ")
+    (display "[")(display defaultchoice)(display "] ")
+    (set! s (read))
+    (cond ((and (symbol? s)
+                (string=? (symbol->string s) defaultchoice))
+           (set! answer defaultchoice))
+          ((and (number? s)
+                (string=? (symbol->number s) defaultchoice))
+           (set! answer defaultchoice))
+          ((string=? (symbol->string s)(string #\return))
+           (set! answer defaultchoice))
+          ((string? (symbol->string s))
+           (set! answer (symbol->string s)))
+          (else (SPAN-question~ droptext question answer defaultchoice)))))
 
diff --git a/scsh/SPAN/load.scm b/scsh/SPAN/load.scm
index 1bdb0c2..bc687a3 100644
--- a/scsh/SPAN/load.scm
+++ b/scsh/SPAN/load.scm
@@ -26,3 +26,9 @@
 ;;; (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF
 ;;; THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
+(load "SPAN.scm")
+;;prototype (define (SPAN-question~ droptext question answer defaultchoice)
+(SPAN-question~ SPAN-shell-droptext-1
+                "SPAN build and cache directory"
+                ""
+                (string-append (getenv "HOME") "/.span"))