docs: expand readme

Add more detail and substance to the welcome repository landing page.

README.md

@@ -1,2 +1,89 @@
-# welcome
+# 👋 Welcome to Rootiest Gitea
 
+This repository is a landing page and functional example for the **Rootiest Gitea** instance.  
+If you've been linked here, it's likely because we're discussing self-hosted git solutions, DevOps workflows, or the specific configuration of this server.
+
+## 🌐 About This Instance
+
+**Rootiest Gitea** is a private, high-performance Git service hosted at [git.rootiest.dev](https://git.rootiest.dev).  
+It serves as the central hub for my personal projects, automated deployments, and collaborative experiments.
+
+* **Host:** `rootiest.dev`
+* **Platform:** [Gitea](https://gitea.io/) - The painless self-hosted Git service.
+* **Purpose:** To provide a lightweight, sovereign alternative to centralized platforms.
+
+---
+
+## 🏗️ Familiarity & Workflow
+
+Interacting with this instance will feel very natural to anyone familiar with Git and GitHub.
+
+* **Standard Commands:** All your standard `git` CLI commands work exactly as expected.
+* **Feature Parity:** You'll find familiar tools like Pull Requests, Issues, Milestones, and Wikis.
+* **Web Interface:** The UI is designed to be intuitive for GitHub users, so you'll feel right at home navigating the code and history.
+
+---
+
+## 🔑 Creating an Account
+
+Getting started on Rootiest Gitea is simple.  
+We’ve configured the instance to support modern authentication methods so you don't have to manage another set of credentials.
+
+### 🐙 Sign in with GitHub (Recommended)
+
+You can create an account or log in instantly using your existing GitHub profile via **OAuth2**.
+
+1. Go to the [Login Page](https://git.rootiest.dev/user/login).
+2. Click the **Sign in with GitHub** button.
+3. Authorize the application, and your profile will be automatically provisioned.
+
+### Local Accounts
+
+[Manual registration](https://git.rootiest.dev/user/sign_up) is also available for those who prefer to keep their identity provider local to this instance.
+
+---
+
+## 🛠️ Why Gitea?
+
+We use Gitea on this server because it offers a perfect balance of features and efficiency:
+
+* **Low Footprint:** Runs smoothly on modest hardware without sacrificing speed.
+* **Familiar UI:** Provides an intuitive interface for anyone used to GitHub.
+* **Extensible:** Supports Gitea Actions (CI/CD), webhooks, and a robust API.
+* **Privacy:** Complete control over data and access logs.
+
+---
+
+## 🚀 Getting Started with this Repo
+
+If you want to test the performance or workflow of this instance, you can use the following commands to interact with this repository via **HTTPS**:
+
+### Clone this repository
+
+```bash
+git clone https://git.rootiest.dev/rootiest/welcome.git rootiest-git-welcome
+```
+
+### Check remote connectivity
+
+```bash
+cd rootiest-git-welcome
+git remote -v
+```
+
+### Pull latest changes
+
+```bash
+git pull origin main
+```
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> For this instance, we currently utilize HTTPS for all Git operations to ensure maximum compatibility and ease of use.
+
+---
+
+## 📬 Contact & Links
+* **Main Site:** [rootiest.dev](https://rootiest.dev)
+* **Instance Home:** [git.rootiest.dev](https://git.rootiest.dev)
+
+> "Root access isn't just a permission; it's a lifestyle."