diff --git a/scripts/build.sh b/scripts/build.sh
index 643be55..c6bde3a 100755
--- a/scripts/build.sh
+++ b/scripts/build.sh
@@ -15,20 +15,7 @@
 # version 3 along with this program.
 # If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html
 
-if [ "$(tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' <<< $SINGLE)" = "yes" ]; then
-    echo "Running build script in single-threaded mode."
-    WAIT_ANYWAY="wait"
-else
-    WAIT_ANYWAY=""
-fi
-
-if [ -z "$CXX" ]; then
-    CXX="c++"
-fi
-if [ -z "$CXXFLAGS" ]; then
-    CXXFLAGS="-std=c++20 -Wall -Wextra"
-fi
-CXX_WITH_FLAGS="$CXX $CXXFLAGS"
+source scripts/lib.sh
 
 # if unknown, figure out endianness
 if [ -f .endianness ]; then
@@ -47,7 +34,7 @@ fi
 # `.cpp` files in src/lib will be automatically picked up and compiled into
 # dynamically linked libraries.
 echo "Building libs..."
-mkdir -pv bin/lib
+create_directory bin/lib
 for lib in $(find ./src/lib -name "*.cpp"); do
     COMPILE_COMMAND="$CXX_WITH_FLAGS -I ./include -fPIC -shared -o $(sed -e 's/^.\/src/.\/bin/;s/cpp$/so/' <<< $lib) $lib"
     echo $COMPILE_COMMAND
@@ -69,7 +56,7 @@ wait
 #   when running a program
 # Example: LD_LIBRARY_PATH=bin/lib bin/tools/dumpnbt
 echo "Building tools..."
-mkdir -pv bin/tools
+create_directory bin/tools
 # add compile commands to this array
 COMPILE_COMMANDS=(
     "$CXX_WITH_FLAGS src/tools/dumpnbt.cpp -I./include -Lbin/lib -l:nbt.so -l:javacompat.so -o bin/tools/dumpnbt"
diff --git a/scripts/clean.sh b/scripts/clean.sh
index 594b300..88b386f 100755
--- a/scripts/clean.sh
+++ b/scripts/clean.sh
@@ -15,13 +15,15 @@
 # version 3 along with this program.
 # If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html
 
-rm -rv ./bin
-rm -rv ./include
-rm -vf .endianness
-rm -vf resources/check_endianness
-mkdir -v ./bin
-mkdir -v ./bin/lib
-mkdir -v ./include
+source scripts/lib.sh
+
+remove ./bin
+remove ./include
+remove .endianness
+remove resources/check_endianness
+create_directory ./bin
+create_directory ./bin/lib
+create_directory ./include
 
 ln -vs ../../dependencies/sockpp-0.7.1/build/libsockpp.so bin/lib/
 ln -vs ../../dependencies/sockpp-0.7.1/build/libsockpp.so.0 bin/lib/
@@ -30,6 +32,5 @@ ln -vs ../../dependencies/sockpp-0.7.1/build/libsockpp.so.0.7.1 bin/lib/
 ln -vs ../dependencies/sockpp-0.7.1/include/sockpp/ ./include/
 ln -vs ../dependencies/tiny-utf8-4.4.3/include/tinyutf8/ ./include/
 
-set -v
-echo -n "" > ./bin/.placeholder
-echo -n "" > ./include/.placeholder
+create_file ./bin/.placeholder
+create_file ./include/.placeholder
diff --git a/scripts/clean_dependencies.sh b/scripts/clean_dependencies.sh
index 25b4285..ccf9009 100755
--- a/scripts/clean_dependencies.sh
+++ b/scripts/clean_dependencies.sh
@@ -15,11 +15,13 @@
 # version 3 along with this program.
 # If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html
 
+source scripts/lib.sh
+
 echo "Checking download cache for unneeded or corrupted files..."
 for file in $(ls .download_cache); do
     #TODO: remove if unknown shasum
     if grep $file scripts/setup_project.sh >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        if sha256sum --check <<< "$file *.download_cache/$file" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        if check_sha256 ".download_cache/$file" "$file"; then
             echo -n "."
         else
             echo -n "!"
@@ -32,7 +34,6 @@ for file in $(ls .download_cache); do
 done
 echo ""
 
-rm -rv ./dependencies
-mkdir -v ./dependencies
-set -v
-echo -n "" > ./dependencies/.placeholder
+remove ./dependencies
+create_directory ./dependencies
+create_file ./dependencies/.placeholder
diff --git a/scripts/lib.sh b/scripts/lib.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f3f319
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/lib.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+#!/bin/echo You are not supposed to run this file.
+
+# Copyright 2022, FOSS-VG Developers and Contributers
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+# under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published
+# by the Free Software Foundation, version 3.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied
+# warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
+# See the GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# version 3 along with this program.
+# If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html
+
+if [ "$(tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' <<< $SINGLE)" = "yes" ]; then
+    echo "Single-threaded mode enabled."
+    WAIT_ANYWAY="wait"
+else
+    WAIT_ANYWAY=""
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$CXX" ]; then
+    CXX="c++"
+fi
+if [ -z "$CXXFLAGS" ]; then
+    CXXFLAGS="-std=c++20 -Wall -Wextra"
+fi
+CXX_WITH_FLAGS="$CXX $CXXFLAGS"
+
+# automatically find and use an appropriate sha256 sum command
+# currently supports sha256sum and NetBSD's sha256
+if command -v sha256sum > /dev/null; then
+    function check_sha256 {
+        FILE="$1"
+        CHECKSUM="$2"
+        sha256sum --check <<< "$CHECKSUM *$FILE" >/dev/null 2>&1
+        return $?
+    }
+else
+    if command -v sha256 > /dev/null; then
+        function check_sha256 {
+            FILE="$1"
+            CHECKSUM="$2"
+            sha256 --c <<< "SHA256 ($FILE) = $CHECKSUM" >/dev/null 2>&1
+            return $?
+        }
+    else
+        echo "Could not find sha256sum or sha256."
+        exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+
+# This function exists to make the output more sensible on platforms where
+# `rm -v` only prints the names of the removed things instead of a more
+# comprehensible message like "removing NAME".
+function remove {
+    echo "Removing $1..."
+    if [ -d "$1" ]; then
+        rm -rv "$1"
+    else
+        rm -v "$1"
+    fi
+}
+
+# some platforms don’t support `mkdir -v`
+function create_directory {
+    echo "Creating directory: $1"
+    mkdir -p "$1"
+}
+
+# `mkfile -v` if you will
+function create_file {
+    echo "Creating file: $1"
+    touch "$1"
+}
diff --git a/scripts/setup_project.sh b/scripts/setup_project.sh
index f01d11d..b3a87b7 100755
--- a/scripts/setup_project.sh
+++ b/scripts/setup_project.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 # version 3 along with this program.
 # If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html
 
+source scripts/lib.sh
+
 echo -n "Wget or curl? "
 if command -v wget >/dev/null 2>&1; then
     USE_WGET=yes
@@ -36,11 +38,11 @@ function download {
 
     if [ ! -d .download_cache ]; then
         echo "Cache directory missing."
-        mkdir -v .download_cache
+        create_directory .download_cache
     fi
 
     if [ -f ".download_cache/$SHA256SUM" ]; then
-        if sha256sum --check <<< "$SHA256SUM *.download_cache/$SHA256SUM" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        if check_sha256 ".download_cache/$SHA256SUM" "$SHA256SUM"; then
             echo "Using locally cached file for $DESTINATION"
             cp ".download_cache/$SHA256SUM" "$DESTINATION"
             return 0
@@ -57,7 +59,7 @@ function download {
         else
             curl -L "$URL" --output ".download_cache/$SHA256SUM" >/dev/null 2>&1
         fi
-        if sha256sum --check <<< "$SHA256SUM *.download_cache/$SHA256SUM" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        if check_sha256 ".download_cache/$SHA256SUM" "$SHA256SUM"; then
             cp ".download_cache/$SHA256SUM" "$DESTINATION"
             echo "done."
             return 0
@@ -76,7 +78,7 @@ echo "Cleaning dependencies..."
 scripts/clean_dependencies.sh
 
 set -e # failures are not acceptable here
-mkdir -v dependencies/tmp
+create_directory dependencies/tmp
 download https://github.com/DuffsDevice/tiny-utf8/archive/refs/tags/v4.4.3.tar.gz dependencies/tmp/tiny-utf8.tar.gz 8e3f61651909c9f3105d3501932a96aa65733127fb6e7cf94cb1b0a2dff42c8f
 download https://github.com/fpagliughi/sockpp/archive/refs/tags/v0.7.1.tar.gz dependencies/tmp/sockpp.tar.gz 2e023528bebbd2ac083fc91fbe6d5c4158c3336bedbcff48f594f3b28f53b940
 
@@ -96,4 +98,4 @@ cmake --build build
 popd >/dev/null 2>&1
 echo "done."
 
-rm -rv dependencies/tmp
+remove dependencies/tmp
diff --git a/scripts/test.sh b/scripts/test.sh
index fc289e1..1b7c304 100755
--- a/scripts/test.sh
+++ b/scripts/test.sh
@@ -15,20 +15,7 @@
 # version 3 along with this program.
 # If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0.en.html
 
-if [ "$(tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' <<< $SINGLE)" = "yes" ]; then
-    echo "Building tests in single-threaded mode."
-    WAIT_ANYWAY="wait"
-else
-    WAIT_ANYWAY=""
-fi
-
-if [ -z "$CXX" ]; then
-    CXX="c++"
-fi
-if [ -z "$CXXFLAGS" ]; then
-    CXXFLAGS="-std=c++20 -Wall -Wextra"
-fi
-CXX_WITH_FLAGS="$CXX $CXXFLAGS"
+source scripts/lib.sh
 
 echo -n "Using LD_LIBRARY_PATH "
 if [ -z "$LD_LIBRARY_PATH" ]; then
@@ -38,7 +25,7 @@ else
 fi
 echo "$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
 
-mkdir -pv bin/test
+create_directory bin/test
 
 echo "Building tests..."