diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 8ffa7f7..13f74e2 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.20)
 
 # -----------------------------
-# Force Clang before project() is called
+# Force Clang before project()
 # -----------------------------
 if(NOT DEFINED CMAKE_C_COMPILER)
     set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER clang CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
 endif()
+
 if(NOT DEFINED CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER)
     set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER clang++ CACHE STRING "" FORCE)
 endif()
@@ -21,13 +22,20 @@ set(CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS ON)
 set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE Release)
 
 # -----------------------------
-# Dependencies (local submodules / cloned repos)
+# System dependency: libsodium
+# -----------------------------
+find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
+pkg_check_modules(LIBSODIUM REQUIRED IMPORTED_TARGET libsodium)
+
+# -----------------------------
+# Dependencies (vendored)
 # -----------------------------
 add_subdirectory(external/spdlog)
 add_subdirectory(external/cpr)
 add_subdirectory(external/clickhouse-cpp)
 add_subdirectory(external/tomlplusplus)
 add_subdirectory(external/json)
+
 # -----------------------------
 # Executable
 # -----------------------------
@@ -36,7 +44,10 @@ add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME} src/main.cpp)
 # -----------------------------
 # Auto-discover include dirs under src/
 # -----------------------------
-file(GLOB_RECURSE SRC_SUBDIRS LIST_DIRECTORIES true "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/*")
+file(GLOB_RECURSE SRC_SUBDIRS LIST_DIRECTORIES true
+    "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/*"
+)
+
 set(SRC_INCLUDES "")
 foreach(dir ${SRC_SUBDIRS})
     if(IS_DIRECTORY ${dir})
@@ -45,10 +56,15 @@ foreach(dir ${SRC_SUBDIRS})
 endforeach()
 
 # -----------------------------
-# Auto-discover all .cpp files except main.cpp
+# Auto-discover all .cpp except main.cpp
 # -----------------------------
-file(GLOB_RECURSE ALL_CPP "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/*.cpp")
-list(REMOVE_ITEM ALL_CPP "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/main.cpp")
+file(GLOB_RECURSE ALL_CPP
+    "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/*.cpp"
+)
+
+list(REMOVE_ITEM ALL_CPP
+    "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/main.cpp"
+)
 
 # -----------------------------
 # Apply sources and includes
@@ -65,15 +81,19 @@ target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE
     clickhouse-cpp-lib
     tomlplusplus::tomlplusplus
     nlohmann_json::nlohmann_json
+    PkgConfig::LIBSODIUM
 )
 
 # -----------------------------
-# Compiler warnings (Clang/GCC)
+# Compiler warnings (Clang / GCC)
 # -----------------------------
 if(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang|GNU")
-    add_compile_options(
-        -Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic
-        -Wconversion -Wshadow
+    target_compile_options(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE
+        -Wall
+        -Wextra
+        -Wpedantic
+        -Wconversion
+        -Wshadow
         -Wnull-dereference
         -Wdouble-promotion
     )
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index d7916dd..c351489 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -1,14 +1,27 @@
+#include "clickhouse/client.h"
 #include "nlohmann/json_fwd.hpp"
 #include "skwyward-api-utils.hpp"
 #include "spdlog/spdlog.h"
-
+#include <exception>
+#include <memory>
+#include <sodium.h>
+#include <sodium/core.h>
 #include <string_view>
 #include <toml++/toml.h>
+
 int main (int argc, char *argv[]) {
   auto config = toml::parse_file("config.toml");
   std::string base_uri = config["host"].value_or("");
   std::string test_username = config["test_username"].value_or("");
   std::string test_password = config["test_password"].value_or("");
+
+  // clickhouse creds
+  
+  std::string clickhouse_host_name = config["clickhouse_host"].value_or("");
+  std::string clickhouse_username = config["clickhouse_username"].value_or("");
+  std::string clickhouse_schema = config["clickhouse_schema"].value_or("");
+  std::string clickhouse_password = config["clickhouse_password"].value_or("");
+
   api_utils::StatusResponse health_check = api_methods::get_status(base_uri);
   spdlog::info("Status response output: {}", health_check.status);
 
@@ -17,5 +30,15 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
   api_utils::GradesResponse test_grades = api_methods::get_grades(base_uri, test_username, test_password);
   spdlog::info("Grades: {}", nlohmann::json {test_grades}.dump());
+
+  if(sodium_init()==-1){
+    spdlog::error("Sodium, the crypto lib, cannot be inited. bailing");
+    std::terminate();
+  }
+
+  std::shared_ptr<clickhouse::Client> client_shared_ptr = std::make_shared<clickhouse::Client>(clickhouse::ClientOptions().SetHost(clickhouse_host_name).SetPassword(clickhouse_password).SetUser(clickhouse_username).SetDefaultDatabase(clickhouse_schema));
+
+  spdlog::info("Connected to the database");
+
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/types.cpp b/src/types.cpp
index e69de29..0be9e32 100644
--- a/src/types.cpp
+++ b/src/types.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#include "types.hpp"
diff --git a/src/types.hpp b/src/types.hpp
index e69de29..6f70f09 100644
--- a/src/types.hpp
+++ b/src/types.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#pragma once