diff --git a/create-dev-env.sh b/create-dev-env.sh
index a45fc0dba0..7b798c5b8c 100755
--- a/create-dev-env.sh
+++ b/create-dev-env.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -e
+
+# posix compliant sanity check
+if [ -z $BASH ] || [  $BASH = "/bin/sh" ]; then
+    echo "Please use the bash interpreter to run this script"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 trap "ouch" ERR
 
 ouch() {
@@ -14,6 +21,7 @@ ouch() {
     script again with the -v flag.  
 
 EOL
+    printf '\E[0m'
 
 }
 error() {
@@ -28,6 +36,7 @@ usage() {
     Usage: $PROG [-c] [-v] [-h]
     
             -c        compile scipy and numpy
+            -s        --system-site-packages for virtualenv
             -v        set -x + spew
             -h        this
 
@@ -48,21 +57,45 @@ EO
 
 clone_repos() {
     cd "$BASE"
-    output "Cloning mitx"
-    if [[ -d "$BASE/mitx" ]]; then
-        mv "$BASE/mitx" "${BASE}/mitx.bak.$$"
+    
+    if [[ -d "$BASE/mitx/.git" ]]; then
+        output "Pulling mitx"
+        cd "$BASE/mitx"
+        git pull >>$LOG
+    else
+        output "Cloning mitx"
+        if [[ -d "$BASE/mitx" ]]; then
+            mv "$BASE/mitx" "${BASE}/mitx.bak.$$"
+        fi
+        git clone git@github.com:MITx/mitx.git >>$LOG 
     fi
-    git clone git@github.com:MITx/mitx.git >>$LOG 
-    output "Cloning askbot-devel"
-    if [[ -d "$BASE/askbot-devel" ]]; then
-        mv "$BASE/askbot-devel" "${BASE}/askbot-devel.bak.$$"
+    
+    cd "$BASE"
+    if [[ -d "$BASE/askbot-devel/.git" ]]; then
+        output "Pulling askbot-devel"
+        cd "$BASE/askbot-devel"
+        git pull >>$LOG
+    else
+        output "Cloning askbot-devel"
+        if [[ -d "$BASE/askbot-devel" ]]; then
+            mv "$BASE/askbot-devel" "${BASE}/askbot-devel.bak.$$"
+        fi
+        git clone git@github.com:MITx/askbot-devel >>$LOG 
     fi
-    git clone git@github.com:MITx/askbot-devel >>$LOG 
-    output "Cloning data"
-    if [[ -d "$BASE/data" ]]; then
-        mv "$BASE/data" "${BASE}/data.bak.$$"
+    
+    cd "$BASE"
+    if [[ -d "$BASE/data/.hg" ]]; then
+        output "Pulling data"
+        cd "$BASE/data"
+        hg pull >>$LOG
+        hg update >>$LOG
+    else
+        output "Cloning data"
+        if [[ -d "$BASE/data" ]]; then
+            mv "$BASE/data" "${BASE}/data.bak.$$"
+        fi
+        hg clone ssh://hg-content@gp.mitx.mit.edu/data >>$LOG 
     fi
-    hg clone ssh://hg-content@gp.mitx.mit.edu/data >>$LOG 
 }
 
 PROG=${0##*/}
@@ -81,7 +114,7 @@ if [[ $EUID -eq 0 ]]; then
     usage
     exit 1
 fi
-ARGS=$(getopt "cvh" "$*")
+ARGS=$(getopt "cvhs" "$*")
 if [[ $? != 0 ]]; then
     usage
     exit 1
@@ -93,6 +126,10 @@ while true; do
             compile=true
             shift
             ;;
+        -s)
+            systempkgs=true
+            shift
+            ;;
         -v)
             set -x
             verbose=true
@@ -123,7 +160,7 @@ cat<<EO
 
   To compile scipy and numpy from source use the -c option
 
-  STDOUT is redirected to /var/tmp/install.log, run
+  Most of STDOUT is redirected to /var/tmp/install.log, run
   $ tail -f /var/tmp/install.log
   to monitor progress
 
@@ -211,8 +248,13 @@ esac
 output "Installing rvm and ruby"
 curl -sL get.rvm.io | bash -s stable
 source $RUBY_DIR/scripts/rvm
-rvm install $RUBY_VER
-virtualenv "$PYTHON_DIR"
+# skip the intro 
+LESS="-E" rvm install $RUBY_VER
+if [[ -n $systempkgs ]]; then
+    virtualenv --system-site-packages "$PYTHON_DIR"
+else
+    virtualenv "$PYTHON_DIR"
+fi
 source $PYTHON_DIR/bin/activate
 output "Installing gem bundler"
 gem install bundler
@@ -251,23 +293,38 @@ mkdir "$BASE/log" || true
 mkdir "$BASE/db" || true
 
 cat<<END
-   
    Success!!
 
-   To start using Django you will need
-   to activate the local Python and Ruby
-   environment:
+   To start using Django you will need to activate the local Python 
+   and Ruby environment (at this time rvm only supports bash) :
 
         $ source $RUBY_DIR/scripts/rvm
         $ source $PYTHON_DIR/bin/activate
   
-   To initialize and start a local instance of Django:
+   To initialize Django
         
         $ cd $BASE/mitx
-        $ django-admin.py syncdb --settings=envs.dev --pythonpath=.
-        $ django-admin.py migrate --settings=envs.dev --pythonpath=.
-        $ django-admin.py runserver --settings=envs.dev --pythonpath=.   
-       
+        $ rake django-admin[syncdb]
+        $ rake django-admin[migrate]
+
+   To start the Django on port 8000
+
+        $ rake lms
+   
+   Or to start Django on a different <port#>
+
+        $ rake django-admin[runserver,lms,dev,<port#>]   
+
+  If the Django development server starts properly you 
+  should see:
+
+      Development server is running at http://127.0.0.1:<port#>/
+      Quit the server with CONTROL-C.
+
+  Connect your browser to http://127.0.0.1:<port#> to 
+  view the Django site.
+
+
 END
 exit 0