diff --git a/cmake/ProjectFuncs.cmake b/cmake/ProjectFuncs.cmake
index 85092f5..1653a9f 100644
--- a/cmake/ProjectFuncs.cmake
+++ b/cmake/ProjectFuncs.cmake
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ function(tv2hv_target target)
 	target_compile_definitions(${target} PRIVATE "$<$<CONFIG:DEBUG>:TV2HV_DEBUG>")
 	#target_include_directories(${target} PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR})
 	target_compile_features(${target} PRIVATE cxx_std_23)
-	target_include_directories(${target} PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/lib ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
+	target_include_directories(${target} PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
 endfunction()
 
 function(_tv2hv_set_alternate_linker)
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 5f2aef0..605f0ed 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 add_executable(tv2hv
 
+
+	# utility code
+	utils/error.cpp
+
 	main.cpp
 )
 
diff --git a/src/kvm/vm.hpp b/src/kvm/vm.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37c42f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kvm/vm.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#include <utils/types.hpp>
+#include <utils/error.hpp>
+
+namespace kvm {
+
+	class CPU;
+
+	class VM {
+		/// The primary vCPU.
+		util::Ref<CPU> vcpu;
+	public:
+
+		/// Creates a new VM instance.
+		static util::ErrorOr<util::Ref<VM>> create();
+
+		// TODO: more stuff
+	};
+
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/error.cpp b/src/utils/error.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d8120f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/error.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#include <cstring>
+#include <utils/error.hpp>
+
+namespace util {
+
+	Error Error::vFormat(const std::string_view formatString, std::format_args args) {
+		return Error(std::vformat(formatString, args));
+	}
+
+	Error Error::systemError() {
+		char errBuffer[128]{};
+		auto* pStr = strerror_r(errno, &errBuffer[0], sizeof(errBuffer));
+		return Error::format("System error: {}", std::string_view(pStr));
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/error.hpp b/src/utils/error.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..765d0b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/error.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+#pragma once
+#include <string>
+#include <variant>
+#include <optional>
+#include <format>
+
+namespace util {
+
+	/// An error.
+	class Error {
+		std::string msg;
+
+		static Error vFormat(const std::string_view formatString, std::format_args args);
+
+	public:
+		explicit Error(const std::string& message)
+			: msg(message) {}
+
+		template<class ...Args>
+		static constexpr auto format(const std::string_view formatString, Args... args) {
+			return vFormat(formatString, std::make_format_args(args...));
+		}
+
+		/// Formats a system error.
+		static Error systemError();
+
+		const char* message() const { return msg.c_str(); }
+	};
+
+	/// A type which can store either an error or a value.
+	template<class T>
+	class ErrorOr {
+		std::variant<
+			Error,
+			T
+		> variant;
+	public:
+		constexpr ErrorOr(const Error& error)
+			: variant(error) {}
+
+		constexpr ErrorOr(const T& value)
+			: variant(value) {}
+
+		bool isValue() const {
+			return std::holds_alternative<T>(variant);
+		}
+
+		bool isError() const {
+			return std::holds_alternative<Error>(variant);
+		}
+
+		const Error& err() const {
+			return std::get<Error>(variant);
+		}
+
+		T& value() {
+			return std::get<T>(variant);
+		}
+
+		T& value() const {
+			return std::get<T>(variant);
+		}
+	};
+
+	template<>
+	class ErrorOr<void> {
+		std::optional<Error> error;
+	public:
+		ErrorOr() = default;
+		ErrorOr(const Error& error)
+			: error(error) {}
+
+		bool isError() const {
+			return error.has_value();
+		}
+
+		const Error& err() const {
+			return error.value();
+		}
+	};
+
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/types.hpp b/src/utils/types.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..597a48b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/types.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+//! Core types and includes
+#pragma once
+
+#include <cstdint>
+#include <memory>
+#include <span>
+
+#include <base/assert.hpp>
+
+// these are in the global namespace since most libraries
+// won't try defining anything like this in the global namespace
+// (and I'd like these types to be used globally a lot more anyways)
+using u8 = std::uint8_t;
+using i8 = std::int8_t;
+using u16 = std::uint16_t;
+using i16 = std::int16_t;
+using u32 = std::uint32_t;
+using i32 = std::int32_t;
+using u64 = std::uint64_t;
+using i64 = std::int64_t;
+using usize = std::size_t;
+using isize = std::intptr_t;
+
+namespace util {
+
+	template <class T>
+	constexpr void Unused(T t) {
+		static_cast<void>(t);
+	}
+
+	template <class T>
+	using Ref = std::shared_ptr<T>;
+
+	template <class T, class Deleter = std::default_delete<T>>
+	using Unique = std::unique_ptr<T, Deleter>;
+
+	template <typename... Ts>
+	struct OverloadVisitor : Ts... {
+		using Ts::operator()...;
+	};
+
+	template <class... Ts>
+	OverloadVisitor(Ts...) -> OverloadVisitor<Ts...>;
+
+	template <class T, auto* Free>
+	struct UniqueCDeleter {
+		constexpr void operator()(T* ptr) {
+			if(ptr)
+				Free(reinterpret_cast<void*>(ptr));
+		}
+	};
+
+	/// Use this for wrapping a C-allocated memory block. The defaults here assume
+	/// you're wrapping data allocated by malloc(), however, any deallocator pattern
+	/// is supported by the UniqueCDeleter.
+	template <class T, auto Free = std::free>
+	using CUnique = Unique<T, UniqueCDeleter<T, Free>>;
+
+} // namespace base