diff --git a/bernina.py b/bernina.py
index 774524e..5fb69f1 100644
--- a/bernina.py
+++ b/bernina.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import logging
 from epics import PV
 
 from slic.utils.eco_components.aliases import NamespaceCollection
-from slic.utils.eco_components.ecoinit import ecoinit
+from eco_components.ecoinit import ecoinit
 
 from devices import components, config
 
diff --git a/devices.py b/devices.py
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 02017e8..a828692
--- a/devices.py
+++ b/devices.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 # if arg or kwarg is of type slic.utils.Component (dummy class)
 # this indicates that an earlier initialized object is used
 # (e.g. from same configuration).
-from slic.utils.eco_components.config import (
+from eco_components.config import (
     Component,
     Alias,
     init_device,
diff --git a/eco_components/__init__.py b/eco_components/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/eco_components/config.py b/eco_components/config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aea151f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eco_components/config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,247 @@
+import json
+import importlib
+from pathlib import Path
+import sys
+from colorama import Fore as _color
+from functools import partial
+from slic.utils.eco_components.aliases import Alias
+import getpass
+import colorama
+import socket
+
+
+#TODO: add lazy_object_proxy as dep?
+try:
+    from lazy_object_proxy import Proxy
+except ImportError:
+    print(_color.RED + "Cannot import lazy_object_proxy, thus cannot create lazy objects" + _color.RESET)
+    Proxy = None
+
+
+class Component:
+    def __init__(self, namestring):
+        self.name = namestring
+
+
+def init_name_obj(obj, args, kwargs, name=None):
+    try:
+        return obj(*args, **kwargs, name=name)
+    except TypeError:
+        return obj(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
+def init_device(type_string, name, args=[], kwargs={}, verbose=True, lazy=True):
+    if verbose:
+        print(("Configuring %s " % (name)).ljust(25), end="")
+        sys.stdout.flush()
+    imp_p, type_name = type_string.split(sep=":")
+    imp_p = imp_p.split(sep=".")
+    if verbose:
+        print(("(%s)" % (type_name)).ljust(25), end="")
+        sys.stdout.flush()
+    try:
+        tg = importlib.import_module(".".join(imp_p)).__dict__[type_name]
+
+        if lazy and Proxy:
+            tdev = Proxy(partial(init_name_obj, tg, args, kwargs, name=name))
+            if verbose:
+                print((_color.YELLOW + "LAZY" + _color.RESET).rjust(5))
+                sys.stdout.flush()
+        else:
+            tdev = init_name_obj(tg, args, kwargs, name=name)
+            if verbose:
+                print((_color.GREEN + "OK" + _color.RESET).rjust(5))
+                sys.stdout.flush()
+        return tdev
+    except Exception as expt:
+        # tb = traceback.format_exc()
+        if verbose:
+            print((_color.RED + "FAILED" + _color.RESET).rjust(5))
+            # print(sys.exc_info())
+        raise expt
+
+
+def get_dependencies(inp):
+    outp = []
+    if isinstance(inp, dict):
+        inp = inp.values()
+    for ta in inp:
+        if isinstance(ta, Component):
+            outp.append(ta.name)
+        elif isinstance(ta, dict) or isinstance(ta, list):
+            outp.append(get_dependencies(ta))
+    return outp
+
+
+def replaceComponent(inp, dict_all, config_all, lazy=False):
+    if isinstance(inp, list):
+        outp = []
+        for ta in inp:
+            if isinstance(ta, Component):
+                if ta.name in dict_all.keys():
+                    outp.append(dict_all[ta.name])
+                else:
+                    ind = [ta.name==tca['name'] for tca in config_all].index(True)
+                    outp.append(initFromConfigList(config_list[ind:ind+1],config_all,lazy=lazy))
+            elif isinstance(ta, dict) or isinstance(ta, list):
+                outp.append(replaceComponent(ta, dict_all,config_all, lazy=lazy))
+            else:
+                outp.append(ta)
+    elif isinstance(inp, dict):
+        outp = {}
+        for tk, ta in inp.items():
+            if isinstance(ta, Component):
+                if ta.name in dict_all.keys():
+                    outp[tk] = dict_all[ta.name]
+                else:
+                    ind = [tk.name==tca['name'] for tca in config_all].index(True)
+                    outp[tk] = initFromConfigList(config_list[ind:ind+1],config_all,lazy=lazy)
+            elif isinstance(ta, dict) or isinstance(ta, list):
+                outp[tk] = replaceComponent(ta, dict_all, config_all, lazy=lazy)
+            else:
+                outp[tk] = ta
+    else:
+        return inp
+    return outp
+
+
+def initFromConfigList(config_list, config_all, lazy=False):
+    op = {}
+    for td in config_list:
+        # args = [op[ta.name] if isinstance(ta, Component) else ta for ta in td["args"]]
+        # kwargs = {
+        # tkwk: op[tkwv.name] if isinstance(tkwv, Component) else tkwv
+        # for tkwk, tkwv in td["kwargs"].items()
+        # }
+        try:
+            tlazy = td["lazy"]
+        except:
+            tlazy = lazy
+        op[td["name"]] = init_device(
+            td["type"],
+            td["name"],
+            replaceComponent(td["args"], op, config_all, lazy=lazy),
+            replaceComponent(td["kwargs"], op, config_all, lazy=lazy),
+            lazy=tlazy,
+        )
+    return op
+
+
+class Configuration:
+    """Configuration collector object collecting important settings for arbitrary use, 
+    linking to one or few standard config files in the file system. Sould also be used 
+    for config file writing."""
+
+    def __init__(self, configFile, name=None):
+        self.name = name
+        self.configFile = Path(configFile)
+        self._config = {}
+        if self.configFile:
+            self.readConfigFile()
+
+    def readConfigFile(self):
+        self._config = loadConfig(self.configFile)
+        assert (
+            type(self._config) is dict
+        ), f"Problem reading {self.configFile} json file, seems not to be a valid dictionary structure!"
+        # self.__dict__.update(self._config)
+
+    def __setitem__(self, key, item):
+        self._config[key] = item
+        # self.__dict__.update(self._config)
+        self.saveConfigFile()
+
+    def __getitem__(self, key):
+        return self._config[key]
+
+    def saveConfigFile(self, filename=None, force=False):
+        if not filename:
+            filename = self.configFile
+        if (not force) and filename.exists():
+            if (
+                not input(
+                    f"File {filename.absolute().as_posix()} exists,\n would you like to overwrite? (y/n)"
+                ).strip()
+                == "y"
+            ):
+                return
+        writeConfig(filename, self._config)
+
+    def _ipython_key_completions_(self):
+        return list(self._config.keys())
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return json.dumps(self._config, indent=4)
+
+
+def loadConfig(fina):
+    with open(fina, "r") as f:
+        return json.load(f)
+
+
+def writeConfig(fina, obj):
+    with open(fina, "w") as f:
+        json.dump(obj, f, indent=4)
+
+
+class ChannelList(list):
+    def __init__(self,*args,**kwargs):
+        self.file_name = kwargs.pop("file_name")
+        # list.__init__(*args,**kwargs)
+        self.load()
+
+    def load(self):
+        self.clear()
+        self.extend(parseChannelListFile(self.file_name))
+
+
+def parseChannelListFile(fina):
+    out = []
+    with open(fina, "r") as f:
+        done = False
+        while not done:
+            d = f.readline()
+            if not d:
+                done = True
+            if len(d) > 0:
+                if not d.isspace():
+                    if not d[0] == "#":
+                        out.append(d.strip())
+    return out
+
+
+def append_to_path(*args):
+    for targ in args:
+        sys.path.append(targ)
+
+
+def prepend_to_path(*args):
+    for targ in args:
+        sys.path.insert(0, targ)
+
+class Terminal:
+    def __init__(self,title='eco',scope=None):
+        self.title = title
+        self.scope = scope
+
+    @property
+    def user(self):
+        return getpass.getuser()
+
+    @property
+    def host(self):
+        return socket.gethostname()
+
+    @property
+    def user(self):
+        return getpass.getuser()
+
+    def get_string(self):
+        s = f'{self.title}'
+        if self.scope:
+            s +=f'-{self.scope}'
+        s += f' ({self.user}@{self.host})'
+        return s
+
+    def set_title(self,extension=''):
+        print(colorama.ansi.set_title("♻️ "+self.get_string()+extension))
diff --git a/eco_components/ecocnf.py b/eco_components/ecocnf.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9934e58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eco_components/ecocnf.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#import logging
+#import json
+#from pathlib import Path
+#from .utilities.config import Configuration
+
+startup_lazy = False
+
+scopes = [
+    {"name": "Alvra", "facility": "SwissFEL", "module": "alvra"},
+    {"name": "Bernina", "facility": "SwissFEL", "module": "bernina"},
+    {"name": "SwissMX", "facility": "SwissFEL", "module": "swissmx"},
+]
+
+
+# settings = Configuration(Path.home() / '.ecorc', name='eco_startup_settings')
diff --git a/eco_components/ecoinit.py b/eco_components/ecoinit.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4915ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eco_components/ecoinit.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+from .config import initFromConfigList
+from . import ecocnf
+
+
+def ecoinit(*args, _mod=None, alias_namespaces=None, components=None, lazy=None):
+
+    #TODO: workaround for *args being used here
+    msg = "ecoinit: \"{}\" is mandatory, even though it is a keyword argument"
+    if _mod is None:
+        raise TypeError(msg.format("_mod"))
+    if alias_namespaces is None:
+        raise TypeError(msg.format("alias_namespaces"))
+    if components is None:
+        raise TypeError(msg.format("components"))
+
+    if args:
+        allnames = [tc['name'] for tc in components]
+        comp_toinit = []
+        for arg in args:
+            if not arg in allnames:
+                raise Exception(f'The component {arg} has no configuration defined!')
+            else:
+                comp_toinit.append(components[allnames.index(arg)])
+    else:
+        comp_toinit = components
+
+    if lazy is None:
+        lazy=ecocnf.startup_lazy
+
+    op = {}
+    for key, value in initFromConfigList(comp_toinit, components, lazy=lazy).items():
+        # _namespace[key] = value
+        _mod.__dict__[key] = value
+        op[key]= value
+
+
+        if not ecocnf.startup_lazy:
+            try:
+                for ta in value.alias.get_all():
+                    alias_namespaces.bernina.update(
+                        ta["alias"], ta["channel"], ta["channeltype"]
+                    )
+            except:
+                pass
+#        alias_namespaces.bernina.store()
+    return op
+
+
+