diff --git a/README.markdown b/README.markdown
index 4064be515..ff27c8ed3 100644
--- a/README.markdown
+++ b/README.markdown
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ https://github.com/data61/fp-course
 #### Special note 2
 
 Since February 2017, this repository is no longer hosted at
-https://github.com/NICTA/course which is deprecated. Data61 replaces what was 
+https://github.com/NICTA/course which is deprecated. Data61 replaces what was
 NICTA since July 2016. The new repository is located at
 https://github.com/data61/fp-course
 
@@ -47,11 +47,11 @@ however, your first post might be moderated. This is simply to prevent spam.
 2. [[haskell-exercises]](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/haskell-exercises)
    is a Google Group for queries related specifically to this Data61 functional
    programming course material. This mailing list is not owned by Data61, but is
-   run by others who are keen to share ideas relating to the course. 
+   run by others who are keen to share ideas relating to the course.
 
 3. \#scalaz [on Freenode](irc://irc.freenode.net/#scalaz) is an IRC channel that is operated
    by others who are keen to share ideas relating to functional programming in
-   general. Most of the participants of this channel have completed the Data61 
+   general. Most of the participants of this channel have completed the Data61
    functional programming course to some extent. They are in various timezones
    and share a passion for functional programming, so may be able to provide
    relatively quick assistance with questions.
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ however, your first post might be moderated. This is simply to prevent spam.
 
 ### Getting Started
 
+**NOTE** If you do not wish to install these dependencies, you may use a virtual machine
+instead. [Instructions](ops/README.md) for automatically building a virtual machine are
+available in this repository for your convenience.
+
 1. Install the Glasgow Haskell Compiler (GHC) version 7.10 or higher.
 
 2. Change to the directory containing this document.
@@ -170,7 +174,7 @@ To run the full test suite, build the project as follows:
     > cabal configure --enable-tests
     > cabal build
     > cabal test
-    
+
 Tasty will also allow you to run only those tests whose description match a
 pattern. Tests are organised in nested groups named after the relevant module
 and function, so pattern matching should be intuitive. For example, to run the
@@ -181,7 +185,7 @@ tests for the `List` module you could run:
 Likewise, to run only the tests for the `headOr` function in the `List` module, you could use:
 
     > cabal test tasty --show-detail=direct --test-option=--pattern=List/headOr
-    
+
 In addition, GHCi may be used to run tasty tests. Assuming you have run `ghci`
 from the root of the project, you may do the following. Remember that GHCi has
 tab completion, so you can save yourself some typing.
@@ -210,7 +214,7 @@ Executing the tests is done with the `doctest` executable, which you may install
 using:
 
     > cabal install doctest
-    
+
 Once installed, you may use doctest to run the doctests for a given module:
 
     > doctest -isrc -Wall -fno-warn-type-defaults <filename.hs>
@@ -258,7 +262,7 @@ others. For example, in the progression, `Course.Functor` to `Course.Monad`, the
 exercises repeat a similar theme. Instead, a participant may wish to do
 different exercises, such as `Course.Parser`. In this case, the remaining
 answers are filled out, so that progress on to `Course.Parser` can begin
-(which depends on correct answers up to `Course.Monad`). It is recommended to 
+(which depends on correct answers up to `Course.Monad`). It is recommended to
 take this deviation if it is felt that there is more reward in doing so.
 
 Answers for the exercises can be found here:
diff --git a/Vagrantfile b/Vagrantfile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..36aca224c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Vagrantfile
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
+  config.vm.box = "ubuntu/xenial64"
+
+  config.vm.provider 'virtualbox' do |vbox|
+    vbox.memory = 4096
+    vbox.cpus = 2
+    vbox.gui = true
+  end
+
+  config.vm.provision 'ansible' do |ansible|
+    ansible.playbook = 'ops/ansible.yaml'
+  end
+end
diff --git a/ops/README.md b/ops/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..33b72b544
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ops/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# Vagrant Box
+
+If you'd rather use a pre-configured haskell development environment, then these instructions will
+get you up and running in a VirtualBox virtual machine. The machine includes:
+
+ - A Xubuntu desktop environment
+ - GHC 8.0.2 installed
+ - doctest
+ - emacs with haskell-mode
+ - vim
+ - sublime
+ - VS Code
+
+**NOTE**: The VM's default user is `ubuntu` and their password is `ubuntu`
+
+**WARNING**: Building the environment might take a while and download gigabytes of pacakges over the internet.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+ - Install [VirtualBox](https://www.virtualbox.org/)
+ - Install [Vagrant](https://www.vagrantup.com/)
+ - Install [ansible](https://www.ansible.com/)
+
+## Make it so
+
+The following will download a VM image of Ubuntu and then provision it to build a desktop
+environment for Haskell development. Once it's provisioned, reload the machine, which will log you
+straight into a graphical environment.
+
+```
+cd fp-course
+vagrant up
+# go have lunch - this could take a while
+vagrant reload
+```
+
+You should now see a virtual machine running Xubuntu. The course materials are checked out to
+`~/fp-course` and you should have all required binaries on your PATH.
diff --git a/ops/ansible.yaml b/ops/ansible.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d27021ee6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ops/ansible.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+---
+- name: "Install ansible deps (Python 2.7 stuff)"
+  hosts: all
+  user: ubuntu
+  gather_facts: false
+  tasks:
+    - name: "Install ansible requirements"
+      raw: apt-get update && apt-get install -y python2.7 python-simplejson
+      become: yes
+
+- name: "Setup Ubuntu 16.04"
+  hosts: all
+  user: ubuntu
+
+  tasks:
+    - name: "Set ubuntu user's password to 'ubuntu'"
+      user:
+        name: ubuntu
+        password: $6$hVCglTDqXKLR45$b4M1N30zbQmieXbHpqm3z1yYCZKNq1jF554WU7AwiBI/z8DkbV1zyE.aYeZvOkCgxsWIJv63IBEwB9riNmdyY/
+      become: yes
+
+    - name: "Install packages"
+      apt:
+        name: "{{ item }}"
+        update_cache: yes
+        state: present
+      become: yes
+      with_items:
+        - emacs
+        - git
+        - vim
+        - xubuntu-desktop
+        - virtualbox-guest-x11
+
+    - name: "Automatically login as ubuntu user"
+      lineinfile:
+        line: autologin-user=ubuntu
+        dest: /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/60-xubuntu.conf
+      become: yes
+
+    - name: "Checkout course repo"
+      git:
+        repo: https://github.com/data61/fp-course
+        dest: ~/fp-course
+
+    - include: haskell.yaml
+    - include: vs-code.yaml
+    - include: sublime.yaml
+
+    - name: "Copy emacs.d"
+      copy:
+        src: emacs.d/
+        dest: ~/.emacs.d/
+        mode: 0755
diff --git a/ops/emacs.d/init.el b/ops/emacs.d/init.el
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0d42077f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ops/emacs.d/init.el
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+;; Pull in Marmalade packages
+(require 'package)
+(add-to-list 'package-archives
+			 '("marmalade" . "http://marmalade-repo.org/packages/"))
+(add-to-list 'package-archives
+			 '("melpa" . "http://melpa.milkbox.net/packages/"))
+(package-initialize)
+
+;; Ensure our preferred packages are all loaded in this install - taken from
+;; http://batsov.com/articles/2012/02/19/package-management-in-emacs-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
+(defvar my-packages
+  '(markdown-mode
+    auto-complete
+    haskell-mode)
+  "A list of packages to ensure are installed at launch.")
+
+(require 'cl)
+(defun my-packages-installed-p ()
+  (loop for p in my-packages
+        when (not (package-installed-p p)) do (return nil)
+        finally (return t)))
+
+(unless (my-packages-installed-p)
+  ;; check for new packages (package versions)
+  (message "%s" "Emacs is now refreshing its package database...")
+  (package-refresh-contents)
+  (message "%s" " done.")
+  ;; install the missing packages
+  (dolist (p my-packages)
+    (when (not (package-installed-p p))
+      (package-install p))))
+
+;; Show column numbers in mode line
+(column-number-mode t)
diff --git a/ops/haskell.yaml b/ops/haskell.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..be80f8cc6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ops/haskell.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+---
+
+- name: Add ghc PPA
+  apt_repository:
+    repo: ppa:hvr/ghc
+  become: yes
+
+- name: Install ghc-8.0.2
+  apt:
+    name: "{{ item }}"
+    update_cache: yes
+    state: present
+  with_items:
+    - ghc-8.0.2
+    - cabal-install-1.24
+  become: yes
+
+- name: Add cabal bin directory to PATH
+  lineinfile:
+    line: export PATH="{{ ansible_env.HOME }}/.cabal/bin:$PATH"
+    dest: ~/.profile
+
+- name: Add /opt/ghc/bin to the path
+  lineinfile:
+    line: export PATH=/opt/ghc/bin:$PATH
+    dest: ~/.profile
+
+- name: Update cabal
+  command: cabal update
+  environment:
+    PATH: "/opt/ghc/bin:{{ ansible_env.PATH }}"
+
+- name: Insall cabal packages
+  command: cabal install doctest
+  environment:
+    PATH: "/opt/ghc/bin:{{ ansible_env.PATH }}"
diff --git a/ops/sublime.yaml b/ops/sublime.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..92fd3b8cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ops/sublime.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+---
+- name: "Check if Sublime installed"
+  command: which subl
+  ignore_errors: true
+  register: haz_sublime
+
+- name: "Add apt key for sublime"
+  apt_key:
+    url: https://download.sublimetext.com/sublimehq-pub.gpg
+    state: present
+  become: yes
+  when: haz_sublime|failed
+
+- name: "Add source for sublime"
+  apt_repository:
+    repo: deb https://download.sublimetext.com/ apt/stable/
+    state: present
+  become: yes
+  when: haz_sublime|failed
+
+- name: "Install sublime"
+  apt:
+    name: sublime-text
+    update_cache: yes
+    state: present
+  become: yes
+  when: haz_sublime|failed
diff --git a/ops/vs-code.yaml b/ops/vs-code.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9d6d64780
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ops/vs-code.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+---
+- name: "Check if VS Code is installed"
+  command: which code
+  ignore_errors: true
+  register: haz_code
+
+- name: "Download VS code"
+  get_url:
+    url: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=760868
+    dest: /tmp/vs-code.deb
+  when: haz_code|failed
+
+# So the recommended install method is to install a thing with broken/missing
+# dependencies, and then fix it.
+- name: "Install VS Code deb"
+  command: dpkg -i /tmp/vs-code.deb
+  become: yes
+  ignore_errors: true
+  when: haz_code|failed
+
+- name: "Fix VS code installation"
+  command: apt-get install -fy
+  become: yes
+  when: haz_code|failed
+
+- name: "Install haskell syntax highlighting for VS Code"
+  command: code --install-extension justusadam.language-haskell