diff --git a/R/install.software.R b/R/install.software.R
new file mode 100644
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/R/install.software.R
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#' Install packages listed in \verb{SOFTWARE.bib}
+#'
+#' The information on packages and their versions contained in
+#' \verb{SOFTWARE.bib} is taken to install them. If the same precise
+#' versions are requested, they are installed from the individual github
+#' repositories using the stored hash reference. When the latest version of the 
+#' listed packages is requested instead, they are downloaded from
+#' r-universe.dev, including those packages available in CRAN.
+#'
+#' @param latest Whether to install the recorded packages versions. Logical, TRUE.
+#' @param ... Extra arguments to be pass on to install_github.
+#'
+#' @return TRUE invisibly if succesfull
+#'
+#' @name install.software
+#' @rdname install.software
+#'
+#' @seealso [TAF::check.software] [devtools::install_github]
+#' @examples
+#' \dontrun{
+#' install.software()
+#' install.software(latest=TRUE)
+#' }
+#'
+#' @importFrom remotes install_github
+#'
+#' @export
+
+install.software <- function(latest=FALSE, ...) {
+
+  # GET list of packages in SOFTWARE.bib
+  sources <- taf.sources('software')
+
+  # INSTALL latest from r-universe
+  if(latest) {
+    sapply(sources, function(x) install.packages(x$key,
+      repos=paste0("https://", strsplit(x$source, '/')[[1]][1],
+        ".r-universe.dev")))
+  # or exact version from github
+  } else {
+    sapply(sources, function(x) install_github(x$source, ...))
+  }
+
+  invisible(TRUE)
+}