diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
deleted file mode 100644
index 3333dc8..0000000
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-[submodule "nixpkgs"]
-	path = nixpkgs
-	url = https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs-channels.git
diff --git a/.version b/.version
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2fdad9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.version
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+17.09
diff --git a/default.nix b/default.nix
index b702b6c..bd1eeca 100644
--- a/default.nix
+++ b/default.nix
@@ -13,21 +13,21 @@ let
   # at a given level (the leading number) the search is stopped and they are used.  If multiple overlays are found
   # at a given level then an error is generated.
   #
-  # 1: <nixpkgs-overlays> (i.e., nixpkgs-overlays.nix or nixpkgs-overlays/default.nix in NIX_PATH)
-  # 2: ~/.config/nixpkgs/overlays.nix
-  # 2: ~/.config/nixpkgs/overlays
+  # 1. <nixpkgs-overlays> (i.e., nixpkgs-overlays.nix or nixpkgs-overlays/default.nix in NIX_PATH)
+  # 2. ~/.config/nixpkgs/overlays.nix
+  # 2. ~/.config/nixpkgs/overlays
   #
   # This code is lifted directly from nixpkgs/pkgs/top-level/impure.nix to ensure consistency.
   #
   overlaysDefault =
     let
 
-      # isDir path - Is path a directory (requires access).
-      isDir = path: pathExists (path + "/.");
-
       # try expression default - Replace expression with default on exception.
       try = x: def: let res = tryEval x; in if res.success then res.value else def;
 
+      # isDir path - Is path a directory (requires access).
+      isDir = path: pathExists (path + "/.");
+
       # overlaysRetrieve path - Retrieve a list of the overlay functions from path.
       #   path is file - import the file itself (should give a list of overlay functions)
       #   path is directory - list of imports of all the *.nix files in the directory (each should give an overlay function)
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ let
       homeOverlaysDir = homeDir + "/.config/nixpkgs/overlays";
 
     in 
+
       if pathOverlays != "" && pathExists pathOverlays then overlaysRetrieve pathOverlays
       else if pathExists homeOverlaysFile && pathExists homeOverlaysDir then 
         throw ''
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ let
     let
       # knot - Feed final and up to and over us overlay results into overlay
       #
-      # This matche what is done in nixpkgs (see pkgs/top-level/stage.nix).
+      # This matches what is done in nixpkgs (see pkgs/top-level/stage.nix).
       #
       knot = path: self: super:
         let res = import path res self; in res;
@@ -92,8 +93,57 @@ let
         ./pkgs/all-packages.nix
       ];
 
+  # nixpkgs - The underlying nixpkg to use.
+  #
+  # Get a usable nixpkgs, that is, one with a version that matches ours, or die.
+  # 
+  nixpkgs =
+    let
+
+      # first check list - Return first element of list that passes check list otherwise aborts.
+      #
+      first = check: list:
+        if   list == []
+        then builtins.throw ''
+               Unable to locate a suitable nixpkgs directory.
+               Most likely you want to git clone one into the top of the repo as 'upstream'.
+             ''
+        else if   check ( builtins.head list )
+             then builtins.head list
+             else first check ( builtins.tail list );
+
+      # okay path - Check if path exist and match our version number and otherwise print a warning.
+      #
+      # Version numbers are taken from ./version files.
+      #
+      okay =
+        let
+          version = builtins.readFile ./.version;
+        in
+          path:
+            (    builtins.pathExists (path + /.version)
+              && (    builtins.readFile (path + /.version) == version
+                   || builtins.trace ''
+                        Skipping ${path} as not version ${version}.
+                      '' false ) );
+
+      # paths - Paths to search for nixpkgs.
+      #
+      paths = [
+        ./upstream          # 1. build channel or git cloned one directly associated with us takes priority
+        <nixpkgs/upstream>  # 2. if the channel is a version of ourselves the real one will be in a subdirectory
+        <nixpkgs>           # 3. otherwise maybe the channel is a nixpkgs proper
+      ];
+
+    in
+
+      first okay paths;
+
 in
 
   { overlays ? overlaysDefault
-  , ... } @ args:
-    import ./nixpkgs (args // { overlays = overlaysAlways ++ overlays; })
+  , upstream ? nixpkgs
+  , ... } @ args: 
+
+    import upstream (    builtins.removeAttrs args [ "upstream" ]
+                      // { overlays = overlaysAlways ++ overlays; } )
diff --git a/nixpkgs b/nixpkgs
deleted file mode 160000
index 360089b..0000000
--- a/nixpkgs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 360089b3521af0c69a5167870c80851dedf19d76
diff --git a/release.nix b/release.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7fb07f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+{ nixpkgs                      # Checked out nixpkgs git repe
+    ? { outPath = ./upstream;
+        revCount = 56789;
+        shortRev = "gfedcba";
+      }
+, ccpkgs                       # Checked out ccpkgs git repo
+    ? { outPath = ./.;
+        revCount = 56789;
+        shortRev = "gfedcba";
+      }
+, stableBranch ? false
+, supportedSystems ? [ "x86_64-linx" ] }:
+
+
+# Free up the nixpkgs and ccpkgs name for binding to final product.
+#
+let
+  # nixpkgsGit - git checkout of nixpkgs
+  # ccpkgsGit  - git checkout of ccpkgs
+  #
+  nixpkgsGit = nixpkgs;
+  ccpkgsGit  = ccpkgs;
+
+# Tarball hydra release product for the ccpkgs channel.
+#
+# 1. Generate an unpacked channel for the associated nixpkgs in the store.
+# 2. Symlink this into the top-level directory as upstream (nixpkgs is used).
+# 3. Stick in the standard version files.
+# 4. Let releaseTools.sourceTarball handle the details of exposing it as a hydra product.
+#
+in let
+
+  # pkgs - Packages sucked in from the given ccpkgs git version.
+  #
+  pkgs = import ccpkgsGit { upstream = nixpkgsGit; };
+
+  # version       - Version number of nixpkgs (and hence ccpkgs too)
+  # versionSuffix - Version suffix based on git commnit
+  #
+  # Code lifted from nixos/release.nix.
+  #
+  version = pkgs.lib.fileContents ./.version;
+  versionSuffix =
+    (if stableBranch then "." else "beta") + "${toString (nixpkgsGit.revCount - 114283)}.${nixpkgsGit.shortRev}";
+
+  # nixpkgs - The store path containing the unpacked nixpkgs channel.
+  #
+  # 1. Generate a channel tarball from the git repo via the nixos/release.nix expression for hydra.
+  # 2. Unpack this into the store using the nix/unpack-channel.nix expression used by nix-channel.
+  #
+  nixpkgs =
+    let
+      # version - Version of checked out nixpkgs
+      #
+      version = pkgs.lib.fileContents (nixpkgsGit + /.version);
+
+      # channel - Store path containing the channel release tarballs.
+      #
+      # The nixos.channel attribute from nixos/release.nix builds the nixpkgs channel tarballs.
+      #
+      channel =
+        ( import (nixpkgsGit + /nixos/release.nix) {
+            nixpkgs = nixpkgsGit;
+            inherit stableBranch supportedSystems;
+          } ).channel;
+
+      # nixpkgs - The store path containing the unpacked nixpkgs channel.
+      #
+      # The nix provided nix/unpack-channel.nix function extracts the nixpkgs from the channel,
+      #
+      nixpkgs =
+        ( import <nix/unpack-channel.nix> rec {
+           name = "nixos";
+           channelName = "${name}-${version}";
+           src = channel + /tarballs + "/${name}-${version}${versionSuffix}.tar.xz";
+           binaryCacheURL = https://cache.nixos.org;
+          } );
+    in
+      nixpkgs;
+
+  # Tweak the nixos make-channel code to include the upstream channel.
+  #
+  # 1. Replace the git repo nixpkgs with a copy of the unpacked nixpkgs channel.
+  #
+  channel =
+    ( import (nixpkgsGit + /nixos/lib/make-channel.nix) {
+        inherit pkgs version versionSuffix;
+        nixpkgs = ccpkgsGit;
+    } ).overrideAttrs ( original: {
+        name = "ccpkgs-channel";
+        distPhase =
+          ''
+            rm -fr upstream
+            cp -rd ${nixpkgs}/nixos-${version} upstream
+          '' + original.distPhase;
+    } );
+
+in
+
+  { inherit channel; }