diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 65bca54..b73dc99 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 # secret passwords and so
 /secrets.json
 /staticfiles
+/foerderbarometer/settings.py
 
 # Byte-compiled / optimized / DLL files
 __pycache__/
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ed87ae6..412f74e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,22 +16,26 @@ purpose: gather data from intern(WMDE) and extern(volunteers) forms to create a
 
 ## production setup
 
-    cp foerderbarometer/settings_production.py foerderbarometer/settings.py
+    ln -s foerderbarometer/settings_production.py foerderbarometer/settings.py
 
 edit /secrets.json to contain something similar to
 
-{
-  "DATABASE_PASSWORD": "THIS IS TOP SECRET!"
-}
+    {
+      "DATABASE_PASSWORD": "THIS IS TOP SECRET!"
+    }
+
+edit foerderbarometer/settings_production.py according to your database setup (tested with MariaDB 10.0.36)
+
+run the following commands:
 
     python manage.py makemigrations
     python manage.py migrate
     python manage.py collectstatic
 
-add to cron one time a day:
+add to cron at least one time a day:
 
     python manage.py sendmails
 
 server starts with
 
-     nohup gunicorn --forwarded-allow-ips="*" -b '0:8000' foerderbarometer.wsgi 2&> logfile &
+    nohup gunicorn --forwarded-allow-ips="*" -b '0:8000' foerderbarometer.wsgi 2&> logfile &
diff --git a/foerderbarometer/settings.py b/foerderbarometer/settings.py
deleted file mode 100644
index c0568a6..0000000
--- a/foerderbarometer/settings.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,147 +0,0 @@
-"""
-Django settings for foerderbarometer project.
-
-Generated by 'django-admin startproject' using Django 3.1.1.
-
-For more information on this file, see
-https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/topics/settings/
-
-For the full list of settings and their values, see
-https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/ref/settings/
-"""
-
-import json
-import os
-from pathlib import Path
-
-from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
-
-# prefix for urls in mails
-URLPREFIX = 'http://localhost:8000'
-
-# mails in development go to stdout
-EMAIL_BACKEND = 'django.core.mail.backends.console.EmailBackend'
-
-# Build paths inside the project like this: BASE_DIR / 'subdir'.
-BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
-
-# get secrets
-with open(os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'secrets.json')) as secrets_file:
-    secrets = json.load(secrets_file)
-
-def get_secret(setting, secrets=secrets):
-    """Get secret setting or fail with ImproperlyConfigured"""
-    try:
-        return secrets[setting]
-    except KeyError:
-        raise ImproperlyConfigured("Set the {} setting".format(setting))
-
-
-# Quick-start development settings - unsuitable for production
-# See https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/howto/deployment/checklist/
-
-# SECURITY WARNING: keep the secret key used in production secret!
-SECRET_KEY = '*&7p9#_n$@^%0z49s+7jpy@+j1rw_hqh05knyd6y2*!0)r&b6h'
-
-# SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on in production!
-DEBUG = False
-
-STATIC_ROOT = BASE_DIR / 'staticfiles'
-
-ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['*']
-
-
-# Application definition
-
-INSTALLED_APPS = [
-    'input.apps.InputConfig',
-    'django.contrib.admin',
-    'django.contrib.auth',
-    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
-    'django.contrib.sessions',
-    'django.contrib.messages',
-    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
-    'formtools',
-]
-
-MIDDLEWARE = [
-    'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
-    'whitenoise.middleware.WhiteNoiseMiddleware',
-    'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
-    'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
-    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
-    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
-    'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
-    'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',
-]
-
-ROOT_URLCONF = 'foerderbarometer.urls'
-
-TEMPLATES = [
-    {
-        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
-        'DIRS': [],
-        'APP_DIRS': True,
-        'OPTIONS': {
-            'context_processors': [
-                'django.template.context_processors.debug',
-                'django.template.context_processors.request',
-                'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
-                'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
-            ],
-        },
-    },
-]
-
-WSGI_APPLICATION = 'foerderbarometer.wsgi.application'
-
-
-# Database
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/ref/settings/#databases
-
-DATABASES = {
-    'default': {
-        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
-        'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3',
-        'PASSWORD': get_secret('DATABASE_PASSWORD')
-    }
-}
-
-
-# Password validation
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/ref/settings/#auth-password-validators
-
-AUTH_PASSWORD_VALIDATORS = [
-    {
-        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.UserAttributeSimilarityValidator',
-    },
-    {
-        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.MinimumLengthValidator',
-    },
-    {
-        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.CommonPasswordValidator',
-    },
-    {
-        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.NumericPasswordValidator',
-    },
-]
-
-
-# Internationalization
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/topics/i18n/
-
-LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en-us'
-
-TIME_ZONE = 'UTC'
-
-USE_I18N = True
-
-USE_L10N = True
-
-USE_TZ = True
-
-
-# Static files (CSS, JavaScript, Images)
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/howto/static-files/
-
-STATIC_URL = '/static/'