diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a5beb23..4a4ed25 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 VERSION = $(shell git describe --tags)
 BUILDTIME = $(shell date +%Y.%m.%d_%H%M)
 
-run: install build-darwin build-darwin-arm64 build-windows
+run: install
 	go-clone --version
 
 vet:
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ nocui: build
 
 clean:
 	rm -f go.*
-	-rm go-clone
+	-rm go-clone*
 	go-mod-clean purge
 
 # this will test the golang.org/x -> googlesource override
diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index 158aa23..076fc2b 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 package main
 
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+)
+
 /*
 	this parses the command line arguements
 
@@ -31,3 +36,18 @@ Examples:
 	go-clone go.wit.com/apps/go-clone              # 'git clone' go-clone
 `
 }
+
+func (a args) DoAutoComplete(argv []string) {
+	switch argv[0] {
+	case "checkout":
+		fmt.Println("user devel master ")
+	case "--recursive":
+		fmt.Println("true false")
+	default:
+		if argv[0] == ARGNAME {
+			// list the subcommands here
+			fmt.Println("--dry-run --recursive --work")
+		}
+	}
+	os.Exit(0)
+}
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24f047a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"go.wit.com/lib/config"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb"
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+// sent via -ldflags
+
+func configInit() *forgepb.ForgeConfigs {
+	configs := new(forgepb.ForgeConfigs)
+	err := config.ConfigLoad(configs, "forge", "forge")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Info("This tool requires your repos be scanned by forge first")
+		badExit(err)
+	}
+	return configs
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 1c9d310..0ff1472 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"go.wit.com/dev/alexflint/arg"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/prep"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/gitpb"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
@@ -13,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 var VERSION string
 var BUILDTIME string
 
+var ARGNAME string = "go-clone"
+
 var pp *arg.Parser
 var forge *forgepb.Forge
 
@@ -20,20 +23,14 @@ var workingRepo *gitpb.Repo
 
 func main() {
 	log.Info("go-clone version", VERSION, "built on", BUILDTIME)
+	// command line parsing & handling
+	prep.Bash(ARGNAME, argv.DoAutoComplete) // todo: make this: prep.Bash(argv)
+
 	pp = arg.MustParse(&argv)
 
-	// for very new users or users unfamilar with the command line, this may help them
-	if argv.Repo == "help" || argv.Repo == "?" {
-		pp.WriteHelp(os.Stdout)
-		os.Exit(0)
-	}
-	if argv.Repo == "version" {
-		log.Info(argv.Version())
-		os.Exit(0)
-	}
-
-	// this package helps scan git repos
-	forge = forgepb.Init()
+	// read in forge info
+	cfg := configInit()
+	forge = forgepb.InitFromConfig(cfg)
 
 	var err error
 	// attempt to clone, returns *gitpb.Repo