diff --git a/newbuild/GNUmakefile b/newbuild/GNUmakefile
index 98be88e6..a0c871f3 100644
--- a/newbuild/GNUmakefile
+++ b/newbuild/GNUmakefile
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # 16 october 2015
 
 # TODO http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4122831/disable-make-builtin-rules-and-variables-from-inside-the-make-file
-# TODO and figure out what variables are predefined
 
 # silence entering/leaving messages
 MAKEFLAGS += --no-print-directory
@@ -30,35 +29,32 @@ ifndef NODEBUG
 	NODEBUG = 0
 endif
 
-# TODO $(CC), $(CXX)? if so, $(LD)?
-# TODO quotes for the FLAGS options?
-# TODO use export instead - http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2826029/passing-additional-variables-from-command-line-to-make
-ARGS = \
-	OS=$(OS) \
-	OUTDIR=$(OUTDIR) \
-	OBJDIR=$(OBJDIR) \
-	CFLAGS=$(CFLAGS) \
-	CXXFLAGS=$(CXXFLAGS) \
-	LDFLAGS=$(LDFLAGS) \
-	NODEBUG=$(NODEBUG) \
-	inlibuibuild=1
+# parameters
+export OS
+# TODO CC, CXX, RC, CVTRES, LD
+export CFLAGS
+export CXXFLAGS
+# TODO RCFLAGS, CVTRESFLAGS
+export LDFLAGS
+export NODEBUG
+export EXAMPLE
 
-real:
-	@echo $(MAKE)
-	@echo $(ARGS)
+# other important variables
+export OBJDIR
+export OUTDIR
 
 libui:
-	@$(MAKE) -f build/GNUmakefile.libui $(ARGS)
+	@$(MAKE) -f build/GNUmakefile.libui inlibuibuild=1
 
 clean:
 	rm -rf $(OBJDIR) $(OUTDIR)
 
 test: libui
-	@$(MAKE) -f build/GNUmakefile.test $(ARGS)
+	@$(MAKE) -f build/GNUmakefile.test inlibuibuild=1
 
 # TODO provide a build option for the queuemaintest
 
 example: libui
-	@$(MAKE) -f build/GNUmakefile.example $(ARGS) EXAMPLE=$(EXAMPLE)
+	@$(MAKE) -f build/GNUmakefile.example inlibuibuild=1
 
 # TODO examples rule?
diff --git a/oldbuild/GNUbaserules.mk b/newbuild/build/GNUbasegcc.mk
similarity index 77%
rename from oldbuild/GNUbaserules.mk
rename to newbuild/build/GNUbasegcc.mk
index 7b573c8a..8aa12999 100644
--- a/oldbuild/GNUbaserules.mk
+++ b/newbuild/build/GNUbasegcc.mk
@@ -1,5 +1,32 @@
 # 16 october 2015
 
+# Global flags.
+
+CFLAGS += \
+	-fPIC \
+	-Wall -Wextra -pedantic \
+	-Wno-unused-parameter \
+	-Wno-switch \
+	--std=c99
+
+# C++11 is needed due to stupid rules involving commas at the end of enum lists that C++03 stupidly didn't follow
+# This means sorry, no GCC 2 for Haiku builds :(
+CXXFLAGS += \
+	-fPIC \
+	-Wall -Wextra -pedantic \
+	-Wno-unused-parameter \
+	-Wno-switch \
+	--std=c++11
+
+LDFLAGS += \
+	-fPIC
+
+ifneq ($(NODEBUG),1)
+	CFLAGS += -g
+	CXXFLAGS += -g
+	LDFLAGS += -g
+endif
+
 OFILES = \
 	$(subst /,_,$(CFILES)) \
 	$(subst /,_,$(CXXFILES)) \
@@ -8,35 +35,12 @@ OFILES = \
 
 OFILES := $(OFILES:%=$(OBJDIR)/%.o)
 
-CFLAGS += \
-	-g \
-	-Wall -Wextra -pedantic \
-	-Wno-unused-parameter \
-	-Wno-switch \
-	--std=c99
-
-# C++11 is needed due to stupid rules involving commas at the end of enum lists that C++03 stupidly didn't follow
-# This means sorry, no GCC 2 for Haiku builds :(
-CXXFLAGS += \
-	-g \
-	-Wall -Wextra -pedantic \
-	-Wno-unused-parameter \
-	-Wno-switch \
-	--std=c++11
-
-LDFLAGS += \
-	-g
-
 OUT = $(OUTDIR)/$(NAME)$(SUFFIX)
 
-ifdef CXXFILES
-	reallinker = $(CXX)
-else
-	reallinker = $(CC)
-endif
+# TODO make the linker the C++ compiler in a C++ build if needed
 
 $(OUT): $(OFILES) | $(OUTDIR)
-	@$(reallinker) -o $(OUT) $(OFILES) $(LDFLAGS)
+	@$(LD) -o $(OUT) $(OFILES) $(LDFLAGS)
 	@echo ====== Linked $(OUT)
 
 .SECONDEXPANSION:
@@ -53,13 +57,11 @@ $(OBJDIR)/%.m.o: $$(subst _,/,%).m $(HFILES) | $(OBJDIR)
 	@$(CC) -o $@ -c $< $(CFLAGS)
 	@echo ====== Compiled $<
 
+# TODO split into $(RC) and $(CVTRES) forms
+# with binutils windres can either go straight to a .o file or in the normal two steps
 $(OBJDIR)/%.rc.o: $$(subst _,/,%).rc $(HFILES) | $(OBJDIR)
 	@$(RC) $(RCFLAGS) $< $@
 	@echo ====== Compiled $<
 
 $(OBJDIR) $(OUTDIR):
 	@mkdir -p $@
-
-clean:
-	rm -rf $(OBJDIR) $(OUTDIR)
-.PHONY: clean
diff --git a/newbuild/build/GNUmakefile.libui b/newbuild/build/GNUmakefile.libui
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e833b566
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newbuild/build/GNUmakefile.libui
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# 16 october 2015
+
+ifndef inlibuibuild
+$(error Do not run these makefiles directly.)
+endif
+
+# for GCC
+SOVERSION = 0
+
+include $(OS)/GNUosspecific.mk
+include common/GNUfiles.mk
+include $(OS)/GNUfiles.mk
+
+HFILES += \
+	ui.h \
+	ui_$(OS)$(OSHSUFFIX)
+
+NAME = libui
+SUFFIX = $(LIBSUFFIX)
+
+ifeq ($(TOOLCHAIN),gcc)
+	# make every symbol hidden by default except _UI_EXTERN ones
+	# thanks ebassi in irc.gimp.net/#gtk+
+	CFLAGS += \
+		-D_UI_EXTERN='__attribute__((visibility("default"))) extern' \
+		-fvisibility=hidden
+	CXXFLAGS += \
+		-D_UI_EXTERN='__attribute__((visibility("default"))) extern' \
+		-fvisibility=hidden
+	LDFLAGS += \
+		-fvisibility=hidden
+else
+	# TODO
+endif
+
+include build/GNUbase$(TOOLCHAIN).mk
diff --git a/oldbuild/common/GNUmakeinc.mk b/newbuild/common/GNUfiles.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from oldbuild/common/GNUmakeinc.mk
rename to newbuild/common/GNUfiles.mk
diff --git a/oldbuild/unix/GNUmakeinc.mk b/newbuild/unix/GNUfiles.mk
similarity index 57%
rename from oldbuild/unix/GNUmakeinc.mk
rename to newbuild/unix/GNUfiles.mk
index f8eba4ee..4f6d3867 100644
--- a/oldbuild/unix/GNUmakeinc.mk
+++ b/newbuild/unix/GNUfiles.mk
@@ -31,18 +31,19 @@ CFILES += \
 HFILES += \
 	unix/uipriv_unix.h
 
-# thanks ebassi in irc.gimp.net/#gtk+
-CFLAGS += \
-	-D_UI_EXTERN='__attribute__((visibility("default"))) extern' \
-	-fvisibility=hidden \
-	-fPIC \
-	`pkg-config --cflags gtk+-3.0`
+# TODO split into a separate file or put in GNUmakefile.libui somehow?
 
+# flags for building a shared library
+# OS X does support -shared but it has a preferred name for this so let's use that there instead; hence this is not gcc-global
 LDFLAGS += \
-	-fvisibility=hidden \
-	-fPIC \
-	`pkg-config --libs gtk+-3.0` -lm
+	-shared
 
 # flags for warning on undefined symbols
+# this is not gcc-global because OS X doesn't support these flags
 LDFLAGS += \
 	-Wl,--no-undefined -Wl,--no-allow-shlib-undefined
+
+# flags for setting soname
+# this is not gcc-global because OS X uses a different filename format
+LDFLAGS += \
+	-Wl,-soname,$(NAME)$(SUFFIX).$(SOVERSION)
diff --git a/oldbuild/unix/GNUosspecific.mk b/newbuild/unix/GNUosspecific.mk
similarity index 79%
rename from oldbuild/unix/GNUosspecific.mk
rename to newbuild/unix/GNUosspecific.mk
index ac298ffb..980690ae 100644
--- a/oldbuild/unix/GNUosspecific.mk
+++ b/newbuild/unix/GNUosspecific.mk
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@
 EXESUFFIX =
 LIBSUFFIX = .so
 OSHSUFFIX = .h
+TOOLCHAIN = gcc
diff --git a/oldbuild/GNUmakefile.libui b/oldbuild/GNUmakefile.libui
deleted file mode 100644
index 0ee4dc71..00000000
--- a/oldbuild/GNUmakefile.libui
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-# 16 october 2015
-
-ifndef inlibuibuild
-$(error [FAIL] do not run these makefiles directly)
-endif
-
-include $(OS)/GNUosspecific.mk
-include common/GNUmakeinc.mk
-include $(OS)/GNUmakeinc.mk
-
-HFILES += \
-	ui.h \
-	ui_$(OS)$(OSHSUFFIX)
-
-NAME = libui
-
-# GROAN GCC
-#CFLAGS += \
-#	-fPIC
-
-SUFFIX = $(LIBSUFFIX)
-
-LDFLAGS += \
-	-shared
-# weird things:
-# GROAN GCC
-#	-fPIC \
-# confused by this
-#	-Wl,-soname,$(NAME)$(SUFFIX).0
-
-include GNUbaserules.mk