diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 4438297..7903111 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -138,41 +138,26 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	if argv.DryRun {
-		for k, v := range sortmap {
-			log.Info(k, "=", v)
-		}
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
 	// try to make foo.pb.go with protoc if it's not here
 	// this is helpful because the protoc-gen-go lines
 	// are also annoying to code by hand
-	sortmap["protoc"] = protobase + ".pb.go"
-	if !shell.Exists(sortmap["protoc"]) {
-		if err := protocBuild(sortmap); err != nil {
+
+	pbfile := f.Filebase + ".pb.go"
+	// try to create the foo.pb.go file using protoc if it is not there
+	if !shell.Exists(pbfile) {
+		if err := pb.protocBuild(f, pbfile); err != nil {
 			log.Info("protoc build error:", err)
 			os.Exit(-1)
 		}
-		pb.addMutex(f)
-		// os.Exit(0)
 
-		/*
-			// experiment to add a mutex to the structs.
-			// this might fix my other not so great lock implementation on sort (?)
-			// seems to work, but proto.Marshal() breaks with nil reference
-			if argv.Mutex {
-				if err := addMutex(sortmap); err == nil {
-					// log.Info("adding mutex to existing protoc-gen-go file worked")
-					sortmap["mutex"] = "true"
-					sortmap["lock"] = "all"
-				} else {
-					log.Info("adding mutex to existing protoc-gen-go file did not work", err)
-					sortmap["mutex"] = "false"
-				}
-			}
-		*/
 	}
 
+	// try to add the Mutex to the pb.go file
+	pb.addMutex(f)
+
 	// if foo.pb.go still doesn't exist, protoc failed
 	// exit here
 	if !shell.Exists(sortmap["protoc"]) {
diff --git a/protoc.go b/protoc.go
index cc9246f..bab8c80 100644
--- a/protoc.go
+++ b/protoc.go
@@ -14,6 +14,17 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
+// THIS GENERATES THIS cmd and then runs it:
+
+// autogenpb needs the commands:
+
+// protoc
+// gen-proto-go
+
+// these are in the GO tools
+
+// Thsese lines were taken from a working Makefile:
+
 // test.pb.go: test.proto
 // 	cd ~/go/src && protoc --go_out=. --proto_path=go.wit.com/apps/autogenpb/testautogen \
 // 		--go_opt=Mtest.proto=go.wit.com/apps/autogenpb/testautogen \
@@ -24,20 +35,19 @@ import (
 // 		--go_opt=MforgeConfig.proto=go.wit.com/apps/autogenpb/testautogen \
 // 		forgeConfig.proto
 
-func protocBuild(names map[string]string) error {
+func (pb *Files) protocBuild(f *File, pbfile string) error {
 	// read in the .proto file
-	data, err := os.ReadFile(names["protofile"])
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(f.Filename)
 	if err != nil {
 		// log.Info("open config file :", err)
 		return err
 	}
 
-	log.Info("")
-	if shell.Exists(names["protoc"]) {
-		log.Info("protoc file already created", names["protoc"])
-		// return nil
+	if shell.Exists(pbfile) {
+		log.Info("protoc file already created", pbfile)
+		return nil
 	}
-	log.Info("make protoc file:", names["protoc"])
+	log.Info("Attempt to generate the protoc file:", pbfile)
 	// log.Info("go src", forge.GetGoSrc())
 	pwd, _ := os.Getwd()
 	log.Info("go.Getwd()", pwd)
@@ -54,7 +64,7 @@ func protocBuild(names map[string]string) error {
 	log.Info("gopath", gopath)
 	cmd := []string{"protoc", "--go_out=."}
 	cmd = append(cmd, "--proto_path="+gopath)
-	cmd = append(cmd, "--go_opt=M"+names["protofile"]+"="+gopath)
+	cmd = append(cmd, "--go_opt=M"+f.Filename+"="+gopath)
 
 	// look for included proto files
 	lines := strings.Split(string(data), "\n")
@@ -90,7 +100,7 @@ func protocBuild(names map[string]string) error {
 		*/
 	}
 
-	cmd = append(cmd, names["protofile"])
+	cmd = append(cmd, f.Filename)
 	log.Info("\tpwd", argv.GoSrc)
 	for i, s := range cmd {
 		log.Info("\t", i, s)