diff --git a/checkout.go b/checkout.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3b18b89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/checkout.go
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package main
+
+/*
+	this parses the command line arguements
+	this enables command line options from other packages like 'gui' and 'log'
+*/
+
+import (
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+// okay
+func checkoutDevel() bool {
+	log.Info("running git checkout devel everwhere")
+	var failed int = 0
+	var count int = 0
+	loop := me.repos.View.ReposSortByName()
+	for loop.Scan() {
+		repo := loop.Repo()
+		count += 1
+
+		// don't switch branches on readonly repos
+		if me.forge.IsReadOnly(repo.GoPath()) {
+			continue
+		}
+		if repo.Status.CheckoutDevel() {
+			// checkout ok
+		} else {
+			failed += 1
+		}
+	}
+	log.Info("Ran git checkout in", count, "repos. failure count =", failed)
+	return true
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index c4f50be..30d7730 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ var myargv argv
 func main() {
 	me = new(autoType)
 
+	standardMachineInit()
+
 	log.DaemonMode(false)
 	me.myGui = gui.New()
 	if !myargv.GitPull {
diff --git a/rebuildAutotypist.go b/rebuildAutotypist.go
index 10dcaa4..beed13f 100644
--- a/rebuildAutotypist.go
+++ b/rebuildAutotypist.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+
 	"github.com/go-cmd/cmd"
 
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/shell"
@@ -16,16 +17,34 @@ import (
 func attemptAutoRebuild() bool {
 	gosrc := me.goSrcPwd.String()
 
-	if r, ok := quickCmd(gosrc, []string{"go-clone", "--recursive", "go.wit.com/apps/autotypist"}); !ok { return buildDied(r) }
-	if r, ok := quickCmd(gosrc, []string{"go-clone", "--recursive", "go.wit.com/toolkits/debian"}); !ok { return buildDied(r) }
-	if r, ok := quickCmd(gosrc, []string{"go-clone", "--recursive", "go.wit.com/toolkits/tree"}); !ok { return buildDied(r) }
-	if r, ok := quickCmd(gosrc, []string{"go-clone", "--recursive", "go.wit.com/toolkits/nocui"}); !ok { return buildDied(r) }
-	if r, ok := quickCmd(gosrc, []string{"go-clone", "--recursive", "go.wit.com/toolkits/gocui"}); !ok { return buildDied(r) }
-	if r, ok := quickCmd(gosrc, []string{"go-clone", "--recursive", "go.wit.com/toolkits/andlabs"}); !ok { return buildDied(r) }
+	if r, ok := quickCmd(gosrc, []string{"go-clone", "--recursive", "go.wit.com/apps/autotypist"}); !ok {
+		return buildDied(r)
+	}
+	if r, ok := quickCmd(gosrc, []string{"go-clone", "--recursive", "go.wit.com/toolkits/debian"}); !ok {
+		return buildDied(r)
+	}
+	if r, ok := quickCmd(gosrc, []string{"go-clone", "--recursive", "go.wit.com/toolkits/tree"}); !ok {
+		return buildDied(r)
+	}
+	if r, ok := quickCmd(gosrc, []string{"go-clone", "--recursive", "go.wit.com/toolkits/nocui"}); !ok {
+		return buildDied(r)
+	}
+	if r, ok := quickCmd(gosrc, []string{"go-clone", "--recursive", "go.wit.com/toolkits/gocui"}); !ok {
+		return buildDied(r)
+	}
+	if r, ok := quickCmd(gosrc, []string{"go-clone", "--recursive", "go.wit.com/toolkits/andlabs"}); !ok {
+		return buildDied(r)
+	}
 
-	if r, ok := quickCmd(filepath.Join(gosrc, "go.wit.com/toolkits/nocui/"), []string{"make"}); !ok { return buildDied(r) }
-	if r, ok := quickCmd(filepath.Join(gosrc, "go.wit.com/toolkits/gocui/"), []string{"make"}); !ok { return buildDied(r) }
-	if r, ok := quickCmd(filepath.Join(gosrc, "go.wit.com/toolkits/andlabs/"), []string{"make"}); !ok { return buildDied(r) }
+	if r, ok := quickCmd(filepath.Join(gosrc, "go.wit.com/toolkits/nocui/"), []string{"make"}); !ok {
+		return buildDied(r)
+	}
+	if r, ok := quickCmd(filepath.Join(gosrc, "go.wit.com/toolkits/gocui/"), []string{"make"}); !ok {
+		return buildDied(r)
+	}
+	if r, ok := quickCmd(filepath.Join(gosrc, "go.wit.com/toolkits/andlabs/"), []string{"make"}); !ok {
+		return buildDied(r)
+	}
 
 	// build the protobuf files
 	// TODO: verify the right protoc-gen-go exists
@@ -33,7 +52,10 @@ func attemptAutoRebuild() bool {
 		log.Warn("missing /usr/bin/protc-gen-go. apt install protoc-gen-go")
 		return false
 	}
+	quickCmd(filepath.Join(gosrc, "go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb/"), []string{"make"})
 	quickCmd(filepath.Join(gosrc, "go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/virtbuf/"), []string{"make"})
+	quickCmd(filepath.Join(gosrc, "go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/zoopb/"), []string{"make"})
+
 	quickCmd(filepath.Join(gosrc, "go.wit.com/apps/autotypist/"), []string{"make", "build"})
 	return true
 }
diff --git a/standardMachineInit.go b/standardMachineInit.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26ca1a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/standardMachineInit.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os"
+
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb"
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+// does a standard forgepb & zoopb init
+
+func standardMachineInit() {
+	var err error
+	// load the ~/.config/forge/ config
+	if err = me.forge.ConfigLoad(); err != nil {
+		log.Warn("forgepb.ConfigLoad() failed", err)
+		os.Exit(-1)
+	}
+
+	me.forge.PrintTable()
+
+	// load the ~/.config/forge/ machine file from zoopb
+	if err = me.machine.ConfigLoad(); err != nil {
+		log.Warn("zoopb.ConfigLoad() failed", err)
+		os.Exit(-1)
+	}
+	me.machine.InitWit()
+
+	// list all packages from mirrors.wit.com
+	/*
+		loop := me.machine.Wit.SortByName()
+		for loop.Scan() {
+			p := loop.Package()
+			log.Info("package:", p.Name, p.Version, p.PkgName)
+		}
+	*/
+
+	// use ~/go/src unless we find a go.work file in a parent directory
+	if me.goSrcPath, err = forgepb.FindGoSrc(); err != nil {
+		log.Info(err)
+		os.Exit(-1)
+	}
+
+	// this ENV value is used by the repolist and repostatus packages
+	if me.goSrcPath != "" {
+		os.Setenv("REPO_WORK_PATH", me.goSrcPath)
+
+	}
+}
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 5d6b62e..6599f48 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package main
 import (
 	"go.wit.com/gui"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gadgets"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/zoopb"
 )
 
 var me *autoType
@@ -17,6 +19,15 @@ func (b *autoType) Enable() {
 
 // this app's variables
 type autoType struct {
+	// your customized repo preferences and settings
+	forge forgepb.Repos
+
+	// where your ~/go/src is
+	goSrcPath string
+
+	// use zookeeper to get the list of installed packages
+	machine zoopb.Machine
+
 	// allrepos map[string]*repo
 	myGui *gui.Node