diff --git a/configureENV.go b/configureENV.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0cd1d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/configureENV.go
@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+package fhelp
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+// This defines the "default" behavior for forge when doing GO lang development
+//
+// Since this code is common, it's in a seperate package so it can be used elsewhere
+//
+// The default behavior is:
+//
+//   * If your current directory or parent directory has a go.work file, make that your default spot
+//   * Otherwise, set the default to ~/go/src
+//
+// This routine ensures the following ENV vars are set:
+//
+// FORGE_CONFIG == where forge's configs are stored (normally ~/.config/forge)
+// FORGE_REPOPB == where the repos.pb protobuf cache file is stored (normally ~/.cache/forge/repos.pb)
+// FORGE_GOSRC  == based on the path, what the user probably want for developing in GO (Defaults to ~/go/src)
+// FORGE_GOWORK == true or false depending on the GOSRC result
+//
+// returns:
+// string	# ~/go/src or the path to the go.work file
+// bool	# true if the user is using a go.work file
+// err	# if everything goes wrong, the error
+//
+
+// set the ENV vars
+// always set them to _something_ even when everything seems to be failing
+func ConfigureENV() error {
+	var anyerr error
+	// setup the forge config dir
+	if os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG") == "" {
+		homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+		if err == nil {
+			fullpath := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".config/forge")
+			os.MkdirAll(fullpath, os.ModePerm)
+			os.Setenv("FORGE_CONFIG", fullpath)
+		} else {
+			log.Info("user home dir error", err)
+			os.Setenv("FORGE_CONFIG", "/tmp")
+			anyerr = err
+		}
+	}
+
+	// setting FORGE_URL
+	if os.Getenv("FORGE_URL") == "" {
+		os.Setenv("FORGE_URL", "https://forge.wit.com/")
+	}
+
+	// hostname is needed. allow ENV to pass it in
+	if os.Getenv("HOSTNAME") == "" {
+		if hname, err := os.Hostname(); err == nil {
+			os.Setenv("HOSTNAME", hname)
+		} else {
+			os.Setenv("HOSTNAME", "unconfigured.hostname.forge")
+		}
+	}
+
+	// if this env is already set, just use what is there
+	if os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC") != "" {
+		// always use this ENV if it is set
+		os.Setenv("FORGE_REPOPB", os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC")) // store repos.pb in the same dir
+		if goWorkExists(os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC")) {
+			os.Setenv("FORGE_GOWORK", "true")
+		}
+		if os.Getenv("FORGE_PATCHDIR") == "" {
+			os.Setenv("FORGE_PATCHDIR", os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC"))
+		}
+		return anyerr
+	}
+
+	// if a go.work file is found, use that location
+	if gowork, ok := findGoWork(); ok {
+		os.Setenv("FORGE_GOSRC", gowork)
+		if os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC") == "" {
+			// everything went wrong. use /tmp maybe ?
+			os.Setenv("FORGE_GOSRC", "/tmp")
+		}
+		os.Setenv("FORGE_REPOPB", os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC")) // store repos.pb in the same dir
+		os.Setenv("FORGE_GOWORK", "true")
+		if os.Getenv("FORGE_PATCHDIR") == "" {
+			os.Setenv("FORGE_PATCHDIR", os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC"))
+		}
+		return anyerr
+	} else {
+		// log.Info("fhelp.findGoWork() didn't find a go.work file")
+	}
+
+	// there are no go.work files, use the default ~/go/src behavior
+	if gosrc, err := useGoSrc(); err == nil {
+		os.Setenv("FORGE_GOSRC", gosrc)
+		os.Unsetenv("FORGE_GOWORK")
+	}
+
+	// set to user home dir unless this is already set
+	if os.Getenv("FORGE_REPOPB") == "" {
+		homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+		if err == nil {
+			fullpath := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".cache/forge")
+			if err := os.MkdirAll(fullpath, os.ModePerm); err == nil {
+				os.Setenv("FORGE_REPOPB", fullpath)
+			} else {
+				log.Warn("mkdir failed", fullpath, err)
+				os.Setenv("FORGE_REPOPB", os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC")) // store repos.pb in the same dir
+				anyerr = err
+			}
+		} else {
+			log.Info("user home dir error", err)
+			os.Setenv("FORGE_REPOPB", "/tmp")
+			anyerr = err
+		}
+	}
+	if os.Getenv("FORGE_PATCHDIR") == "" {
+		os.Setenv("FORGE_PATCHDIR", os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC"))
+	}
+
+	return anyerr
+}
+
+/*
+// look for a go.work file
+// otherwise use ~/go/src
+func findGoWork() (string, error) {
+	pwd, err := os.Getwd()
+	// startpwd, _ := os.Getwd()
+	if err == nil {
+		// Check for go.work in the current directory and then move up until root
+		if pwd, err := digupWorkfile(pwd); err == nil {
+			// log.Info("digupWorkfile() found an existing go.work file", pwd)
+			return pwd, nil
+		} else {
+			// log.Info("digupWorkfile() go.work file error", err)
+			return "", err
+		}
+	}
+	// this shouldn't really happen. maybe your working directory got deleted
+	// log.Info("forge.findGoWork() os.Getwd() was probably deleted", pwd, err)
+	return "", err
+}
+*/
+
+// this is the 'old way" and works fine for me. I use it because I like the ~/go/src directory
+// because I know exactly what is in it: GO stuff & nothing else
+func useGoSrc() (string, error) {
+	homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	pwd := filepath.Join(homeDir, "go/src")
+	err = os.MkdirAll(pwd, os.ModePerm)
+	return pwd, err
+}
+
+func goWorkExists(dir string) bool {
+	var err error
+	workFilePath := filepath.Join(dir, "go.work")
+	if _, err = os.Stat(workFilePath); err == nil {
+		// log.Info("f.goWorkExists() found", workFilePath)
+		return true
+	} else if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		// log.Info("f.goWorkExists() missing", workFilePath)
+		return false
+	}
+	// probably false, but some other error
+	// log.Info("f.goWorkExists() os.Stat() error", err, workFilePath)
+	return false
+}
+
+// findGoWork searches for a "go.work" file starting from the current directory
+// and moving up the directory tree. It returns the path to the directory containing
+// the file and a boolean indicating whether the file was found.
+func findGoWork() (string, bool) {
+	dir, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", false
+	}
+
+	for {
+		workFilePath := filepath.Join(dir, "go.work")
+		if _, err := os.Stat(workFilePath); err == nil {
+			return dir, true
+		}
+		parent := filepath.Dir(dir)
+		if parent == dir {
+			break // Reached root
+		}
+		dir = parent
+	}
+
+	return "", false
+}
diff --git a/goSrcFind.go b/goSrcFind.go
deleted file mode 100644
index ba77a33..0000000
--- a/goSrcFind.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,85 +0,0 @@
-package fhelp
-
-// returns whatever your golang source dir is
-// If there is a go.work file in your parent, that directory will be returned
-// otherwise, return ~/go/src
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-
-	"go.wit.com/log"
-)
-
-// look for a go.work file
-// otherwise use ~/go/src
-func findGoSrc() (string, error) {
-	pwd, err := os.Getwd()
-	// startpwd, _ := os.Getwd()
-	if err == nil {
-		// Check for go.work in the current directory and then move up until root
-		if pwd, err := digup(pwd); err == nil {
-			// found an existing go.work file
-			// os.Chdir(pwd)
-			return pwd, nil
-		} else {
-			// if there is an error looking for the go.work file
-			// default to using ~/go/src
-			// log.Info("forge.digup() err", pwd, err)
-		}
-	} else {
-		// this shouldn't really happen. maybe your working directory got deleted
-		log.Info("forge.findGoSrc() os.Getwd() was probably deleted", pwd, err)
-	}
-
-	// there are no go.work files, resume the ~/go/src behavior from prior to golang 1.22
-	pwd, err = useGoSrc()
-	return pwd, err
-}
-
-// this is the 'old way" and works fine for me. I use it because I like the ~/go/src directory
-// because I know exactly what is in it: GO stuff & nothing else
-func useGoSrc() (string, error) {
-	homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	pwd := filepath.Join(homeDir, "go/src")
-	err = os.MkdirAll(pwd, os.ModePerm)
-	return pwd, err
-}
-
-func goWorkExists(dir string) bool {
-	var err error
-	workFilePath := filepath.Join(dir, "go.work")
-	if _, err = os.Stat(workFilePath); err == nil {
-		// log.Info("f.goWorkExists() found", workFilePath)
-		return true
-	} else if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		// log.Info("f.goWorkExists() missing", workFilePath)
-		return false
-	}
-	// probably false, but some other error
-	// log.Info("f.goWorkExists() os.Stat() error", err, workFilePath)
-	return false
-}
-
-func digup(path string) (string, error) {
-	for {
-		workFilePath := filepath.Join(path, "go.work")
-		if _, err := os.Stat(workFilePath); err == nil {
-			return path, nil // Found the go.work file
-		} else if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			return "", err // An error other than not existing
-		}
-
-		parentPath := filepath.Dir(path)
-		if parentPath == path {
-			break // Reached the filesystem root
-		}
-		path = parentPath
-	}
-
-	return "", fmt.Errorf("no go.work file found")
-}
diff --git a/goWork.go b/goWork.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 7dbfac9..0000000
--- a/goWork.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-package fhelp
-
-import (
-	"os"
-
-	"go.wit.com/log"
-)
-
-/*
-try to determine the GO working dir
-this will look for a go.work file, otherwise
-it will default to ~/go/src
-
-returns:
-string	# ~/go/src or the path to the go.work file
-bool	# true if the user is using a go.work file
-err	# if everything goes wrong, the error
-*/
-func DetermineGoPath() (string, bool, error) {
-	gosrc := os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC")
-	if gosrc != "" {
-		hasWork := goWorkExists(gosrc)
-		log.Info("Using ENV{FORGE_GOSRC} =", gosrc)
-		return gosrc, hasWork, nil
-	}
-
-	gosrc, err := findGoSrc()
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Info("fhelp.DetermineGoPath()", err)
-	}
-	hasWork := goWorkExists(gosrc)
-
-	return gosrc, hasWork, err
-}