diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index aecd2d5..42ff27e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,4 +3,5 @@ go.mod
 go.sum
 fixup
 *.so
+*pb.go
 /files/*
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5601d2a..f53f5da 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ VERSION = $(shell git describe --tags)
 GUIVERSION = $(shell git describe --tags)
 BUILDTIME = $(shell date +%Y.%m.%d)
 
-all: verbose
+all: block.pb.go verbose
 	# -fixup --gui-check-plugin ../../../toolkits/gocui/gocui.so
 	fixup --gui gocui --gui-verbose --gui-file ../../toolkits/gocui/gocui.so
 
@@ -32,9 +32,17 @@ goimports:
 
 clean:
 	rm -f go.*
+	rm -f *.pb.go
+	go-mod-clean purge
 
 gpl:
 	wit-test --witcom
 
 check-git-clean:
 	@git diff-index --quiet HEAD -- || (echo "Git repository is dirty, please commit your changes first"; exit 1)
+
+block.pb.go: block.proto
+	autogenpb --proto block.proto
+
+commit:
+	FORGE_URL="https://forge.grid.wit.com/" forge commit --all
diff --git a/block.proto b/block.proto
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e29e9c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/block.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+syntax = "proto3";
+
+package main;
+
+message Block {
+        string            name            = 1;  // `autogenpb:sort` `autogenpb:unique`
+        uint32            major           = 2;
+        uint32            minor           = 3;
+        uint64            size_bytes      = 4;
+        bool              removable       = 5;
+        bool              read_only       = 6;
+        string            type            = 7;  // e.g., "disk", "part", "rom", "loop"
+        repeated string   mountpoints     = 8;
+}
+
+message Blocks {                                // `autogenpb:marshal` `autogenpb:mutex`
+        string            uuid            = 1;  // `autogenpb:uuid:abe10848-cf2b-4440-b5a8-0aaa2ce50aad`
+        string            version         = 2;  // `autogenpb:version:v0.0.1`
+        repeated Block    Blocks          = 3;  // THIS MUST BE  Block  and then  Blocks
+}
diff --git a/doDrives.go b/doDrives.go
index a1e0b91..6ded27a 100644
--- a/doDrives.go
+++ b/doDrives.go
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ func doDrives() {
 	}
 
 	for _, p := range parts {
-		log.Printf("Device: /dev/%s\tSize: %d KiB\n", p.Name, p.Blocks)
+		log.Printf("RAW Device: /dev/%s\tSize: %d KiB\n", p.Name, p.Blocks)
+		devname := "/dev/" + p.Name
+		if blkpb := me.pb.FindByName(devname); blkpb != nil {
+			blkpb.SizeBytes = uint64(p.Blocks) * 1024
+		}
 	}
 
 	blockDir := "/sys/block"
@@ -44,11 +48,12 @@ func doDrives() {
 			used := false
 			for _, part := range partitions {
 				partName := filepath.Base(part)
+				partDev := "/dev/" + partName
 				if partName == dev {
+					log.Printf("  SKIP MAIN Partition: %s\n", partDev)
 					continue // skip the main device
 				}
 				hasPartition = true
-				partDev := "/dev/" + partName
 				isMounted := mounts[partDev]
 				log.Printf("  Partition: %s [%v]\n", partDev, isMounted)
 				if isMounted {
@@ -61,7 +66,7 @@ func doDrives() {
 			}
 
 			if !used {
-				log.Println("  → Drive appears to be unused.")
+				log.Println("  * Drive appears to be unused.")
 			}
 		}
 		return nil
diff --git a/doGui.go b/doGui.go
index bc8890b..9a902ee 100644
--- a/doGui.go
+++ b/doGui.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package main
 // An app to submit patches for the 30 GO GUI repos
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -13,16 +14,45 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/gui"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gadgets"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/shell"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/virtpb"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
 func debug() {
 	for {
-		time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
-		log.Info("TODO: use this?")
+		time.Sleep(10 * time.Second)
+		log.Info("TODO: use this debug loop for something?")
 	}
 }
 
+// adds a new drive to the dropdown menu and protobuf
+func addDrive(devname string, displayDesc string) *Block {
+	if blkpb := me.pb.FindByName(devname); blkpb != nil {
+		return blkpb
+	}
+
+	s := log.Sprintf("%-12s %-8s", devname, displayDesc)
+	log.Info(s)
+	me.dd.AddText(s)
+
+	blkpb := me.pb.InsertByName(devname)
+	return blkpb
+}
+
+func switchDrive(blk *Block) {
+	me.currentDev = blk
+	me.parted.SetText("Partition " + blk.Name)
+
+	log.Info("check if", me.currentDev.Name, "is in use")
+	result, err := shell.RunVerbose([]string{"parted", me.currentDev.Name, "print"})
+	log.Info("result =", result.Stdout, "err =", err)
+	out := strings.Join(result.Stdout, "\n")
+	if err != nil {
+		out += fmt.Sprintf("err = %v", err)
+	}
+	me.driveInfoBox.SetText(out)
+}
+
 func doGui() {
 	me.myGui = gui.New()
 	me.myGui.InitEmbed(resources)
@@ -51,19 +81,21 @@ func drawWindow(win *gadgets.GenericWindow) {
 		if len(fields) < 1 {
 			return
 		}
-		me.currentDev = fields[0]
-		me.parted.SetText("Partition " + me.currentDev)
+		if blkpb := me.pb.FindByName(fields[0]); blkpb != nil {
+			switchDrive(blkpb)
+		} else {
+			log.Info("couldn't find in protobuf:", fields)
+		}
 	}
 	grid.NextRow()
 
 	// a button to format or blank a drive
 	me.parted = grid.NewButton("select drive", func() {
-		if me.currentDev == "" {
+		if me.currentDev == nil {
 			log.Info("You must select a drive first")
 			return
 		}
-		log.Info("check if", me.currentDev, "is in use")
-		shell.RunVerbose([]string{"parted", me.currentDev, "print"})
+		log.Info("TODO: figure out if the drive is in use")
 	})
 
 	grid.NextRow()
@@ -72,6 +104,16 @@ func drawWindow(win *gadgets.GenericWindow) {
 		doDrives()
 	})
 
-	doDrives2()
+	grid.NewButton("show blkpb", func() {
+		for blk := range me.pb.IterAll() {
+			log.Printf("found %-12s %s\n", blk.Name, virtpb.HumanFormatBytes(int64(blk.SizeBytes)))
+		}
+	})
+	grid.NextRow()
 
+	grid = win.Middle.RawGrid()
+	me.driveInfoBox = grid.NewLabel("<drive info>")
+
+	doDrives2()
+	doDrives()
 }
diff --git a/getDrives.go b/getDrives.go
index a818645..13dacc6 100644
--- a/getDrives.go
+++ b/getDrives.go
@@ -43,9 +43,7 @@ func doDrives2() {
 	for _, info := range devs {
 		devPath := "/dev/" + info.Name
 		if info.IsRaw {
-			s := log.Sprintf("%-12s -> %-8s (raw)", devPath, info.Type)
-			log.Info(s)
-			me.dd.AddText(s)
+			addDrive(devPath, log.Sprintf("-> %-8s (raw)", info.Type))
 		} else {
 			if info.Parent != "" {
 				log.Printf("%-12s -> partition of /dev/%s\n", devPath, info.Parent)
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 3e6acdf..8d7085d 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
+	me.pb = NewBlocks()
+
 	/*
 		if argv.Drives != nil {
 			doDrives()
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 2fb0554..bac17be 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ var me *autoType
 
 // this app's variables
 type autoType struct {
-	pp         *arg.Parser // go-arg preprocessor
-	myGui      *gui.Node   // the gui toolkit handle
-	dd         *gui.Node   // the drives dropdown list
-	parted     *gui.Node   // the current drive to run parted on
-	currentDev string      // the current dev entry to work on
+	pp           *arg.Parser // go-arg preprocessor
+	myGui        *gui.Node   // the gui toolkit handle
+	dd           *gui.Node   // the drives dropdown list
+	parted       *gui.Node   // the current drive to run parted on
+	currentDev   *Block      // the current dev entry to work on
+	pb           *Blocks     // the block dev protobuf
+	driveInfoBox *gui.Node   // displays the drive info
 }
diff --git a/watchForNewDrives.go b/watchForNewDrives.go
index 3f50707..bf92721 100644
--- a/watchForNewDrives.go
+++ b/watchForNewDrives.go
@@ -44,7 +44,9 @@ func listenForBlockEvents() {
 		msg := parseUevent(buf[:n])
 		if msg["SUBSYSTEM"] == "block" && msg["ACTION"] == "add" {
 			log.Printf("New block device added: %s\n", msg["DEVNAME"])
-			me.dd.AddText("/dev/" + msg["DEVNAME"] + " new")
+			devname := "/dev/" + msg["DEVNAME"]
+			me.dd.AddText(devname + " new")
+			me.pb.InsertByName(devname)
 		}
 		log.Printf("New syscall.NETLINK_KOBJECT_UEVENT: %v\n", msg)
 	}