diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index 6b25419..70f497a 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@ type args struct {
 	BuildForge bool         `arg:"--forge-rebuild"                      help:"download and rebuild forge"`
 	Force      bool         `arg:"--force"                              help:"try to strong arm things"`
 	Verbose    bool         `arg:"--verbose"                            help:"show more output"`
-	Bash       bool         `arg:"--bash"                               help:"generate bash completion"`
-	BashAuto   []string     `arg:"--auto-complete"                      help:"todo: move this to go-arg"`
 }
 
 type EmptyCmd struct {
@@ -148,6 +146,7 @@ forge -- a tool to manage lots of git repos. forge includes a GUI and TUI.
 `
 }
 
+/*
 func (args) doBashHelpDebug() {
 	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "")
 	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "hello world")
@@ -164,6 +163,7 @@ func (args) doBashHelpDebug() {
 	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "pull something else", argv.BashAuto, len(argv.BashAuto), p0, p1, p2, p1a, "end", more)
 	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "")
 }
+*/
 
 /*
 	handles shell autocomplete
@@ -177,14 +177,15 @@ func deleteMatch() {
 	fmt.Println("go.wit.com/lib/gui/repostatus todo: need to do this")
 }
 
-func ifBlank() bool {
-	if argv.BashAuto[1] == "''" {
+func ifBlank(arg string) bool {
+	if arg == "''" {
 		// if empty, the user has not typed something
 		return true
 	}
 	return false
 }
 
+/*
 // prints help to STDERR // TODO: move everything below this to go-args
 func (args) doBashHelp() {
 	if argv.BashAuto[1] != "''" {
@@ -204,9 +205,20 @@ func (args) doBashHelp() {
 	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "")
 }
 
-func (args) doBashAuto() {
-	// argv.doBashHelp()
-	switch argv.BashAuto[0] {
+func (a args) doBashAuto() {
+	DoAutoComplete(argv.BashAuto)
+	os.Exit(0)
+}
+*/
+
+func (a args) DoAutoComplete(argv []string) {
+	DoAutoComplete(argv)
+}
+
+func DoAutoComplete(argv []string) {
+	// fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "") // these are for debugging
+	// fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "in autocomplete:", argv) // these are for debugging
+	switch argv[0] {
 	case "checkout":
 		fmt.Println("devel master user")
 	case "clean":
@@ -224,7 +236,7 @@ func (args) doBashAuto() {
 	case "dirty":
 		fmt.Println("")
 	case "gui":
-		if ifBlank() {
+		if ifBlank(argv[1]) {
 			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "")
 			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "CUI: terminal interface using 'gocui'")
 			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "GUI: linux and macos GUI using GTK")
@@ -250,7 +262,7 @@ func (args) doBashAuto() {
 	case "verify":
 		fmt.Println("user devel master")
 	default:
-		if argv.BashAuto[0] == ARGNAME {
+		if argv[0] == ARGNAME {
 			// list the subcommands here
 			fmt.Println("help list checkout clean commit dirty debug fetch gui normal merge patch pull")
 		}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 2b33665..c1b8697 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 
 	"go.wit.com/dev/alexflint/arg"
 	"go.wit.com/gui"
-	"go.wit.com/lib/fhelp"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/prep"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/shell"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/gitpb"
@@ -47,17 +47,20 @@ func getVersion(repo *gitpb.Repo, name string) string {
 
 func main() {
 	me = new(mainType)
-	gui.InitArg()
+	prep.Bash(ARGNAME, argv.DoAutoComplete) // this line should be:  prep.Bash(argv)
+	me.myGui = prep.Gui()                   // prepares the GUI package for go-args
 	me.pp = arg.MustParse(&argv)
 
-	if argv.Bash {
-		fhelp.DoBash(ARGNAME)
-		os.Exit(0)
-	}
-	if len(argv.BashAuto) != 0 {
-		argv.doBashAuto()
-		os.Exit(0)
-	}
+	/*
+			if argv.Bash {
+				fhelp.DoBash(ARGNAME)
+				os.Exit(0)
+			}
+		if len(argv.BashAuto) != 0 {
+			argv.doBashAuto()
+			os.Exit(0)
+		}
+	*/
 	me.urlbase = argv.URL
 	if me.urlbase == "" {
 		me.urlbase = "https://go.wit.com/"
@@ -185,7 +188,6 @@ func main() {
 		okExit("")
 	}
 
-
 	// if you are in "normal" mode, always run normal every time to catch accidental errors
 	// for example, if you accidentally changed branches from your user branch
 	if me.forge.Config.Mode == forgepb.ForgeMode_NORMAL {
@@ -194,7 +196,6 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-
 	if argv.Merge != nil {
 		if argv.Merge.Devel != nil {
 			start := time.Now()
@@ -243,7 +244,6 @@ func main() {
 		okExit("")
 	}
 
-
 	// if the user doesn't want to open the GUI and
 	// nothing else was specified to be done,
 	// then just list the table to stdout