wow. this worked. thanks Alex Flint

argv.go

@@ -149,22 +149,12 @@ forge -- a tool to manage lots of git repos. forge includes a GUI and TUI.
 `
 }
 
-//
-//	handles shell autocomplete
-//
-
-// arg0 should be the last entry
-// arg1 should be the 'current' thing the user is typing
-// it should be empty if the user doesn't have a partial string to match
+// handles shell autocomplete
 func DoAutoComplete(pb *prep.Auto) {
 	switch pb.Cmd {
 	case "checkout":
 		pb.Autocomplete2("devel master user")
 	case "clean":
-		// me.pp.WriteHelp(os.Stderr)
-		// me.pp.WriteUsageForSubcommand(os.Stderr, me.pp.SubcommandNames()...)
-		// me.pp.WriteHelpForSubcommand(os.Stderr, me.pp.SubcommandNames()...)
-		// me.pp.WriteHelpForSubcommand(os.Stderr, "clean")
 		fmt.Println("--force verify --repo")
 	case "commit":
 		pb.Autocomplete2("--all")
@@ -200,12 +190,16 @@ func DoAutoComplete(pb *prep.Auto) {
 		if pb.Cmd == "" {
 			pb.Autocomplete2("help list checkout clean commit dirty fetch gui normal merge patch pull tag --gui")
 		} else {
-			pb.Autocomplete2("todoGenericCmd")
+			pb.Autocomplete2("list checkout clean commit dirty normal merge")
 		}
 	}
 	os.Exit(0)
 }
 
+func (args) Appname() string {
+	return ARGNAME
+}
+
 func ifBlank(arg string) bool {
 	if arg == "''" {
 		// if empty, the user has not typed something

main.go

@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ func getVersion(repo *gitpb.Repo, name string) string {
 func main() {
 	me = new(mainType)
 	// prep.Bash2(ARGNAME, argv.DoAutoComplete)                  // this line should be:  prep.Bash(&argv)
-	me.myGui = prep.Gui()                                     // prepares the GUI package for go-args
-	me.auto = prep.Bash3(ARGNAME, argv.DoAutoComplete, &argv) // this line should be:  prep.Bash(&argv)
+	me.myGui = prep.Gui()                            // prepares the GUI package for go-args
+	me.auto = prep.Bash3(argv.DoAutoComplete, &argv) // this line should be:  prep.Bash(&argv)
 	// arg.MustParse(&argv)                                      // these three lines are becoming terrible syntax
 	// me.auto = prep.MustParse(&argv)          // try to make this work?