diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 80e3e83..fcd3b4d 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -7,24 +7,38 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"time"
 
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
-// write to ~/.config/forge/ unless ENV{FORGE_HOME} is set
 func (f *Forge) ConfigSave() error {
-	// f.Config.Lock()
-	// defer f.Config.UnLock()
-	if os.Getenv("FORGE_HOME") == "" {
-		homeDir, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-		fullpath := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".config/forge")
-		os.Setenv("FORGE_HOME", fullpath)
+	var err error
+	// backup the current config files
+	if e := backupConfig(); e != nil {
+		log.Info("forge.BackupConfig() error", e)
+		err = e
+		// continue here? notsure. could be bad either way
+		// out of disk space?
 	}
-	// try to backup the current cluster config files
-	if err := backupConfig(); err != nil {
-		return err
+	if f.Config != nil {
+		if e := f.Config.ConfigSave(); e != nil {
+			log.Info("forge.Config.ConfigSave() error", e)
+			err = e
+		}
 	}
-	data, err := f.Config.Marshal()
+	if f.Repos != nil {
+		if e := f.Repos.ConfigSave(); e != nil {
+			log.Info("forge.Repos.ConfigSave() error", e)
+			err = e
+		}
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+// write to ~/.config/forge/ unless ENV{FORGE_CONFIG} is set
+func (f *ForgeConfigs) ConfigSave() error {
+	data, err := f.Marshal()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Info("proto.Marshal() failed len", len(data), err)
 		return err
@@ -32,88 +46,83 @@ func (f *Forge) ConfigSave() error {
 	log.Info("forgepb.ConfigSave() proto.Marshal() worked len", len(data))
 	configWrite("forge.pb", data)
 
-	s := f.Config.FormatTEXT()
+	s := f.FormatTEXT()
 	configWrite("forge.text", []byte(s))
 
-	s = f.Config.FormatJSON()
+	s = f.FormatJSON()
 	configWrite("forge.json", []byte(s))
 
-	if f.Repos != nil {
-		f.Repos.ConfigSave()
-	}
 	return nil
 }
 
 // load the ~/.config/forge/ files
 func (c *ForgeConfigs) ConfigLoad() error {
-	if os.Getenv("FORGE_HOME") == "" {
+	if os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG") == "" {
 		homeDir, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
 		fullpath := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".config/forge")
-		os.Setenv("FORGE_HOME", fullpath)
+		os.Setenv("FORGE_CONFIG", fullpath)
 	}
-	var data []byte
-	var err error
+	// var data []byte
+	// var err error
 	if c == nil {
 		// can't safely do c = new(ForgeConfig) if c is in a struct from the caller. notsure why
 		return errors.New("It's not safe to run ConfigLoad() on a nil")
 	}
 
-	if data, err = loadFile("forge.pb"); err != nil {
-		// something went wrong loading the file
-		return err
-	}
-	if data != nil {
-		// this means the forge.pb file exists and was read
-		if len(data) == 0 {
-			// todo: error out if the file is empty?
-			// try forge.text & forge.json?
+	if data, err := loadFile("forge.pb"); err == nil {
+		if data != nil {
+			if len(data) != 0 {
+				if err = c.Unmarshal(data); err == nil {
+					log.Info("forge.ConfigLoad()", len(c.ForgeConfigs), "entries in ~/.config/forge")
+					return nil
+				}
+			}
 		}
-		if err = c.Unmarshal(data); err != nil {
-			log.Warn("broken forge.pb config file")
-			return err
-		}
-		log.Info("found", len(c.ForgeConfigs), "entries in ~/.config/forge")
-		return nil
 	}
+	log.Warn("broken forge.pb config file")
 
 	// forge.db doesn't exist. try forge.text
 	// this lets the user hand edit the config
-	if data, err = loadFile("forge.text"); err != nil {
-		// something went wrong loading the file
-		return err
-	}
-
-	if data != nil {
-		// this means the forge.text file exists and was read
-		if len(data) == 0 {
-			// todo: error out if the file is empty?
+	if data, err := loadFile("forge.text"); err == nil {
+		if data != nil {
+			// this means the forge.text file exists and was read
+			if len(data) != 0 {
+				if err = c.UnmarshalTEXT(data); err != nil {
+					log.Info("forge.ConfigLoad()", len(c.ForgeConfigs), "entries in ~/.config/forge")
+					// forge.pb file was broken. save on load right away
+					log.Info("attempting forge.ConfigSave()")
+					c.ConfigSave()
+					return nil
+				}
+				// todo: error out if the file is empty?
+			}
 		}
-		if err = c.UnmarshalTEXT(data); err != nil {
-			log.Warn("broken forge.text config file")
-			return err
-		}
-		log.Info("found", len(c.ForgeConfigs), "entries in ~/.config/forge")
-		return nil
 	}
 
 	// forge.text doesn't exist. try forge.json
 	// this lets the user hand edit the config
-	if data, err = loadFile("forge.json"); err != nil {
-		// something went wrong loading the file
-		return err
+	if data, err := loadFile("forge.json"); err != nil {
+		if data != nil {
+			// this means the forge.json file exists and was read
+			if len(data) != 0 {
+				if err = c.UnmarshalJSON(data); err == nil {
+					log.Info("forge.ConfigLoad()", len(c.ForgeConfigs), "entries in ~/.config/forge")
+					// forge.pb file was broken. save on load right away
+					log.Info("attempting forge.ConfigSave()")
+					c.ConfigSave()
+					return nil
+				}
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
-	if data != nil {
-		// this means the forge.text file exists and was read
-		if len(data) == 0 {
-			// todo: error out if the file is empty?
-		}
-		if err = c.UnmarshalJSON(data); err != nil {
-			log.Warn("broken forge.json config file")
-			return err
-		}
-		log.Info("found", len(c.ForgeConfigs), "entries in ~/.config/forge")
-		return nil
+	cpath := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG"), ".")
+	if _, err := os.Stat(cpath); err == nil {
+		log.Info("Something has gone wrong. Your", os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG"), "directory exists")
+		log.Info("However, the config files could not be loaded")
+		time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
+		os.Exit(-1)
+		// return errors.New("config files can not be loaded from" + os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG"))
 	}
 
 	// first time user. make a template config file
@@ -123,7 +132,7 @@ func (c *ForgeConfigs) ConfigLoad() error {
 }
 
 func loadFile(filename string) ([]byte, error) {
-	fullname := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("FORGE_HOME"), filename)
+	fullname := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG"), filename)
 	data, err := os.ReadFile(fullname)
 	if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
 		// if file does not exist, just return nil. this
@@ -139,7 +148,7 @@ func loadFile(filename string) ([]byte, error) {
 }
 
 func configWrite(filename string, data []byte) error {
-	fullname := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("FORGE_HOME"), filename)
+	fullname := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG"), filename)
 
 	cfgfile, err := os.OpenFile(fullname, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE, 0666)
 	defer cfgfile.Close()
diff --git a/configBackup.go b/configBackup.go
index ee019ae..d9bc396 100644
--- a/configBackup.go
+++ b/configBackup.go
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ func backupConfig() error {
 	now := time.Now()
 	// timestamp := now.Format("2022.07.18.190545") // 50yr shout out to K&R
 	timestamp := now.Format("2006.01.02.150405") // bummer. other date doesn't work?
-	srcDir := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("FORGE_HOME"))
-	destDir := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("FORGE_HOME"), timestamp)
+	srcDir := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG"))
+	destDir := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG"), timestamp)
 
 	return backupFiles(srcDir, destDir)
 }
diff --git a/forgeConfig.proto b/forgeConfig.proto
index de60159..70f9f1d 100644
--- a/forgeConfig.proto
+++ b/forgeConfig.proto
@@ -27,10 +27,11 @@ message ForgeConfig {
   string userBranchName		= 10; // whatever your username branch is
 
   string debName 		= 11; // the actual name used with 'apt install' (or distro apt equivalent.
-// todo: appeal to everyone to alias 'apt' on rhat, gentoo, arch, etc to alias 'apt install' 
+// todo: appeal to everyone to alias 'apt' on fedora, gentoo, arch, etc to alias 'apt install' 
 // so we can make easier instructions for new linux users. KISS
 
   google.protobuf.Timestamp     verstamp      = 12;    // the git commit timestamp of the version
+  string goSrc			= 13; // is ~/go/src unless a go.work file is found
 }
 
 message ForgeConfigs {			// `autogenpb:marshal`
diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index 3986bc0..1d41d62 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package forgepb
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/gitpb"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/zoopb"
@@ -23,6 +24,13 @@ func Init() *Forge {
 	}
 	f.goSrc = os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC")
 
+	// also rethink this, but maybe this is the right thing to do
+	if os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG") == "" {
+		homeDir, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
+		fullpath := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".config/forge")
+		os.Setenv("FORGE_CONFIG", fullpath)
+	}
+
 	// cache.go has Do()
 	// f.initOnce.Do(f.initWork)
 
@@ -42,10 +50,11 @@ func Init() *Forge {
 		log.Warn("zoopb.ConfigLoad() failed", err)
 		os.Exit(-1)
 	}
-	f.Machine.InitWit()
+	// f.Machine.InitWit()
 
-	log.Info("forge pre scan    ", f.Repos.Len(), "repos in", f.goSrc)
+	start := f.Repos.Len()
 	f.ScanGoSrc()
-	log.Info("forge.Init() found", f.Repos.Len(), "repos in", f.goSrc)
+	end := f.Repos.Len()
+	log.Info("forge.ScanGoSrc() Found", end-start, "new repos in", f.goSrc)
 	return f
 }