diff --git a/goSrcScan.go b/goSrcScan.go
index 86e4341..5555ac5 100644
--- a/goSrcScan.go
+++ b/goSrcScan.go
@@ -46,10 +46,13 @@ func (f *Forge) ScanGoSrc() (bool, error) {
 	return true, err
 }
 
+// returns a repo protobuf for a directory if the directory is a git repo
 func (f *Forge) ScanDir(dir string) *gitpb.Repo {
-	// repo, err := f.NewGoRepo(gopath, "")
-	repo, err := f.Repos.NewGoRepo(dir, "")
-	log.Info("need to implement ScanDir()", dir, err)
+	repo, err := f.Repos.NewRepo(dir, "")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Info("ScanDir() error", dir, err)
+		return nil
+	}
 	return repo
 }
 
diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index 57e18fd..72100df 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -180,3 +180,52 @@ func (f *Forge) Exit() {
 	// log.Info("forge.Exit() ok")
 	os.Exit(0)
 }
+
+func RawInitPB() *Forge {
+	f := new(Forge)
+
+	homeDir, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
+	// todo: check or exit if err?
+
+	// TODO: rethink this but it works for now
+	if os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC") == "" {
+		fullpath := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".cache/forge")
+		err := os.MkdirAll(fullpath, os.ModePerm)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Log(WARN, "mkdir failed", fullpath, err)
+		}
+		os.Setenv("FORGE_GOSRC", fullpath)
+	}
+	f.goSrc = os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC")
+
+	// also rethink this, but maybe this is the right thing to do
+	if os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG") == "" {
+		fullpath := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".config/forge")
+		os.MkdirAll(fullpath, os.ModePerm)
+		os.Setenv("FORGE_CONFIG", fullpath)
+	}
+
+	f.configDir = os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG")
+
+	// load the ~/.config/forge/ config
+	f.Config = new(ForgeConfigs)
+	if err := f.Config.ConfigLoad(); err != nil {
+		log.Log(WARN, "forgepb.ConfigLoad() failed", err)
+	}
+
+	f.Repos = gitpb.NewRepos()
+	f.Repos.ConfigLoad()
+
+	f.forgeURL = "https://forge.wit.com/"
+
+	if os.Getenv("FORGE_URL") != "" {
+		f.forgeURL = os.Getenv("FORGE_URL")
+		log.Info("got forge url", f.forgeURL)
+	}
+
+	// todo: play with these / determine good values based on user's machine
+	f.rillX = 10
+	f.rillY = 20
+
+	return f
+}