diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c73a6c5..a0c6343 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ clean:
 install:
 	make -C forgeConfig install
 
+autogenpb:
+	autogenpb --proto forgeConfig.proto --lobase forgeConfig --upbase ForgeConfig --sort "ByPath,GoPath" --marshal ForgeConfigs --append GoPath
+
 forgeConfig.pb.go: forgeConfig.proto
 	# I'm using version v1.35.x from google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go
 	cd ~/go/src && protoc --go_out=. --proto_path=go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb \
diff --git a/forgeConfig.marshal.go b/forgeConfig.marshal.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 63fa744..0000000
--- a/forgeConfig.marshal.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,50 +0,0 @@
-package forgepb
-
-// TODO: autogen this
-// functions to import and export the protobuf
-// data to and from config files
-
-import (
-	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/protojson"
-	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/prototext"
-	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
-	// "google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
-)
-
-// human readable JSON
-func (p *ForgeConfigs) FormatJSON() string {
-	return protojson.Format(p)
-}
-
-// apparently this isn't supposed to be used?
-// https://protobuf.dev/reference/go/faq/#unstable-text
-// this is a shame because this is much nicer output than JSON Format()
-// TODO: fix things so this is the default
-func (p *ForgeConfigs) FormatTEXT() string {
-	return prototext.Format(p)
-}
-
-// unmarshalTEXT
-func (p *ForgeConfigs) UnmarshalTEXT(data []byte) error {
-	return prototext.Unmarshal(data, p)
-}
-
-// marshal json
-func (p *ForgeConfigs) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
-	return protojson.Marshal(p)
-}
-
-// unmarshal
-func (p *ForgeConfigs) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
-	return protojson.Unmarshal(data, p)
-}
-
-// marshal to wire
-func (m *ForgeConfigs) Marshal() ([]byte, error) {
-	return proto.Marshal(m)
-}
-
-// unmarshal from wire
-func (m *ForgeConfigs) Unmarshal(data []byte) error {
-	return proto.Unmarshal(data, m)
-}
diff --git a/forgeConfig.proto b/forgeConfig.proto
index 5d3b25a..5195b09 100644
--- a/forgeConfig.proto
+++ b/forgeConfig.proto
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ message ForgeConfig {
   bool favorite			= 6; // you like this. always git clone/go clone this repo
   bool interesting		= 7; // this is something interesting you found and want to remember it
 
-  string masterBranch		= 8; // git 'main' or 'master' branch name
-  string develBranch		= 9; // whatever the git 'devel' branch name is
-  string userBranch		= 10; // whatever your username branch is
+  string masterBranchName	= 8; // git 'main' or 'master' branch name
+  string develBranchName	= 9; // whatever the git 'devel' branch name is
+  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' 
diff --git a/forgeConfig.sort.go b/forgeConfig.sort.go
deleted file mode 100644
index d8fc4a1..0000000
--- a/forgeConfig.sort.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,151 +0,0 @@
-package forgepb
-
-// TODO: autogen this? (probably not feasible. need go-arglike tricks in proto)
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"os"
-	"sort"
-	sync "sync"
-	"time"
-)
-
-// bad global lock until I figure out some other plan
-var forgeConfigsLock sync.RWMutex
-
-type ForgeConfigIterator struct {
-	sync.RWMutex
-
-	packs []*ForgeConfig
-	index int
-}
-
-// newForgeConfigIterator initializes a new iterator.
-func newForgeConfigIterator(packs []*ForgeConfig) *ForgeConfigIterator {
-	return &ForgeConfigIterator{packs: packs}
-}
-
-// Scan moves to the next element and returns false if there are no more packs.
-func (it *ForgeConfigIterator) Scan() bool {
-	if it.index >= len(it.packs) {
-		return false
-	}
-	it.index++
-	return true
-}
-
-// ForgeConfig returns the current forgeConfig.
-func (it *ForgeConfigIterator) Next() *ForgeConfig {
-	if it.packs[it.index-1] == nil {
-		for i, d := range it.packs {
-			fmt.Println("i =", i, d)
-		}
-		fmt.Println("len =", len(it.packs))
-		fmt.Println("forgeConfig == nil", it.index, it.index-1)
-		os.Exit(-1)
-	}
-	return it.packs[it.index-1]
-}
-
-// Use Scan() in a loop, similar to a while loop
-//
-//	for iterator.Scan() {
-//		d := iterator.ForgeConfig()
-//		fmt.Println("ForgeConfig UUID:", d.Uuid)
-//	}
-
-func (r *ForgeConfigs) All() *ForgeConfigIterator {
-	forgeConfigPointers := r.selectAllForgeConfigs()
-
-	iterator := newForgeConfigIterator(forgeConfigPointers)
-	return iterator
-}
-
-func (r *ForgeConfigs) SortByPath() *ForgeConfigIterator {
-	packs := r.selectAllForgeConfigs()
-
-	sort.Sort(byForgeConfigPath(packs))
-
-	iterator := newForgeConfigIterator(packs)
-	return iterator
-}
-
-// enforces no duplicate forgeConfig paths
-func (r *ForgeConfigs) Append(newP *ForgeConfig) bool {
-	forgeConfigsLock.Lock()
-	defer forgeConfigsLock.Unlock()
-
-	for _, p := range r.ForgeConfigs {
-		if p.GoPath == newP.GoPath {
-			return false
-		}
-	}
-
-	r.ForgeConfigs = append(r.ForgeConfigs, newP)
-	return true
-}
-
-// returns time.Duration since last Update()
-func (r *ForgeConfig) Age(newP *ForgeConfig) time.Duration {
-	t := time.Since(r.Verstamp.AsTime())
-	return t
-}
-
-// find a forgeConfig by path
-func (r *ForgeConfigs) FindByPath(gopath string) *ForgeConfig {
-	forgeConfigsLock.RLock()
-	defer forgeConfigsLock.RUnlock()
-
-	for _, p := range r.ForgeConfigs {
-		if p.GoPath == gopath {
-			return p
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (r *ForgeConfigs) Len() int {
-	forgeConfigsLock.RLock()
-	defer forgeConfigsLock.RUnlock()
-
-	return len(r.ForgeConfigs)
-}
-
-type byForgeConfigPath []*ForgeConfig
-
-func (a byForgeConfigPath) Len() int           { return len(a) }
-func (a byForgeConfigPath) Less(i, j int) bool { return a[i].GoPath < a[j].GoPath }
-func (a byForgeConfigPath) Swap(i, j int)      { a[i], a[j] = a[j], a[i] }
-
-func (all *ForgeConfigs) DeleteByPath(gopath string) *ForgeConfig {
-	forgeConfigsLock.Lock()
-	defer forgeConfigsLock.Unlock()
-
-	var newr ForgeConfig
-
-	for i, _ := range all.ForgeConfigs {
-		if all.ForgeConfigs[i].GoPath == gopath {
-			newr = *all.ForgeConfigs[i]
-			all.ForgeConfigs[i] = all.ForgeConfigs[len(all.ForgeConfigs)-1]
-			all.ForgeConfigs = all.ForgeConfigs[:len(all.ForgeConfigs)-1]
-			return &newr
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-// safely returns a slice of pointers to the ForgeConfig protobufs
-func (r *ForgeConfigs) selectAllForgeConfigs() []*ForgeConfig {
-	forgeConfigsLock.RLock()
-	defer forgeConfigsLock.RUnlock()
-
-	// Create a new slice to hold pointers to each ForgeConfig
-	var allPacks []*ForgeConfig
-	allPacks = make([]*ForgeConfig, len(r.ForgeConfigs))
-	for i, p := range r.ForgeConfigs {
-		allPacks[i] = p // Copy pointers for safe iteration
-	}
-
-	return allPacks
-}
diff --git a/forgeConfig/main.go b/forgeConfig/main.go
index 6e9fe1a..3ce6c7d 100644
--- a/forgeConfig/main.go
+++ b/forgeConfig/main.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// try to delete, then save config and exit
 	if argv.Delete {
-		if oldr := f.Config.DeleteByPath(argv.GoPath); oldr == nil {
+		if oldr := f.Config.DeleteByGoPath(argv.GoPath); oldr == nil {
 			log.Info("deleted", argv.GoPath, "did not exist. did nothing")
 			os.Exit(0)
 		}
diff --git a/settings.go b/settings.go
index c024d81..c1a7cb8 100644
--- a/settings.go
+++ b/settings.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (all *ForgeConfigs) UpdateGoPath(name string, gopath string) bool {
-	oldr := all.DeleteByPath(name)
+	oldr := all.DeleteByGoPath(name)
 	if oldr == nil {
 		// nothing to update
 		return false