diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8e2ad0e..3429a71 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 go.*
 *.swp
 *.patch
+*.mbox
 *.pb.go
diff --git a/patchset.Make.go b/patchset.Make.go
index 675f5cc..5081cb9 100644
--- a/patchset.Make.go
+++ b/patchset.Make.go
@@ -110,7 +110,19 @@ func (pset *Patchset) makePatchSetNew(repo *gitpb.Repo) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// maybe better? maybe worse?
+	// git format-patch -o patches --stdout <commit-range> > my-patch.mbox
+	// git format-patch --stdout -5 > my-patch.mbox  # last 5 patches
+	// git am < my-patch.mbox
 	// git format-patch branch1..branch2
+	// export GIT_COMMITTER_DATE="2024-01-01T12:00:00"
+	// export GIT_AUTHOR_DATE="2024-01-01T12:00:00"
+	// export GIT_COMMITTER_NAME="Your Name"
+	// export GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL="your.email@example.com"
+	// export GIT_AUTHOR_NAME="Your Name"
+	// export GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL="your.email@example.com"
+	// git am < patch.mbox
+
 	cmd := []string{"git", "format-patch", "-o", repoDir, startBranch + ".." + endBranch}
 	r := repo.Run(cmd)
 	if r.Error != nil {
diff --git a/patchset.proto.new b/patchset.proto.new
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96c6e39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patchset.proto.new
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+syntax = "proto3";
+
+package forgepb;
+
+import "google/protobuf/timestamp.proto"; // Import the well-known type for Timestamp
+
+/*
+message Blob {
+        string hunkLine         = 1;
+        bytes  data             = 2;
+}
+
+message File {
+        string filename         = 1;
+        string hashLine         = 2;
+	repeated Blob  Blobs    = 3;
+}
+
+message Patch {
+	repeated File  Files    = 1;
+        string repoNamespace    = 2;
+	string   gH             = 3; 
+	string   gaI            = 4;
+	string   gcI            = 5;
+}
+*/
+
+// git log -1 --format="%H %aI %cI %an %ae %cn %ce"
+message Patch {
+        string repoNamespace    = 1; // the base repo git URL
+        bytes  data             = 2; // the raw data of the whole patch
+	string   gH             = 3;       // after some deliberation, I think I'll just try variable names
+	string   gT             = 4;
+	string   gP             = 5;
+	string   gs             = 6;
+	string   gaI            = 7;       // that exactly match what git uses.
+	string   gan            = 8;
+	string   gae            = 9;
+	string   gcI            = 10;
+	string   gcn            = 11;
+	string   gce            = 12;
+	string   gN             = 13;
+	string   gGG            = 14;
+	string   gGS            = 15;
+	string   gGK            = 16;
+        string newHash     	= 17; // new hash
+        string state       	= 18; // the 'state' of the patch
+}
+
+message Patches {			   // this is a "PATCH: [1/x]" series
+	string   uuid	        = 1;       // `autogenpb:uuid:be926ad9-1111-484c-adf2-d96eeabf3079` // todo: add autogenpb support for this
+	string   version        = 2;       // `autogenpb:version:v0.0.45` // todo: add autogenpb support for this
+	repeated Patch Patches  = 3;
+}
+
+message Patchset {			        // `autogenpb:marshal`
+	Patches patches                 = 1;    //
+	string   name                   = 2;    // `autogenpb:sort`
+	string   comment                = 3;    //
+	string   gitAuthorName          = 4;    // `autogenpb:sort`
+	string   gitAuthorEmail         = 5;    //
+        google.protobuf.Timestamp ctime = 6;    // create time of the patchset
+	string   tmpDir                 = 7;    // temp dir
+	string   startBranchName        = 8;    //
+	string   endBranchName          = 9;    //
+	string   startBranchHash        = 10;   //
+	string   endBranchHash          = 11;   //
+}
+
+message Patchsets {			   // `autogenpb:marshal`
+	string   uuid	        = 1;       // `autogenpb:uuid:be926ad9-f07f-484c-adf2-d96eeabf3079` // todo: add autogenpb support for this
+	string   version        = 2;       // `autogenpb:version:v0.0.45` // todo: add autogenpb support for this
+	repeated Patchset Patchsets  = 3;
+}