diff --git a/build.go b/build.go
index 0b8b58a..8fee1be 100644
--- a/build.go
+++ b/build.go
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ func (f *Forge) Install(repo *gitpb.Repo, userFlags []string) error {
 }
 
 func (f *Forge) doBuild(repo *gitpb.Repo, userFlags []string, goWhat string) error {
+	if repo == nil {
+		log.Warn("forge.doBuild repo == nil")
+		return errors.New("forge.doBuild repo == nil")
+	}
 	// always assume all sources have been downloaded
 	// todo: detect when in ~/go/src vs go.work mode
 	os.Setenv("GO111MODULE", "off")
@@ -101,6 +105,14 @@ func (f *Forge) doBuild(repo *gitpb.Repo, userFlags []string, goWhat string) err
 		log.Info(strings.Join(result.Stderr, "\n"))
 		log.DaemonMode(false)
 		log.Warn("go build failed", cmd)
+		pwd, _ := os.Getwd()
+		log.Warn("go build pwd", pwd)
+		res2 := repo.RunRealtime(cmd)
+		if res2.Exit == 0 {
+			log.Info("again failed", res2.Exit)
+			log.Info("again failed cmd", strings.Join(cmd, "a"))
+			log.Info("again failed", strings.Join(res2.Stdout, "\n"))
+		}
 		return errors.New("go build failed: " + fmt.Sprint(result.Error))
 	}
 }
diff --git a/goSrcFind.go b/goSrcFind.go
index 7393a35..b19e858 100644
--- a/goSrcFind.go
+++ b/goSrcFind.go
@@ -17,20 +17,26 @@ import (
 // otherwise use ~/go/src
 func (f *Forge) findGoSrc() (string, error) {
 	pwd, err := os.Getwd()
+	startpwd, _ := os.Getwd()
 	if err == nil {
+		log.Info("forge.findGoSrc() trying digup", pwd, err)
 		// Check for go.work in the current directory and then move up until root
 		if pwd, err := digup(pwd); err == nil {
-			log.Info("using go.work file in directory", pwd)
+			log.Info("forge.findGoSrc() using go.work file in directory", pwd)
 			f.goWork = true
 			// found an existing go.work file
 			// os.Chdir(pwd)
 			return pwd, nil
+		} else {
+			log.Info("forge.digup() err", pwd, err)
 		}
+	} else {
+		log.Info("forge.findGoSrc() os.Getwd()", pwd, err)
 	}
 
 	// there are no go.work files, resume the ~/go/src behavior from prior to golang 1.22
 	pwd, err = useGoSrc()
-	log.Info("using ~/go/src directory", pwd)
+	log.Info("forge.findGoSrc() 2 using ~/go/src directory", pwd, "start was", startpwd)
 	return pwd, err
 }
 
@@ -50,9 +56,12 @@ func useGoSrc() (string, error) {
 func digup(path string) (string, error) {
 	for {
 		workFilePath := filepath.Join(path, "go.work")
+		log.Info("digup trying", workFilePath)
 		if _, err := os.Stat(workFilePath); err == nil {
+			log.Info("digup found", path)
 			return path, nil // Found the go.work file
 		} else if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			log.Info("forgepb.digup() failed", workFilePath, err)
 			return "", err // An error other than not existing
 		}
 
diff --git a/goWork.go b/goWork.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c709781
--- /dev/null
+++ b/goWork.go
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+package forgepb
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+// very much a hack job
+func (f *Forge) MakeGoWork() error {
+	if f.IsGoWork() {
+		// a go.work file was found
+	} else {
+		// you can use a go.work file in ~/go/src , but you probably shouldn't unless something
+		// has gone terribly wrong
+		return errors.New("if you want a go.work file in ~/go/src/, touch it first")
+	}
+	filename := filepath.Join(f.GetGoSrc(), "go.work")
+	workf, err := os.OpenFile(filename, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0600)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer workf.Close()
+
+	fmt.Fprintln(workf, "go 1.20") // fix this
+	fmt.Fprintln(workf, "")
+	fmt.Fprintln(workf, "use (")
+
+	loop := f.Repos.SortByGoPath()
+	for loop.Scan() {
+		repo := loop.Next()
+		/*
+			if !repo.IsGoLang() == "" {
+				// skip repos that aren't go
+				// todo: handle non-flat repos?
+				log.Info("skip non-go", repo.GoPath)
+				continue
+			}
+		*/
+		fmt.Fprintln(workf, "\t"+repo.GoPath)
+		/*
+			if repo.pb.Exists("go.mod") {
+				// log.Info("ADDING REPO", goSrcDir, repo.GoPath)
+			} else {
+			fmt.Fprintln(workf, "\t"+repo.GoPath)
+				log.Log(REPO, "missing go.mod for", repo.GoPath)
+			}
+		*/
+	}
+	fmt.Fprintln(workf, ")")
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index 93d0cbb..618bf60 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -12,10 +12,13 @@ import (
 func Init() *Forge {
 	f := new(Forge)
 
+	getwd, _ := os.Getwd()
+	log.Info("forgepbb.Init() os.Getwd()", getwd)
+	log.Info("forgepbb.Init() started with FORGE_CONFIG", os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG"))
+	log.Info("forgepbb.Init() started with FORGE_GOSRC", os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC"))
 	// TODO: rethink this but it works for now
 	gosrc := os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC")
 	if gosrc == "" {
-		// already set. ignore init()
 		goSrcDir, err := f.findGoSrc()
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Warn("forge init() findGoSrc()", err)
@@ -23,6 +26,7 @@ func Init() *Forge {
 		os.Setenv("FORGE_GOSRC", goSrcDir)
 	}
 	f.goSrc = os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC")
+	log.Info("forge.Init() using ~/go/src directory", f.goSrc)
 
 	// also rethink this, but maybe this is the right thing to do
 	if os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG") == "" {
@@ -30,6 +34,9 @@ func Init() *Forge {
 		fullpath := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".config/forge")
 		os.Setenv("FORGE_CONFIG", fullpath)
 	}
+	log.Info("forgepbb.Init() ~/go/src ", f.goSrc)
+	log.Info("forgepbb.Init() 2 FORGE_CONFIG", os.Getenv("FORGE_CONFIG"))
+	log.Info("forgepbb.Init() 2 FORGE_GOSRC", os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC"))
 
 	// cache.go has Do()
 	// f.initOnce.Do(f.initWork)
diff --git a/repoClone.go b/repoClone.go
index f49319b..7a51be1 100644
--- a/repoClone.go
+++ b/repoClone.go
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func cloneActual(newdir, basedir, giturl string) (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	cmd := []string{"git", "clone", "--verbose", "--progress", giturl, newdir}
-	log.Info("Running:", cmd)
+	log.Info("Running:", basedir, cmd)
 	r := shell.PathRunRealtime(basedir, cmd)
 	if r.Error != nil {
 		log.Warn("git clone error", r.Error)
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 0bb770d..7ec1abb 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -23,3 +23,7 @@ type Forge struct {
 func (f *Forge) GetGoSrc() string {
 	return f.goSrc
 }
+
+func (f *Forge) IsGoWork() bool {
+	return f.goWork
+}