diff --git a/forgeConfig.common.go b/config.common.go
similarity index 100%
rename from forgeConfig.common.go
rename to config.common.go
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index d5d80c8..8442933 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 package forgepb
 
 import (
+	"os"
+
 	"go.wit.com/lib/config"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/prep"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
@@ -32,3 +34,59 @@ func (f *Forge) ConfigSave() error {
 	}
 	return err
 }
+
+// functions to import and export the protobuf
+// data to and from config files
+
+// write to ~/.config/forge/
+func (cfg *ForgeConfigs) ConfigSave() error {
+	var header string
+	header += "\n"
+	header += "# the forge config file\n"
+	header += "# You can customize things like:\n"
+	header += "#\n"
+	header += "#    * which repos you have write access to\n"
+	header += "#    * custom branch names for 'master', 'devel' and 'user'\n"
+	header += "#    * 'favorites' so you can remember which things you like\n"
+	header += "#    * sometimes protobuf TEXT can fail so as a backup this also creates a .json file\n"
+	header += "#\n"
+	header += "\n"
+	return config.ConfigSaveWithHeader(cfg, header)
+}
+
+func (cfg *ForgeConfigs) DumpENV() {
+	log.Infof("CfgPB.Filename  = %s\n", cfg.Filename)
+	log.Infof("CfgPB.ReposPB   = %s\n", cfg.ReposPB)
+	log.Infof("CfgPB.ReposDir  = %s\n", cfg.ReposDir)
+	log.Infof("CfgPB.PatchDir  = %s\n", cfg.PatchDir)
+	log.Infof("CfgPB.ForgeURL  = %s\n", cfg.ForgeURL)
+	if cfg.GoWork {
+		log.Infof("CfgPB.GoWork    = %v\n", cfg.GoWork)
+	}
+	log.Infof("CfgPB.Mode      = %s\n", cfg.Mode)
+	// log.Infof("CfgPB.Hostname=%s\n", cfg.Hostname)
+
+	if cfg.ReposPB != os.Getenv("FORGE_REPOSPB") {
+		log.Infof("CfgPB file problem: cfg.ReposPB=%s != FORGE_REPOSPB=%s\n", cfg.ReposPB, os.Getenv("FORGE_REPOSPB"))
+	}
+}
+
+/*
+	if f.Config.Username == "" {
+		usr, _ := user.Current()
+		f.Config.Username = usr.Username
+		f.SetConfigSave(true)
+	}
+
+	if f.Config.Xterm == "" {
+		f.Config.Xterm = "xterm"
+		f.Config.XtermArgv = append(f.Config.XtermArgv, "-bg")
+		f.Config.XtermArgv = append(f.Config.XtermArgv, "black")
+		f.Config.XtermArgv = append(f.Config.XtermArgv, "-fg")
+		f.Config.XtermArgv = append(f.Config.XtermArgv, "white")
+		f.SetConfigSave(true)
+	}
+*/
+
+func (cfg *ForgeConfigs) InitDefaults() {
+}
diff --git a/forgeConfig.config.go b/forgeConfig.config.go
deleted file mode 100644
index b5080a6..0000000
--- a/forgeConfig.config.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,56 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2025 WIT.COM Inc Licensed GPL 3.0
-
-package forgepb
-
-import (
-	"os"
-
-	"go.wit.com/lib/config"
-	"go.wit.com/log"
-)
-
-// functions to import and export the protobuf
-// data to and from config files
-
-// write to ~/.config/forge/
-func (cfg *ForgeConfigs) ConfigSave() error {
-	var header string
-	header += "\n"
-	header += "# the forge config file\n"
-	header += "# You can customize things like:\n"
-	header += "#\n"
-	header += "#    * which repos you have write access to\n"
-	header += "#    * custom branch names for 'master', 'devel' and 'user'\n"
-	header += "#    * 'favorites' so you can remember which things you like\n"
-	header += "#\n"
-	header += "\n"
-	return config.ConfigSaveWithHeader(cfg, header)
-}
-
-func (cfg *ForgeConfigs) DumpENV() {
-	if cfg.ReposPB != os.Getenv("FORGE_REPOSPB") {
-		log.Infof("RepoPB file problem: cfg.ReposPB=%s != FORGE_REPOSPB=%s\n", cfg.ReposPB, os.Getenv("FORGE_REPOSPB"))
-	}
-}
-
-// load the ~/.config/forge/ files
-func (c *ForgeConfigs) ConfigLoad(fullpath string) error {
-	return nil
-}
-
-/*
-	if f.Config.Username == "" {
-		usr, _ := user.Current()
-		f.Config.Username = usr.Username
-		f.SetConfigSave(true)
-	}
-
-	if f.Config.Xterm == "" {
-		f.Config.Xterm = "xterm"
-		f.Config.XtermArgv = append(f.Config.XtermArgv, "-bg")
-		f.Config.XtermArgv = append(f.Config.XtermArgv, "black")
-		f.Config.XtermArgv = append(f.Config.XtermArgv, "-fg")
-		f.Config.XtermArgv = append(f.Config.XtermArgv, "white")
-		f.SetConfigSave(true)
-	}
-*/
diff --git a/forgeConfig.proto b/forgeConfig.proto
index 14ef1ef..ec081d0 100644
--- a/forgeConfig.proto
+++ b/forgeConfig.proto
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ message ForgeConfigs {                                         // `autogenpb:mar
         repeated string             xtermArgv            = 6;  // the argv line for xterm
         string                      defaultGui           = 7;  // default GUI plugin to use
         ForgeMode                   mode                 = 8;  // what "mode" forge is in
-        string                      goSrc                = 9;  // is ~/go/src unless a go.work file is found
+        bool                        goWork               = 9;  // true if there is a go.work file
         bool                        pathLock             = 10; // the path is locked
         string                      ReposPB              = 11; // where the repos.pb is
         string                      ReposDir             = 12; // where the repos are
diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index 6ade4ab..9243e9d 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -24,17 +24,26 @@ func Default(opts ...OptionFunc) *Engine {
 */
 
 func Init() *Forge {
+	f := new(Forge)
 	cfg := new(ForgeConfigs)
 	err := config.ConfigLoad(cfg, "forge", "forge")
+	f.Config = cfg
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Info("forge has not been configured yet filename =", cfg.Filename)
-		log.Info("go install go.wit.com/apps/forge@latest")
-		os.Exit(-1)
+		// fhelp.DumpENV("finit:")
+		f.setenv()
+		if !fhelp.QuestionUser("This is your first time using forge, use these default values?") {
+			os.Exit(-1)
+		}
+		f.Config.InitDefaults()
+		f.Config.ConfigSave()
+		f.initFromConfig()
+		f.Config.DumpENV()
+		return f
 	}
-	f := initFromConfig(cfg)
+	f.initFromConfig()
 	if f.Config.Mode == ForgeMode_MASTER {
 		log.Printf("forge.Init() %s len()=%d\n", f.Config.Filename, f.Repos.Len())
-		fhelp.DumpENV("finit:")
+		// fhelp.DumpENV("finit:")
 		f.Config.DumpENV()
 	}
 	return f
@@ -48,14 +57,14 @@ func InitByAppname(argname string) *Forge {
 		log.Info("go install go.wit.com/apps/forge@latest")
 		os.Exit(-1)
 	}
-	f := initFromConfig(cfg)
+	f := new(Forge)
+	f.Config = cfg
+	f.initFromConfig()
 	log.Printf("forge.Init() %s len()=%d\n", f.Config.Filename, f.Repos.Len())
 	return f
 }
 
-func initFromConfig(cfg *ForgeConfigs) *Forge {
-	f := new(Forge)
-	f.Config = cfg
+func (f *Forge) initFromConfig() {
 	if f.configENV() {
 		log.Info("ENV changed config. todo: save config here")
 		f.Config.ConfigSave()
@@ -80,9 +89,12 @@ func initFromConfig(cfg *ForgeConfigs) *Forge {
 	f.Patchsets = NewPatchsets()
 
 	// todo: play with these / determine good values based on user's machine
-	f.Config.RillX = 10
-	f.Config.RillY = 20
-	return f
+	if f.Config.RillX == 0 {
+		f.Config.RillX = 10
+	}
+	if f.Config.RillY == 0 {
+		f.Config.RillY = 20
+	}
 }
 
 func (f *Forge) SetConfigSave(b bool) {
@@ -93,8 +105,9 @@ func (f *Forge) SetConfigSave(b bool) {
 func (f *Forge) Exit() {
 	// log.Info("forge.configSave =", f.configSave)
 	if f.Config.Mode == ForgeMode_MASTER {
-		fhelp.DumpENV("forge:")
-		f.Config.DumpENV()
+		// fhelp.DumpENV("forge:")
+		// f.Config.DumpENV()
+		// todo: tell the user to switch to NORMAL mode
 	}
 
 	f.ConfigSave()
@@ -114,6 +127,7 @@ func (f *Forge) Exit() {
 // all initial ENV settings should be stored in the forge struct
 func (f *Forge) setenv() {
 	f.once.Do(func() {
+		log.Info("doing setenv()")
 		if err := fhelp.ConfigureENV(); err != nil {
 			log.Info("forge ConfigureENV() failed", err)
 			os.Exit(-1)
@@ -128,9 +142,11 @@ func (f *Forge) setenv() {
 			f.goWork = true
 		}
 
-		f.Config.ReposPB = os.Getenv("FORGE_REPOPB")
+		f.Config.ReposPB = os.Getenv("FORGE_REPOSPB")
+		f.Config.ReposDir = os.Getenv("FORGE_REPOSDIR")
 		f.Config.PatchDir = os.Getenv("FORGE_PATCHDIR")
 		f.Config.ForgeURL = os.Getenv("FORGE_URL")
+		fhelp.DumpENV("setenv end()")
 	})
 }