diff --git a/gitTags.query.go b/gitTags.query.go
index 34f500b..029bd0b 100644
--- a/gitTags.query.go
+++ b/gitTags.query.go
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ func (repo *Repo) GetLastTag() string {
 	log.Info("getLastTagVersion()", result.Stdout)
 
 	if len(result.Stdout) != 1 {
-		log.Info("git LastTag() error:", result.Stdout)
-		return "error"
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "git LastTag() error:", result.Stdout)
+		return ""
 	}
 
 	hash := result.Stdout[0]
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ func (repo *Repo) GetLastTag() string {
 	result = repo.RunQuiet(cmd)
 
 	if len(result.Stdout) != 1 {
-		log.Info("git LastTag() error:", result.Stdout)
-		return "error"
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "git LastTag() error:", result.Stdout)
+		return ""
 	}
 
 	return result.Stdout[0]
@@ -37,18 +37,18 @@ func (repo *Repo) GetLastTag() string {
 func (repo *Repo) GitMasterVersion() string {
 	v, err := repo.gitVersionByName("master")
 	/*
-	count := repo.LenGitTags()
-	log.Info(repo.GoPath, "tag count", count)
-	repo.UpdateGitTags()
-	count = repo.LenGitTags()
-	log.Info(repo.GoPath, "tag count", count)
+		count := repo.LenGitTags()
+		log.Info(repo.GoPath, "tag count", count)
+		repo.UpdateGitTags()
+		count = repo.LenGitTags()
+		log.Info(repo.GoPath, "tag count", count)
 	*/
 
 	if err == nil {
 		return v
 	} else {
-		log.Info("GitMasterVersion() error", err)
-		return "error"
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "gitpb.GitMasterVersion() error:", err)
+		return ""
 	}
 }
 
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ func (repo *Repo) GitDevelVersion() string {
 	if err == nil {
 		return v
 	} else {
-		log.Info("GitMasterVersion() error", err)
-		return "error"
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "gitpb.GitDevelVersion() error:", err)
+		return ""
 	}
 }
 
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ func (repo *Repo) GitUserVersion() string {
 	if err == nil {
 		return v
 	} else {
-		log.Info("GitMasterVersion() error", err)
-		return "error"
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "gitpb.GitUserVersion() error:", err)
+		return ""
 	}
 }
 
@@ -80,28 +80,39 @@ func (repo *Repo) gitVersionByName(name string) (string, error) {
 		r := repo.RunQuiet([]string{"git", "describe", "--tags", "--always"})
 		output := strings.Join(r.Stdout, "\n")
 		if r.Error != nil {
-			log.Warn("gitDescribeByName() not in a git repo?", r.Error, repo.GoPath)
+			log.Log(GITPBWARN, "gitDescribeByName() output might have worked anyway:", output)
+			log.Log(GITPBWARN, "gitDescribeByName() not in a git repo?", r.Error, repo.GoPath)
+			return "", r.Error
 		}
-		return strings.TrimSpace(output), r.Error
+		return strings.TrimSpace(output), nil
 	}
-	if !repo.LocalTagExists(name) {
+	if ! repo.IsBranch(name) {
 		// tag does not exist
-		log.Warn("LocalTagExists()", name, "did not exist")
-		return "", errors.New("gitDescribeByName() git fatal: Not a valid object name")
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "LocalTagExists()", name, "did not exist")
+		return "", errors.New("gitDescribeByName() git fatal: Not a valid object name: " + name)
 	}
 	cmd := []string{"git", "describe", "--tags", "--always", name}
 	result := repo.RunQuiet(cmd)
 	output := strings.Join(result.Stdout, "\n")
 	if result.Error != nil {
-		log.Warn("cmd =", cmd)
-		log.Warn("err =", result.Error)
-		log.Warn("not in a git repo or bad tag?", repo.GoPath)
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "cmd =", cmd)
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "err =", result.Error)
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "output (might have worked with error?) =", output)
+		log.Log(GITPBWARN, "not in a git repo or bad tag?", repo.GoPath)
+		return "", result.Error
 	}
 
-	return strings.TrimSpace(output), result.Error
+	return strings.TrimSpace(output), nil
 }
 
-func (repo *Repo) LocalTagExists(findname string) bool {
+// find a branch name
+// will find "master" or "devel"
+// will also find "v0.1.1"
+// or will find "patches-from-foo"
+// will return *any* match on any git branch because it doesn't
+// matter much here yet
+// eventually this will be worked out by forge in some future code that hasn't been made yet
+func (repo *Repo) IsBranch(findname string) bool {
 	loop := repo.AllTags()
 	for loop.Scan() {
 		t := loop.Next()
@@ -112,9 +123,9 @@ func (repo *Repo) LocalTagExists(findname string) bool {
 			continue
 		}
 		path, filename := filepath.Split(tagname)
-		log.Log(GITPB, "LocalTagExists() tag:", path, filename, "from", repo.GoPath)
+		log.Log(GITPB, "gitpb.IsBranch() tag:", path, filename, "from", repo.GoPath)
 		if filename == findname {
-			log.Log(GITPB, "found tag:", path, filename, "from", repo.GoPath)
+			log.Log(GITPB, "gitpb.IsBranch() found tag:", path, filename, "from", repo.GoPath)
 			return true
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/refs.update.go b/refs.update.go
index e4d0413..f103417 100644
--- a/refs.update.go
+++ b/refs.update.go
@@ -1,15 +1,6 @@
 package gitpb
 
-import (
-	"slices"
-	"strings"
-	"time"
-
-	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/shell"
-	"go.wit.com/log"
-	timestamppb "google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
-)
-
+/*
 // Update repo.Refs from .git/
 func (repo *Repo) UpdateGit() error {
 	// delete the old hash
@@ -61,3 +52,4 @@ func (repo *Repo) UpdateGit() error {
 	repo.AppendRef(&newr)
 	return nil
 }
+*/
diff --git a/repos.new.go b/repos.new.go
index 8638da7..1480051 100644
--- a/repos.new.go
+++ b/repos.new.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func (all *Repos) NewGoPath(basepath string, gopath string) (*Repo, error) {
 		FullPath: filepath.Join(basepath, gopath),
 		GoPath:   gopath,
 	}
-	newr.UpdateGit()
+	// newr.UpdateGit()
 	newr.UpdateGitTags()
 
 	all.add(&newr)