diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f1282d3..400a544 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 .PHONY: debian
 
+VERSION = $(shell git describe --tags)
+
 run: build
 	./go-deb --repo go.wit.com/apps/autotypist
 
@@ -12,12 +14,15 @@ no-gui: build
 
 build:
 	-rm resources/*.so
+	touch resources/blank.so
 	# embed the andlabs plugin
 	-cp -a ~/go/src/go.wit.com/toolkits/andlabs.so resources/
-	GO111MODULE="off" go build -v
+	GO111MODULE="off" go build -v \
+		    -ldflags "-X main.VERSION=${VERSION} -X gui.GUIVERSION=${VERSION}"
 
 install:
-	GO111MODULE="off" go install -v
+	GO111MODULE="off" go install -v \
+		    -ldflags "-X main.VERSION=${VERSION} -X gui.GUIVERSION=${VERSION}"
 
 goimports:
 	goimports -w *.go
@@ -51,17 +56,25 @@ build-test-keep-files: build
 	./go-deb --no-gui --keep-files --repo go.wit.com/apps/go-deb
 
 build-all:
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/go-deb
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/go-clone
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/autotypist
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/virtigoctl
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/virtigo
 	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/autotypist
-	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/control-panel-digitalocean
-	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/control-panel-vpn
-	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/go-gui-toolkits
 	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/guireleaser
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/gowebd
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/networkQuality
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/helloworld
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/basicwindow
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/gadgetwindow
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/powerpaneld
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/lib/daemons/virtigod
 	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/control-panel-cloudflare
 	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/control-panel-dns
-	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/go-deb
-	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/go.wit.com
-	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/helloworld
-	go-deb --no-gui --repo golang.org/x/tools/cmd/goimports
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/control-panel-droplet
+	go-deb --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/control-panel-vpn
+	# go-deb --no-gui --repo golang.org/x/tools/cmd/goimports
 
 build-releases:
 	-go-deb --release --no-gui --repo go.wit.com/apps/autotypist
diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index ea1ec8d..f7697d3 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -32,3 +32,7 @@ func init() {
 		log.Info("cmd line --debugger == false")
 	}
 }
+
+func (args) Version() string {
+	return "go-clone " + VERSION
+}
diff --git a/buildPackage.go b/buildPackage.go
index 36f83dc..bf0657f 100644
--- a/buildPackage.go
+++ b/buildPackage.go
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ func (c *controlBox) buildPackage() (bool, error) {
 
 	if shell.Exists("files") {
 		shell.Run([]string{"rm", "-rf", "files"})
+		log.Info("running sync")
+		shell.Run([]string{"sync"})
 		if shell.Exists("files") {
 			log.Warn("rm failed for some reason")
 			return false, errors.New("rm files/")
@@ -183,6 +185,8 @@ func (c *controlBox) buildPackage() (bool, error) {
 			log.Info("keeping the build files/")
 		} else {
 			shell.Run([]string{"rm", "-rf", "files"})
+			log.Info("running sync")
+			shell.Run([]string{"sync"})
 			if shell.Exists("files") {
 				log.Warn("rm -rf files/ failed. Run() returned false")
 				return false, errors.New("rm files/")
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index e40bc7b..edc3fda 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
+// sent from -ldflags
+var VERSION string
+
 // This is the beginning of the binary tree of GUI widgets
 var myGui *gui.Node
 
diff --git a/readControlFile.go b/readControlFile.go
index 9def952..b307849 100644
--- a/readControlFile.go
+++ b/readControlFile.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
-	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -11,16 +10,22 @@ import (
 
 // readGitConfig reads and parses the control file
 func (c *controlBox) readControlFile() error {
+	pairs := make(map[string]string)
+	var key string
+
 	file, err := os.Open("control")
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Warn("readControlFile() could not find the file")
-		return errors.New("'control': file not found")
+		// return errors.New("'control': file not found")
+		// if this happens, make up a fake control file
+		pairs["Maintainer"] = "go-deb build"
+		pairs["Architecture"] = "x86"
+		pairs["Recommends"] = ""
+		pairs["Source"] = "notsure"
+		pairs["Description"] = "put something here"
 	}
 	defer file.Close()
 
-	pairs := make(map[string]string)
-	var key string
-
 	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(file)
 	for scanner.Scan() {
 		line := scanner.Text()