diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b8d7d32..33ab2cd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ VERSION = $(shell git describe --tags)
 DATE = $(shell date +%Y.%m.%d)
 
 run: clean goimports vet install
-	go-deb --release --no-gui --auto --forge go.wit.com/apps/autogenpb --dir /tmp/
-	go-deb --release --no-gui --auto --forge go.wit.com/apps/go-mod-clean --dir /tmp/
-	@#go-deb --forge go.wit.com/apps/autotypist --no-gui --auto
+	go-deb --release --auto --forge go.wit.com/apps/autogenpb --dir /tmp/
+	go-deb --release --auto --forge go.wit.com/apps/go-mod-clean --dir /tmp/
+	@#go-deb --forge go.wit.com/apps/autotypist --auto
 	ls -lth /tmp/*deb
 
 vet:
diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index ca88012..da2e4ba 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ import (
 */
 
 type args struct {
-	Commit    *EmptyCmd `arg:"subcommand:commit"                    help:"'git commit' but errors out if on wrong branch"`
+	Commit    *EmptyCmd `arg:"subcommand:commit"        help:"'git commit' but errors out if on wrong branch"`
+	Show      *EmptyCmd `arg:"subcommand:show"          help:"show what would be done"`
+	Gui       *EmptyCmd `arg:"subcommand:gui"           help:"open the gui"`
 	Auto      bool      `arg:"--auto"                   help:"automatically attempt to make the .deb"`
 	Ldflags   []string  `arg:"--ldflags"                help:"flags to pass to go build"`
 	Forge     string    `arg:"--forge"                  help:"use a git repo from forge"`
@@ -21,8 +23,8 @@ type args struct {
 	KeepFiles bool      `arg:"--keep-files"             help:"keep the build files/"`
 	Force     bool      `arg:"--force" default:"false"  help:"force overwrite an existing .deb file"`
 	Verbose   bool      `arg:"--verbose"                help:"show more things"`
-	Bash      bool      `arg:"--bash"                               help:"generate bash completion"`
-	BashAuto  []string  `arg:"--auto-complete"                      help:"todo: move this to go-arg"`
+	Bash      bool      `arg:"--bash"                   help:"generate bash completion"`
+	BashAuto  []string  `arg:"--auto-complete"          help:"todo: move this to go-arg"`
 }
 
 func (args) Version() string {
@@ -54,7 +56,7 @@ func (a args) DoAutoComplete(argv []string) {
 	default:
 		if argv[0] == ARGNAME {
 			// list the subcommands here
-			fmt.Println("arch build")
+			fmt.Println("arch build gui show")
 		}
 	}
 	os.Exit(0)
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 9d9c016..205e90f 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@ import (
 	"embed"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"time"
 
-	"go.wit.com/gui"
+	"go.wit.com/dev/alexflint/arg"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/fhelp"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/prep"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/shell"
@@ -25,6 +26,9 @@ var argv args
 
 func main() {
 	me = new(mainType)
+	prep.Bash(ARGNAME, argv.DoAutoComplete) // this line should be:  prep.Bash(argv)
+	me.myGui = prep.Gui()                   // prepares the GUI package for go-args
+	me.pp = arg.MustParse(&argv)
 
 	if err := fhelp.ConfigureENV(); err != nil {
 		badExit(err)
@@ -53,8 +57,11 @@ func main() {
 		log.Info("found repo", me.repo.GetGoPath())
 	}
 	// build()
+	if argv.Show != nil {
+		log.Info("todo: show", me.repo.GetGoPath())
+		okExit("")
+	}
 
-	me.myGui = prep.Gui() // prepares the GUI package for go-args
 	me.basicWindow = makebasicWindow()
 
 	// figure out where we are working from
@@ -94,10 +101,20 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
-	// only load teh toolkit if you get this far
-	me.myGui.Start()      // loads the GUI toolkit
-	me.basicWindow.Show()
-	// go will sit here until the window exits
-	gui.Watchdog()
+	if argv.Gui != nil {
+		// only load teh toolkit if you get this far
+		me.myGui.Start() // loads the GUI toolkit
+		me.basicWindow.Show()
+		debug()
+	}
+	log.Info("go-deb: nothing to do in argv")
 	os.Exit(0)
 }
+
+func debug() {
+	time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
+	for {
+		log.Info("idle loop() todo: could check for things here")
+		time.Sleep(90 * time.Second)
+	}
+}