diff --git a/auto.proto b/auto.proto
index 82a094d..4253c2e 100644
--- a/auto.proto
+++ b/auto.proto
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ syntax = "proto3";
 package httppb;
 
 import "google/protobuf/timestamp.proto"; // Import the well-known type for Timestamp
+import "google/protobuf/duration.proto"; // for duration
 
-message Auto {
+message Auto {                                          // `autogenpb:marshal` `autogenpb:sort` `autogenpb:nomutex`
         google.protobuf.Timestamp   ctime         = 1;  // when the user tried this autocomplete
         string                      argname       = 2;  // what the shell thinks the name of the executable is
         string                      partial       = 3;  // set to the partial string trying to be matched
@@ -17,10 +18,12 @@ message Auto {
         bool                        isAuto        = 8;  // is true if '--auto-complete' is set
         bool                        setupAuto     = 9;  // is true if '--bash' is set // setup bash autocomplete here
         bool                        debug         = 10; // print debugging info if true
+        bool                        newline       = 11; // was a newline was sent to STDERR?
+        google.protobuf.Duration    duration      = 12; // time since the last autocomplete
 }
 
-message Autos {                                         // `autogenpb:marshal` `autogenpb:mutex`
+message Autos {                                         // `autogenpb:marshal` `autogenpb:sort` `autogenpb:nomutex`
         string                      uuid          = 1;  // `autogenpb:uuid:94210ebf-a534-4b33-aadd-2f5e1f56ae38`
         string                      version       = 2;  // `autogenpb:version:v0.0.1`
-        repeated Auto               auto          = 3;  // THIS MUST BE  HttpRequest  and then  HttpRequests
+        repeated Auto               autos         = 3;  // THIS MUST BE  HttpRequest  and then  HttpRequests
 }
diff --git a/bash.go b/bash.go
index c0c21e8..f702992 100644
--- a/bash.go
+++ b/bash.go
@@ -7,10 +7,13 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"go.wit.com/dev/alexflint/arg"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/shell"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
+	durationpb "google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/durationpb"
+	timestamppb "google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
 )
 
 var argBash ArgsBash
@@ -32,11 +35,13 @@ type BashAuto struct {
 	appName string // a good way to track the name of the binary ?
 }
 
+/*
 func dumpjunk() {
 	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "")
 	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, os.Args)
 	os.Exit(0)
 }
+*/
 
 // argname is the name of the executable
 func Bash(argname string, autocomplete func([]string)) *BashAuto {
@@ -61,8 +66,7 @@ func Bash(argname string, autocomplete func([]string)) *BashAuto {
 
 // print out auto complete debugging info
 func AutoDebug(pb *Auto) {
-	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "\n")
-	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "AUTO DEBUG: arg0='%s' arg1='%s' partial='%s' argv=%v\n", pb.Arg0, pb.Arg1, pb.Partial, pb.Argv)
+	pb.Debugf("AUTO DEBUG: arg0='%s' arg1='%s' partial='%s' argv=%v\n", pb.Arg0, pb.Arg1, pb.Partial, pb.Argv)
 	// fmt.Println("--all --gui --verbose --force")
 }
 
@@ -93,9 +97,6 @@ func parseArgv(argname string) *Auto {
 	}
 
 	// set debug flag
-	if os.Getenv("AUTOCOMPLETE_VERBOSE") == "true" {
-		newauto.Debug = true
-	}
 	for _, s := range os.Args {
 		if s == "--debug" {
 			newauto.Debug = true
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ func Bash2(argname string, autocomplete func(*Auto)) {
 	}
 
 	if len(os.Args) > 1 && os.Args[1] == "--auto-complete" {
+		doHandlePB(newauto)
 		autocomplete(newauto)
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
@@ -200,6 +202,76 @@ func doBash2(argname string) {
 	os.Exit(0)
 }
 
+func (pb *Auto) Debugf(fmts string, parts ...any) {
+	fmts = strings.TrimSpace(fmts)
+	fmts += "\n"
+	// NOTE: env doesn't work probably most (all?) the time because bash
+	// doesn't send all the ENV to autocomplete. so, trap on a "--debug" command line arg
+	if os.Getenv("AUTOCOMPLETE_VERBOSE") == "true" || pb.Debug {
+		if !pb.Newline {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "\n")
+			pb.Newline = true
+		}
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, fmts, parts...)
+	} else {
+		// fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "NOT DOING ANYTHING\n")
+	}
+}
+
+// makes a bash autocomplete file for your command
+func doHandlePB(pb *Auto) error {
+	homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	basedir := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".cache/autocomplete")
+	os.MkdirAll(basedir, os.ModePerm)
+	fullname := filepath.Join(basedir, pb.Argname+".pb")
+
+	all := NewAutos()
+	var last *Auto
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(fullname)
+	if err == nil {
+		err = all.Unmarshal(data)
+		if err == nil {
+			for found := range all.IterAll() {
+				dur := time.Since(found.Ctime.AsTime())
+				pb.Duration = durationpb.New(dur)
+				pb.Debugf("AUTO DEBUG: ctime='%v' age=%s argv='%v'", found.Ctime, shell.FormatDuration(dur), found.Argv)
+				last = found
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	if all.Len() > 15 {
+		pb.Debugf("DEBUG TOO LONG: len is over 100 len=%d vs new=%d", all.Len(), all.Len()-90)
+		all.Autos = all.Autos[all.Len()-10:]
+		// newall.Autos = all.Autos[0:10]
+		// for _, found := range all.Autos[0:10] {
+		// 	newall.Append(found)
+		// }
+	}
+
+	now := time.Now()
+	pb.Ctime = timestamppb.New(now)
+	duration := time.Since(last.Ctime.AsTime())
+	all.Append(pb)
+
+	data, err = all.Marshal()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	f, err := os.OpenFile(fullname, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, 0644)
+	defer f.Close()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	_, err = f.Write(data)
+	pb.Debugf("WRITE DEBUG: write PB='%s' len(pb)=%d len(data)=%d dur=%v err=%v", fullname, all.Len(), len(data), duration, err)
+	return err
+}
+
 /*
 // prints help to STDERR // TODO: move everything below this to go-args
 func (args) doBashHelp() {