diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 03bff5b..28d730c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@ VERSION = $(shell git describe --tags)
 all: build
 	./guireleaser
 
+single: build
+	./guireleaser go.wit.com/apps/go-clone --increment --release --reason "testing guireleaser" --dry-run
+
+single-really-do-it: build
+	./guireleaser go.wit.com/apps/go-clone --increment --release --reason "testing guireleaser"
+
 stderr: build
 	echo "writing to /tmp/guireleaser.stderr"
 	./guireleaser >/tmp/guireleaser.stderr 2>&1
diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..52a6e02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+package main
+
+/*
+	this parses the command line arguements
+
+	this enables command line options from other packages like 'gui' and 'log'
+*/
+
+type args struct {
+	Repo      string `arg:"positional"    help:"go import path"`
+	Increment bool   `arg:"--increment"   help:"auto increment"`
+	Release   bool   `arg:"--release"     help:"do a release an exit"`
+	DryRun    bool   `arg:"--dry-run"     help:"don't actually do the release"`
+	Reason    string `arg:"--reason"      help:"tag message"`
+}
+
+func (a args) Description() string {
+	return `
+Example usage:
+	guireleaser go.wit.com/apps/go-clone --increment --release --dry-run --reason "blerg"
+
+This will pull down the go sources and
+the repositories in the go.sum file using git clone`
+}
+
+func (args) Version() string {
+	return "go-clone " + VERSION
+}
diff --git a/globalDisplayOptions.go b/globalDisplayOptions.go
index c2ff1d2..2e60176 100644
--- a/globalDisplayOptions.go
+++ b/globalDisplayOptions.go
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ func globalDisplayOptions(box *gui.Node) {
 			repo.Status.IncrementMinorVersion("trying minor")
 		}
 	})
-	grid.NewButton("ncrement changed repos", func() {
+	grid.NewButton("increment changed repos", func() {
 		me.Disable()
 		for _, repo := range me.repos.View.AllRepos() {
 			if whitelist(repo.GoPath()) {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 2d261dd..d45509f 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -4,16 +4,22 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
+	"github.com/alexflint/go-arg"
 	"go.wit.com/gui"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/repolist"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/shell"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
 var VERSION string
+var myargs args
 
 func main() {
 	me = new(autoType)
 
+	// parse the command line
+	arg.MustParse(&myargs)
+
 	// save the ENV var here
 	me.releaseReasonS = os.Getenv("GUIRELEASE_REASON")
 
@@ -87,6 +93,9 @@ func main() {
 	// TODO: should not really be necessary directly after init()
 	me.repos.View.ScanRepositories()
 
+	// the repo from the command line
+	var myrepo *repolist.RepoRow
+
 	// find myself. the guireleaser directory is used as a working scratchpad
 	// for running go commands that can mess up the go.* files
 	for _, repo := range me.repos.View.AllRepos() {
@@ -95,6 +104,66 @@ func main() {
 				me.release.guireleaser = repo
 			}
 		}
+		if repo.GoPath() == myargs.Repo {
+			myrepo = repo
+		}
+	}
+
+	if myargs.Repo != "" {
+		me.mainWindow.Hide()
+		if myrepo == nil {
+			log.Info("could not find", myargs.Repo)
+			os.Exit(0)
+		}
+		log.Info("only going to do repo:", myrepo.GoPath())
+		tmp := myargs.Reason
+		if tmp == "" {
+			tmp = os.Getenv("GUIRELEASE_REASON")
+		}
+		if tmp == "" {
+			tmp = "made by guireleaser"
+		}
+
+		// increment all the versions
+		for _, repo := range me.repos.View.AllRepos() {
+			if whitelist(repo.GoPath()) {
+				continue
+			}
+			if repo.ReadOnly() {
+				continue
+			}
+			lasttag := repo.Status.LastTag()
+			if repo.Status.GetCurrentVersion() == lasttag {
+				log.Info("skipping unchanged repo", repo.Status.GoPath())
+				repo.Status.SetTargetVersion(lasttag)
+				continue
+			}
+			repo.Status.IncrementRevisionVersion("go-clone")
+		}
+		// rescan all the repos
+		me.repos.View.ScanRepositories()
+
+
+		myrepo.Status.MakeRedomod()
+		myrepo.Status.IncrementRevisionVersion(tmp)
+		_, err := me.repos.View.CheckValidGoSum(myrepo)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Info("go mod tidy not ok", err)
+			return
+		}
+		if !checkValidGoSum(myrepo) {
+			log.Info("go.sum checks failed")
+			os.Exit(0)
+		}
+		setCurrentRepo(myrepo, "should be good to release", "pretty sure")
+		log.Info("DO THE RELEASE HERE")
+		log.Info("going to release", myrepo.GoPath(), "as version", myrepo.Status.GetTargetVersion())
+		if myargs.DryRun {
+			log.Info("--dry-run == true")
+		} else {
+			doRelease()
+		}
+		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
 	if me.release.guireleaser == nil {