diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4879292..9ded075 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ BUILDTIME = $(shell date +%Y.%m.%d_%H%M)
 
 all: portmap.pb.go goimports vet build
 	./gus --version
-	./gus
+	./gus --gui gocui >/tmp/gocui.log 2>&1
 
 build: goimports
 	GO111MODULE=off go build -v -x \
diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index 5808239..a66764d 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -9,26 +9,22 @@ package main
 */
 
 import (
-	"go.wit.com/dev/alexflint/arg"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
 var argv args
 
 type args struct {
-	Daemon bool   `arg:"--daemon"           default:"false"  help:"run in daemon mode"`
-	Port   int    `arg:"--port"             default:"2522"   help:"port to run on"`
-	URL    string `arg:"--url"                               help:"url to use"`
+	Verbose bool   `arg:"--verbose"                           help:"talk more"`
+	Daemon  bool   `arg:"--daemon"           default:"false"  help:"run in daemon mode"`
+	Port    int    `arg:"--port"             default:"2522"   help:"port to run on"`
+	URL     string `arg:"--url"                               help:"url to use"`
 }
 
 func (args) Version() string {
 	return "gus " + VERSION + "   Built on: " + BUILDTIME
 }
 
-func init() {
-	arg.MustParse(&argv)
-}
-
 func (a args) Description() string {
 	return `
          this daemon talks to zookeeper
diff --git a/debugger.go b/debugger.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7a6aca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debugger.go
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+package main
+
+/*
+	enables GUI options and the debugger in your application
+*/
+
+import (
+	"go.wit.com/lib/debugger"
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+func init() {
+	if debugger.ArgDebug() {
+		log.Info("cmd line --debugger == true")
+		go func() {
+			log.Sleep(2)
+			debugger.DebugWindow()
+		}()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/doGui.go b/doGui.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94245a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doGui.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+// Copyright 2017-2025 WIT.COM Inc. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by the GPL 3.0
+
+package main
+
+// An app to submit patches for the 30 GO GUI repos
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"time"
+
+	"go.wit.com/gui"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/gadgets"
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+// refresh the windows & tables the user has open
+func refresh() {
+	time.Sleep(90 * time.Second)
+	if argv.Verbose {
+		log.Info("gus scan here")
+	}
+}
+
+func doGui() {
+	me.myGui = gui.New()
+	me.myGui.InitEmbed(resources)
+	me.myGui.Default()
+
+	win := gadgets.RawBasicWindow("gus: (squirl your way around networks)")
+	win.Make()
+	win.Show()
+	win.Custom = func() {
+		log.Warn("Main window close")
+		os.Exit(0)
+	}
+
+	box := win.Box()
+
+	vbox := box.NewVerticalBox("BOX2")
+
+	group1 := vbox.NewGroup("gus Settings")
+	grid := group1.NewGrid("buildOptions", 0, 0)
+
+	grid.NewButton("portwins", func() {
+		// if the window exists, just toggle it open or closed
+		if me.portwin != nil {
+			me.portwin.Toggle()
+			return
+		}
+		makePortmapWin()
+	})
+
+	grid.NewButton("Events", func() {
+		log.Info("todo: start a list here!")
+	})
+
+	// sit here forever refreshing the GUI
+	for {
+		refresh()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index e5ea927..825301b 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -4,20 +4,26 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"embed"
 	"io"
 	"net"
 	"os"
 	"time"
 
 	"go.wit.com/dev/alexflint/arg"
+	"go.wit.com/gui"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
 var VERSION string
 var BUILDTIME string
 
+//go:embed resources/*
+var resources embed.FS
+
 func main() {
 	var pp *arg.Parser
+	gui.InitArg()
 	pp = arg.MustParse(&argv)
 
 	if pp == nil {
@@ -25,8 +31,12 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
-	me := new(gusconf)
+	me = new(gusconf)
 	me.pollDelay = 10 * time.Second
+	me.portmaps = NewPortmaps()
+	p := new(Portmap)
+	p.Connect = "testing:323"
+	me.portmaps.Append(p)
 
 	if argv.Daemon {
 		// turn off timestamps for STDOUT (systemd adds them)
@@ -39,7 +49,11 @@ func main() {
 
 	go listen3000()
 
-	startHTTP()
+	go startHTTP()
+	if gui.NoGui() {
+		os.Exit(0)
+	}
+	doGui()
 }
 
 func listen3000() {
diff --git a/portmap.proto b/portmap.proto
index a1a6814..a3c3964 100644
--- a/portmap.proto
+++ b/portmap.proto
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ message Events {
 message Portmap {
         int64              listen       = 1;
         string             connect      = 2;
+        bool               enabled      = 3;
 }
 
 message Portmaps {                            // `autogenpb:marshal` `autogenpb:gui`
diff --git a/resources/gus.text b/resources/gus.text
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0f0f738
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/gus.text
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# this file is intended to be used to customize settings on what
+# git repos you have write access to. That is, where you can run 'git push'
+
+Portmap: {
+  connect: "go.wit.com:80"
+}
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index eab8923..1cf6370 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -4,13 +4,20 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	sync "sync"
 	"time"
+
+	"go.wit.com/gui"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/gadgets"
 )
 
 var me *gusconf
 
 // this app's variables
 type gusconf struct {
+	myGui        *gui.Node     // the base of the gui
+	portmaps     *Portmaps     // the portmap window
+	portwin      *stdTableWin  // the portwin window
 	urlbase      string        // the dns name for the zookeeper
 	hostname     string        // my hostname
 	pollDelay    time.Duration // how often to report our status
@@ -18,3 +25,21 @@ type gusconf struct {
 	failcount    int           // how many times we've failed to contact the zookeeper
 	failcountmax int           // after this, exit and let systemd restart the daemon
 }
+
+type stdTableWin struct {
+	sync.Mutex
+	win    *gadgets.GenericWindow // the machines gui window
+	box    *gui.Node              // the machines gui parent box widget
+	TB     *PortmapsTable         // the gui table buffer
+	update bool                   // if the window should be updated
+}
+
+func (w *stdTableWin) Toggle() {
+	if w == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	if w.win == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	w.win.Toggle()
+}
diff --git a/windowPortmap.go b/windowPortmap.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..83ce7aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/windowPortmap.go
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+// Copyright 2017-2025 WIT.COM Inc. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by the GPL 3.0
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"go.wit.com/gui"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/gadgets"
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/zoopb"
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+func makePortmapWin() {
+	me.portwin = new(stdTableWin)
+	me.portwin.win = gadgets.NewGenericWindow("zood daemon versions", "todo: add global controls here")
+	me.portwin.win.Custom = func() {
+		log.Info("test delete window here")
+	}
+	grid := me.portwin.win.Group.RawGrid()
+	grid.NewButton("save machines.pb", func() {
+		saveMachineState()
+	})
+	grid.NewCheckbox("hide active")
+	grid.NewButton("update", func() {
+		doMachinesUpgradeTable()
+	})
+
+	// make a box at the bottom of the window for the protobuf table
+	me.portwin.box = me.portwin.win.Bottom.Box().SetProgName("TBOX")
+	doMachinesUpgradeTable()
+}
+
+func doMachinesUpgradeTable() {
+	me.portwin.Lock()
+	defer me.portwin.Unlock()
+	if me.portwin.TB != nil {
+		me.portwin.TB.Delete()
+		me.portwin.TB = nil
+	}
+
+	// display the protobuf
+	me.portwin.TB = AddMachinesPB(me.portwin.box, me.portmaps)
+	f := func(m *Portmap) {
+		log.Info("Triggering machine", m.Connect, "to upgrade portwin")
+		m.Enabled = true
+	}
+	me.portwin.TB.Custom(f)
+	log.Info("table has uuid", me.portwin.TB.GetUuid())
+}
+
+func AddMachinesPB(tbox *gui.Node, pb *Portmaps) *PortmapsTable {
+	t := pb.NewTable("PortmapsPB")
+	t.NewUuid()
+	t.SetParent(tbox)
+
+	f := func(m *Portmap) string {
+		log.Info("machine =", m.Connect)
+		return "now"
+	}
+	t.AddButtonFunc("upgrade", f)
+
+	t.AddConnect()
+	// t.AddMemory()
+	// t.AddCpus()
+	/*
+		t.AddStringFunc("sMB", func(m *oopb.Machine) string {
+			return fmt.Sprintf("%d mb", m.Memory/(1024*1024))
+		})
+
+		t.AddStringFunc("portwin", func(m *zoopb.Machine) string {
+			return findVersion(m, "portwin")
+		})
+	*/
+
+	/*
+		// show if the machine needs to be upgraded
+		t.AddStringFunc("triggered?", func(m *zoopb.Machine) string {
+			if m.Upgrade {
+				return "yes"
+			}
+			return ""
+		})
+	*/
+
+	/*
+		t.AddTimeFunc("age", func(m *zoopb.Machine) time.Time {
+			return m.Laststamp.AsTime()
+		})
+	*/
+
+	t.ShowTable()
+	return t
+}
+
+func findVersion(m *zoopb.Machine, pkgname string) string {
+	portwin := m.Packages.FindByName(pkgname)
+	if portwin == nil {
+		return "n/a"
+	}
+	return portwin.Version
+}
+
+func saveMachineState() {
+	/*
+		cur := zoopb.NewMachines()
+
+		all := me.machines.SortByHostname()
+		for all.Scan() {
+			m := all.Next()
+			log.Info("have machine:", m.Hostname)
+			cur.Append(m)
+		}
+		cur.ConfigSave()
+	*/
+}