diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7af2b6f..dba769b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ doc:
 goget:
 	GO111MODULE="off" go get -v -t -u
 	make -C toolkit/gocui goget
+	make -C toolkit/andlabs goget
 
 # GO111MODULE=on go install github.com/posener/goreadme/cmd/goreadme@latest (worked Oct 20 2022)
 README.md: doc.go
diff --git a/plugin.go b/plugin.go
index 5443bb0..556bc9e 100644
--- a/plugin.go
+++ b/plugin.go
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ func sendCallback(p *aplug, funcName string) func(chan toolkit.Action) {
 
 /*
 	TODO: clean this up. use command args?
+	TODO: use LD_LIBRARY_PATH ?
 	This searches in the following order for the plugin .so files:
 		./toolkit/
 		~/go/src/go.wit.org/gui/toolkit/
@@ -138,6 +139,12 @@ func searchPaths(name string) *aplug {
 	if (p != nil) {
 		return p
 	}
+
+	filename = "/usr/local/lib/" + name + ".so"
+	p = tryfile(name, filename)
+	if (p != nil) {
+		return p
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -149,7 +156,7 @@ func tryfile(name string, filename string) *aplug {
 		log(debugGui, "plugin FAILED =", filename, err)
 		return nil
 	}
-	log(debugGui, "loading plugin =", filename)
+	log(debugGui, "tryfile() loading plugin =", filename)
 
 	var newPlug *aplug
 	newPlug = new(aplug)
@@ -166,17 +173,20 @@ func tryfile(name string, filename string) *aplug {
 	// for things like: add a new button called 'Check IPv6'
 	newPlug.PluginChannel = getPluginChannel(newPlug, "PluginChannel")
 
+	// add it to the list of plugins
 	allPlugins = append(allPlugins, newPlug)
 
-	log(debugPlugin, "initPlugin() END", newPlug.name, filename)
-	// newPlug.Init()
 
 	// set the communication to the plugins
 	newPlug.pluginChan = newPlug.PluginChannel()
+	if (newPlug.pluginChan == nil) {
+		log(debugError, "tryfile() ERROR PluginChannel() returned nil for plugin:", newPlug.name, filename)
+		return nil
+	}
 	newPlug.Callback(Config.guiChan)
-
 	newPlug.InitOk = true
 
+	log(debugPlugin, "tryfile() END", newPlug.name, filename)
 	return newPlug
 }
 
diff --git a/toolkit/andlabs/Makefile b/toolkit/andlabs/Makefile
index 8b0502c..65bd8f0 100644
--- a/toolkit/andlabs/Makefile
+++ b/toolkit/andlabs/Makefile
@@ -2,3 +2,6 @@ all: plugin
 
 plugin:
 	GO111MODULE="off" go build -buildmode=plugin -o ../andlabs.so
+
+goget:
+	GO111MODULE="off" go get -v -t -u
diff --git a/toolkit/gocui/main.go b/toolkit/gocui/main.go
index 7f9958f..c3418a6 100644
--- a/toolkit/gocui/main.go
+++ b/toolkit/gocui/main.go
@@ -13,12 +13,9 @@ import (
 // to this toolkit from the wit/gui golang package
 func init() {
 	log(logInfo, "Init() of awesome-gocui")
-	me.defaultWidth = 10
-	me.defaultHeight = 2 // this means by default one line of text in a button
+	Set(&me, "default")
 	me.defaultBehavior = true
 
-	me.horizontalPadding = 20
-	me.horizontalPadding = 20
 	me.groupPadding = 4
 	me.buttonPadding = 3
 
@@ -29,14 +26,21 @@ func init() {
 	me.padW = 3
 	me.padH = 3
 
+	// todo, remove all of these
+	me.defaultWidth = 10
+	me.defaultHeight = 2 // this means by default one line of text in a button
+
+	me.horizontalPadding = 20
+	me.horizontalPadding = 20
+	// todo, remove all of these
+
 	me.pluginChan = make(chan toolkit.Action)
 
 	log(logNow, "Init() start pluginChan")
 	go catchActionChannel()
-	sleep(.1)
+	sleep(.1) // probably not needed, but in here for now under development
 	go main()
-	// probably not needed, but in here for now under development
-	sleep(.1)
+	sleep(.1) // probably not needed, but in here for now under development
 }
 
 // this sets the channel to send user events back from the plugin
diff --git a/toolkit/gocui/mouse.go b/toolkit/gocui/mouse.go
index 4337f42..0ad8e29 100644
--- a/toolkit/gocui/mouse.go
+++ b/toolkit/gocui/mouse.go
@@ -35,33 +35,28 @@ func MouseMain() {
 
 func layout(g *gocui.Gui) error {
 	maxX, maxY := g.Size()
+	mx, my := g.MousePosition()
 	if _, err := g.View("msg"); msgMouseDown && err == nil {
 		moveMsg(g)
 	}
-	if v, err := g.SetView("global", -1, -1, maxX, maxY, 0); err != nil {
+	// if v, err := g.SetView("global", -1, -1, maxX, maxY, 0); err != nil {
+	// what is this do? I made it just the top 2 lines for now. Is this useful for something?
+	if v, err := g.SetView("global", -1, -1, maxX, 2, 10); err != nil {
 		if !errors.Is(err, gocui.ErrUnknownView) {
+			log("global failed", maxX, maxY)
 			return err
 		}
 		v.Frame = false
 	}
-	/*
-	if v, err := g.SetView("but1", 2, 2, 22, 7, 0); err != nil {
-		if !errors.Is(err, gocui.ErrUnknownView) {
-			return err
-		}
-		v.SelBgColor = gocui.ColorGreen
-		v.SelFgColor = gocui.ColorBlack
-		fmt.Fprintln(v, "Button 1 - line 1")
-		fmt.Fprintln(v, "Button 1 - line 2")
-		fmt.Fprintln(v, "Button 1 - line 3")
-		fmt.Fprintln(v, "Button 1 - line 4")
-		if _, err := g.SetCurrentView("but1"); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-	*/
 	helplayout(g)
+	if widgetView, _ := g.View("msg"); widgetView == nil {
+		log(logInfo, "create output widget now", maxX, maxY, mx, my)
+		makeOutputWidget(g, "this is a create before a mouse click")
+	} else {
+		log(logInfo, "output widget already exists", maxX, maxY, mx, my)
+	}
 	updateHighlightedView(g)
+	log(logInfo, "layout() END", maxX, maxY, mx, my)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/toolkit/gocui/showMsg.go b/toolkit/gocui/showStdout.go
similarity index 57%
rename from toolkit/gocui/showMsg.go
rename to toolkit/gocui/showStdout.go
index e749834..c367ab9 100644
--- a/toolkit/gocui/showMsg.go
+++ b/toolkit/gocui/showStdout.go
@@ -36,16 +36,27 @@ func showMsg(g *gocui.Gui, v *gocui.View) error {
 	}
 	// setOutput(me.rootNode)
 
-	maxX, maxY := g.Size()
-	if v, err := g.SetView("msg", maxX/2, maxY/2, maxX/2+outputW, maxY/2+outputH, 0); err == nil || errors.Is(err, gocui.ErrUnknownView) {
-		v.Clear()
-		v.SelBgColor = gocui.ColorCyan
-		v.SelFgColor = gocui.ColorBlack
-		l += "foo\n" + "bar\n"
-		fmt.Fprintln(v, l)
-	}
-	// g.SetViewOnTop("msg")
-	g.SetViewBeneath("msg", "help", 24)
-	// g.SetViewOnBottom("msg")
+	makeOutputWidget(g, l)
 	return nil
 }
+
+func makeOutputWidget(g *gocui.Gui, stringFromMouseClick string) {
+	maxX, maxY := g.Size()
+	v, err := g.SetView("msg", maxX-32, maxY/2, maxX/2+outputW, maxY/2+outputH, 0)
+	// help, err := g.SetView("help", maxX-32, 0, maxX-1, 13, 0)
+	if errors.Is(err, gocui.ErrUnknownView) {
+		log("this is supposed to happen?", err)
+	}
+
+	if (err != nil) {
+		log("create output window failed", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	v.Clear()
+	v.SelBgColor = gocui.ColorCyan
+	v.SelFgColor = gocui.ColorBlack
+	fmt.Fprintln(v, "figure out how to capture STDOUT to here\n" + stringFromMouseClick)
+	g.SetViewOnBottom("msg")
+	return
+}
diff --git a/toolkit/gocui/structs.go b/toolkit/gocui/structs.go
index e8e8172..4ee74c7 100644
--- a/toolkit/gocui/structs.go
+++ b/toolkit/gocui/structs.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
+	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"github.com/awesome-gocui/gocui"
 	"git.wit.org/wit/gui/toolkit"
@@ -37,12 +39,12 @@ type config struct {
 	defaultHeight int
 	// nextW int	// where the next window or tab flag should go
 
-	padW int
+	padW int `default:"3" dense:"2"`
 	padH int
 
-	// where the raw corner is
-	rawW int
-	rawH int
+	// the raw beginning of each window (or tab)
+	rawW int `default:"7"`
+	rawH int `default:"3"`
 
 	bookshelf bool // do you want things arranged in the box like a bookshelf or a stack?
 	canvas bool // if set to true, the windows are a raw canvas
@@ -52,8 +54,8 @@ type config struct {
 	margin bool // add space around the frames of windows
 
 	horizontalPadding int
-	groupPadding int
-	buttonPadding int
+	groupPadding int `default:"6" dense:"2"` // this is supposed to be how far to indent to the left
+	buttonPadding int `default:"4" dense:"3"` // if 3, buttons slightly overlap
 }
 
 var (
@@ -156,3 +158,43 @@ func (w *cuiWidget) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 
 	return len(p), nil
 }
+
+func Set(ptr interface{}, tag string) error {
+	if reflect.TypeOf(ptr).Kind() != reflect.Ptr {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Not a pointer")
+	}
+
+	v := reflect.ValueOf(ptr).Elem()
+	t := v.Type()
+
+	for i := 0; i < t.NumField(); i++ {
+		if defaultVal := t.Field(i).Tag.Get(tag); defaultVal != "-" {
+			if err := setField(v.Field(i), defaultVal); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func setField(field reflect.Value, defaultVal string) error {
+
+	if !field.CanSet() {
+		log("Can't set value\n")
+		return fmt.Errorf("Can't set value\n")
+	}
+
+	switch field.Kind() {
+	case reflect.Int:
+		if val, err := strconv.ParseInt(defaultVal, 1, 64); err == nil {
+			field.Set(reflect.ValueOf(int(val)).Convert(field.Type()))
+		}
+	case reflect.String:
+		field.Set(reflect.ValueOf(defaultVal).Convert(field.Type()))
+	case reflect.Bool:
+		field.Set(reflect.ValueOf(defaultVal).Convert(field.Type()))
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}