diff --git a/configfile.go b/configfile.go
index 931f232..771c163 100644
--- a/configfile.go
+++ b/configfile.go
@@ -12,15 +12,83 @@ import (
 func (v *RepoList) InitRepoList(cfgfile string) {
 	lines := parsecfg(cfgfile)
 	for _, line := range lines {
-		log.Verbose("repo =", line)
+		var repo *RepoRow
+		var err error
 		line = strings.TrimSpace(line)
+		if line == "" {
+			// skip empty lines
+			continue
+		}
 		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "#") {
+			// skip config file comment lines
 			continue
 		}
 		parts := strings.Split(line, " ")
+		var private bool = false
+		var readonly bool = false
+		var userdir bool = false
+		if len(parts) > 1 {
+			repodir := parts[0]
+			for _, s := range parts[1:] {
+				option := strings.Split(s, "=")
+				if len(option) != 2 {
+					log.Log(REPOWARN, "can not parse cfgfile line:", line)
+					continue
+				}
+				switch option[0] {
+				case "private":
+					if option[1] == "true" {
+						log.Log(REPOWARN, repodir, "setting private to true")
+						private = true
+					} else {
+						log.Log(REPOWARN, repodir, "setting private to false")
+						private = false
+					}
+				case "readonly":
+					if option[1] == "true" {
+						log.Log(REPOWARN, repodir, "setting ReadOnly to true")
+						private = true
+					} else {
+						log.Log(REPOWARN, repodir, "setting ReadOnly to false")
+						private = false
+					}
+				case "userdir":
+					if option[1] == "true" {
+						log.Log(REPOWARN, repodir, "setting this directory as Writable()")
+						userdir = true
+					} else {
+						userdir = false
+					}
+				default:
+					log.Log(REPOWARN, "unknown config file option", s)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		if userdir {
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "add this as a writable dir", line)
+			continue
+		}
 		if len(parts) > 0 {
 			path := parts[0]
-			v.NewRepo(path)
+			repo, err = v.NewRepo(path)
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, line, "repo could not be added", err)
+			continue
+		}
+		if repo == nil {
+			// there is not a new repo
+			continue
+		}
+		if private {
+			repo.Status.SetPrivate(true)
+		} else {
+			repo.Status.SetPrivate(false)
+		}
+		if readonly {
+			repo.Status.SetReadOnly(true)
+		} else {
+			repo.Status.SetReadOnly(false)
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -28,7 +96,11 @@ func (v *RepoList) InitRepoList(cfgfile string) {
 func parsecfg(f string) []string {
 	homeDir, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
 	cfgfile := filepath.Join(homeDir, f)
-	content, _ := ioutil.ReadFile(cfgfile)
+	content, err := ioutil.ReadFile(cfgfile)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Log(REPOWARN, "read cfgfile error", err)
+		return nil
+	}
 	out := string(content)
 	out = strings.TrimSpace(out)
 	lines := strings.Split(out, "\n")
@@ -36,15 +108,15 @@ func parsecfg(f string) []string {
 }
 
 func (rl *RepoList) ArgCheckoutUser() bool {
-	log.Info("running git checkout devel everwhere")
+	log.Log(REPOWARN, "running git checkout devel everwhere")
 	var failed int = 0
 	for _, repo := range rl.AllRepos() {
 		if repo.Status.ReadOnly() {
-			// log.Info("skipping read-only", repo.Name())
+			// log.Log(REPOWARN,"skipping read-only", repo.Name())
 			continue
 		}
 		if repo.Status.CheckDirty() {
-			log.Info("skipping dirty repo", repo.Name())
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "skipping dirty repo", repo.Name())
 			continue
 		}
 		branch := repo.Status.GetUserBranchName()
@@ -53,68 +125,68 @@ func (rl *RepoList) ArgCheckoutUser() bool {
 			continue
 		}
 		cmd := []string{"git", "checkout", branch}
-		log.Info("Running:", cmd, "in", repo.Name())
+		log.Log(REPOWARN, "Running:", cmd, "in", repo.Name())
 		err, output := repo.RunCmd(cmd)
 		if err == nil {
-			log.Info("git checkout worked", output)
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "git checkout worked", output)
 		} else {
 			failed += 1
-			log.Info("git checkout failed")
-			log.Info("Something went wrong. Got err", err)
-			log.Info("output =", output)
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "git checkout failed")
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "Something went wrong. Got err", err)
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "output =", output)
 			// return false
 		}
 	}
-	log.Info("Ran git checkout in all repos. failure count =", failed)
+	log.Log(REPOWARN, "Ran git checkout in all repos. failure count =", failed)
 	return true
 }
 
 func (rl *RepoList) ArgGitPull() bool {
-	log.Info("running git pull everywhere")
+	log.Log(REPOWARN, "running git pull everywhere")
 	cmd := []string{"git", "pull"}
 	var failed int = 0
 	for _, repo := range rl.AllRepos() {
-		log.Info("Running:", repo.Status.Path(), cmd)
+		log.Log(REPOWARN, "Running:", repo.Status.Path(), cmd)
 		err, output := repo.RunCmd(cmd)
 		if err == nil {
-			log.Info(output)
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, output)
 		} else {
 			failed += 1
-			log.Info("Something went wrong. Got err", err)
-			log.Info("output =", output)
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "Something went wrong. Got err", err)
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "output =", output)
 			return false
 		}
 	}
-	log.Info("Ran git pull in all repos. failure count =", failed)
+	log.Log(REPOWARN, "Ran git pull in all repos. failure count =", failed)
 	return true
 }
 
 func (rl *RepoList) ArgCheckoutDevel() bool {
-	log.Info("running git checkout devel everwhere")
+	log.Log(REPOWARN, "running git checkout devel everwhere")
 	var failed int = 0
 	for _, repo := range rl.AllRepos() {
 		if repo.Status.ReadOnly() {
-			// log.Info("skipping read-only", repo.Name())
+			// log.Log(REPOWARN,"skipping read-only", repo.Name())
 			continue
 		}
 		if repo.CheckDirty() {
-			log.Info("skipping dirty repo", repo.Name())
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "skipping dirty repo", repo.Name())
 			continue
 		}
 		branch := repo.Status.GetDevelBranchName()
 		cmd := []string{"git", "checkout", branch}
-		log.Info("Running:", cmd, "in", repo.Name())
+		log.Log(REPOWARN, "Running:", cmd, "in", repo.Name())
 		err, output := repo.RunCmd(cmd)
 		if err == nil {
-			log.Info("git checkout worked", output)
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "git checkout worked", output)
 		} else {
 			failed += 1
-			log.Info("git checkout failed")
-			log.Info("Something went wrong. Got err", err)
-			log.Info("output =", output)
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "git checkout failed")
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "Something went wrong. Got err", err)
+			log.Log(REPOWARN, "output =", output)
 			// return false
 		}
 	}
-	log.Info("Ran git checkout in all repos. failure count =", failed)
+	log.Log(REPOWARN, "Ran git checkout in all repos. failure count =", failed)
 	return true
 }
diff --git a/newRepo.go b/newRepo.go
index 79796ad..828ba60 100644
--- a/newRepo.go
+++ b/newRepo.go
@@ -50,6 +50,12 @@ func (r *RepoRow) Show() {
 }
 
 func (r *RepoList) NewRepo(path string) (*RepoRow, error) {
+	test, ok := r.allrepos[path]
+	if ok {
+		// this repo already exists
+		return test, nil
+	}
+
 	status, err := repostatus.New(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err