diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index a5e081d..7ec3cb5 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -6,17 +6,15 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
-func (rl *RepoList) Init(f *forgepb.Forge) {
-	if rl == nil {
-		rl = new(RepoList)
-	}
-	me = rl
+func Init(f *forgepb.Forge, g *gui.Node) *RepoList {
+	me = new(RepoList)
+
 	// todo: this code sucks. fix it soon
-	me.mainWindow = gui.NewWindow("builds and uploads all the packages")
+	me.mainWindow = g.NewWindow("builds and uploads all the packages")
 	me.mainbox = me.mainWindow.NewBox("bw hbox", true)
 
 	// make a window with a table of all the repos
-	me = AutotypistView(me.mainbox)
+	me.AutotypistView(me.mainbox)
 
 	me.Enable()
 	me.forge = f
@@ -29,4 +27,5 @@ func (rl *RepoList) Init(f *forgepb.Forge) {
 	}
 
 	me.Enable()
+	return me
 }
diff --git a/testGui/main.go b/testGui/main.go
index c6880c1..4c55f66 100644
--- a/testGui/main.go
+++ b/testGui/main.go
@@ -20,27 +20,21 @@ func main() {
 
 	// load the ~/.config/forge/ config
 	me.forge = forgepb.Init()
-	if me.forge == nil {
-		panic("damn it, forge is nil")
-	}
-	if me.forge.Config == nil {
-		panic("damn it config")
-	}
 	me.forge.ConfigPrintTable()
 
+	if err := me.forge.Machine.ConfigLoad(); err != nil {
+		log.Warn("zoopb.ConfigLoad() failed", err)
+		os.Exit(-1)
+	}
+	me.forge.Machine.InitWit()
+
 	// setup the GUI
 	me.myGui = gui.New()
 	me.myGui.Default()
 
-	// todo: this code sucks. fix it soon
-	me.mainWindow = me.myGui.NewWindow("builds and uploads all the packages")
-	me.mainbox = me.mainWindow.NewBox("bw hbox", true)
+	me.repoList = repolist.Init(me.forge, me.myGui)
 
-	// make a window with a table of all the repos
-	me.repoList = repolist.AutotypistView(me.mainbox)
-	me.repoList.Init(me.forge)
-
-	me.Enable()
+	me.repoList.Enable()
 
 	failed := make(map[*repolist.RepoRow]string)
 	versions := make(map[*repolist.RepoRow]string)
@@ -54,10 +48,10 @@ func main() {
 		var alreadyBuilt bool
 		ver := repo.Status.DebianReleaseVersion()
 		name := me.forge.DebName(repo.GoPath())
-		if me.machine.IsInstalled(name) {
+		if me.forge.Machine.IsInstalled(name) {
 			end += "(installed) "
 		}
-		if actualp := me.machine.FindVersion(name, ver); actualp != nil {
+		if actualp := me.forge.Machine.FindVersion(name, ver); actualp != nil {
 			end += " (version match) " + actualp.Version + " " + ver + " "
 			alreadyBuilt = true
 		} else {
diff --git a/testGui/structs.go b/testGui/structs.go
index 2d223bf..a836504 100644
--- a/testGui/structs.go
+++ b/testGui/structs.go
@@ -5,19 +5,10 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gadgets"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/gui/repolist"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb"
-	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/zoopb"
 )
 
 var me *autoType
 
-func (b *autoType) Disable() {
-	b.mainbox.Disable()
-}
-
-func (b *autoType) Enable() {
-	b.mainbox.Enable()
-}
-
 // this app's variables
 type autoType struct {
 	// allrepos map[string]*repo
@@ -42,7 +33,7 @@ type autoType struct {
 	goSrcPath string
 
 	// use zookeeper to get the list of installed packages
-	machine zoopb.Machine
+	// machine zoopb.Machine
 
 	// #### autotypist Global Display Options
 	autoHidePerfect  *gui.Node
diff --git a/viewAutotypist.go b/viewAutotypist.go
index 410904a..090b37e 100644
--- a/viewAutotypist.go
+++ b/viewAutotypist.go
@@ -4,33 +4,28 @@ import "go.wit.com/gui"
 
 // This creates a view of the repos
 // you can only have one at this point
-func AutotypistView(parent *gui.Node) *RepoList {
-	if me != nil {
-		return me
-	}
-	me = new(RepoList)
-	me.allrepos = make(map[string]*RepoRow)
-	me.viewName = "autotypist"
+func (rl *RepoList) AutotypistView(parent *gui.Node) {
+	rl.allrepos = make(map[string]*RepoRow)
+	rl.viewName = "autotypist"
 
-	// me.reposbox = gui.RawBox()
-	me.reposbox = parent
+	// rl.reposbox = gui.RawBox()
+	rl.reposbox = parent
 
-	me.reposgroup = me.reposbox.NewGroup("my git repositories (configure in ~/.config/autotypist)")
-	// me.reposgroup.Menu = repolistMenu() // how to do a menu? what should the code look like?
-	me.reposgrid = me.reposgroup.NewGrid("test", 0, 0)
+	rl.reposgroup = rl.reposbox.NewGroup("my git repositories (configure in ~/.config/autotypist)")
+	// rl.reposgroup.Menu = repolistMenu() // how to do a menu? what should the code look like?
+	rl.reposgrid = rl.reposgroup.NewGrid("test", 0, 0)
 
-	me.reposgrid.NewLabel("") // path goes here
-	me.reposgrid.NewLabel("last tag").SetProgName("last tag")
-	me.reposgrid.NewLabel("master version")
-	me.reposgrid.NewLabel("devel version")
-	me.reposgrid.NewLabel("user version")
-	me.reposgrid.NewLabel("Status")
-	me.reposgrid.NewLabel("Current").SetProgName("CurrentName")
-	me.reposgrid.NewLabel("Version").SetProgName("CurrentVersion")
-	me.reposgrid.NextRow()
+	rl.reposgrid.NewLabel("") // path goes here
+	rl.reposgrid.NewLabel("last tag").SetProgName("last tag")
+	rl.reposgrid.NewLabel("master version")
+	rl.reposgrid.NewLabel("devel version")
+	rl.reposgrid.NewLabel("user version")
+	rl.reposgrid.NewLabel("Status")
+	rl.reposgrid.NewLabel("Current").SetProgName("CurrentName")
+	rl.reposgrid.NewLabel("Version").SetProgName("CurrentVersion")
+	rl.reposgrid.NextRow()
 
-	me.blind = gui.RawBox()
-	me.shownCount = me.blind.NewLabel("showCount")
-	me.duration = me.blind.NewLabel("duration")
-	return me
+	rl.blind = gui.RawBox()
+	rl.shownCount = rl.blind.NewLabel("showCount")
+	rl.duration = rl.blind.NewLabel("duration")
 }