diff --git a/common.go b/common.go
index cbf798c..8cfed10 100644
--- a/common.go
+++ b/common.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package repostatus
 import (
 	"strings"
 
-	"go.wit.com/gui"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 	// "go.wit.com/gui/gui"
 )
@@ -178,35 +177,17 @@ func (rs *RepoStatus) SetTargetVersion(s string) {
 	rs.targetReleaseVersion.SetText(s)
 }
 
-// returns a widget of the last tag that acts as a mirror
-func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorLastTag() *gui.Node {
-	return rs.lasttag.MirrorValue()
+func (rs *RepoStatus) IsPrivate() bool {
+	if rs.private.String() == "true" {
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
-func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorTargetVersion() *gui.Node {
-	return rs.targetReleaseVersion.MirrorValue()
-}
-
-func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorCurrentVersion() *gui.Node {
-	return rs.currentVersion.MirrorValue()
-}
-
-func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorCurrentName() *gui.Node {
-	return rs.currentBranch.MirrorValue()
-}
-
-func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorGitState() *gui.Node {
-	return rs.gitState.MirrorValue()
-}
-
-func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorMasterVersion() *gui.Node {
-	return rs.mainBranchVersion.MirrorValue()
-}
-
-func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorDevelVersion() *gui.Node {
-	return rs.develBranchVersion.MirrorValue()
-}
-
-func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorUserVersion() *gui.Node {
-	return rs.userBranchVersion.MirrorValue()
+func (rs *RepoStatus) SetPrivate(b bool) {
+	if b {
+		rs.private.SetText("true")
+	} else {
+		rs.private.SetText("false")
+	}
 }
diff --git a/draw.go b/draw.go
index cdf89c2..a008c9c 100644
--- a/draw.go
+++ b/draw.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ func (rs *RepoStatus) drawGitStatus(box *gui.Node) {
 	rs.gitState = gadgets.NewOneLiner(newgrid, "git state")
 	rs.readOnly = gadgets.NewOneLiner(newgrid, "read only")
 	rs.primitive = gadgets.NewOneLiner(newgrid, "primitive")
+	rs.private = gadgets.NewOneLiner(newgrid, "private")
 	rs.targetReleaseVersion = gadgets.NewOneLiner(newgrid, "target release version")
 
 	rs.speed = gadgets.NewOneLiner(newgrid, "refresh speed =")
diff --git a/gitConfig.go b/gitConfig.go
index 633d732..bc78f9d 100644
--- a/gitConfig.go
+++ b/gitConfig.go
@@ -229,6 +229,14 @@ func (rs *RepoStatus) ReadOnly() bool {
 	}
 }
 
+func (rs *RepoStatus) SetReadOnly(b bool) {
+	if b {
+		rs.readOnly.SetText("true")
+	} else {
+		rs.readOnly.SetText("false")
+	}
+}
+
 func (rs *RepoStatus) processBranch(branch string) {
 	fullpath := rs.realPath.String()
 	log.Log(INFO, "    ", branch)
diff --git a/merge.go b/merge.go
index 76566ed..0ca2227 100644
--- a/merge.go
+++ b/merge.go
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ func (rs *RepoStatus) setTag() bool {
 	rs.newversion.SetLabel(newver)
 	return true
 }
+
 // the newversion field goes through some sanity checking
 // to make sure it's greater than the existing tag and
 // valid according to golang -- it must be format 'v1.2.3'
diff --git a/mirror.go b/mirror.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e81c71c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mirror.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package repostatus
+
+import (
+	"go.wit.com/gui"
+	// "go.wit.com/gui/gui"
+)
+
+// this is experiemental work on making 'View's or Table Row's
+// this may or may not be a good idea
+
+// returns a widget of the last tag that acts as a mirror
+func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorLastTag() *gui.Node {
+	return rs.lasttag.MirrorValue()
+}
+
+func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorTargetVersion() *gui.Node {
+	return rs.targetReleaseVersion.MirrorValue()
+}
+
+func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorCurrentVersion() *gui.Node {
+	return rs.currentVersion.MirrorValue()
+}
+
+func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorCurrentName() *gui.Node {
+	return rs.currentBranch.MirrorValue()
+}
+
+func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorGitState() *gui.Node {
+	return rs.gitState.MirrorValue()
+}
+
+func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorMasterVersion() *gui.Node {
+	return rs.mainBranchVersion.MirrorValue()
+}
+
+func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorDevelVersion() *gui.Node {
+	return rs.develBranchVersion.MirrorValue()
+}
+
+func (rs *RepoStatus) MirrorUserVersion() *gui.Node {
+	return rs.userBranchVersion.MirrorValue()
+}
diff --git a/new.go b/new.go
index c333e24..4e4403c 100644
--- a/new.go
+++ b/new.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package repostatus
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ func NewRepoStatusWindow(path string) (error, *RepoStatus) {
 	if windowMap[path] == nil {
 		log.Log(INFO, "NewRepoStatusWindow() adding new", path)
 	} else {
-		log.Warn("This already exists yet for path", path)
+		log.Warn("This already exists for path", path)
 		log.Warn("should return windowMap[path] here")
 		return nil, windowMap[path]
 	}
@@ -74,6 +75,11 @@ func NewRepoStatusWindow(path string) (error, *RepoStatus) {
 		realpath = filepath.Join(goSrcDir, path)
 		isGoLang = true
 	}
+	if !IsDirectory(realpath) {
+		log.Log(REPOWARN, "directory doesn't exist", realpath)
+		// directory doesn't exist. exit with nil and error nil
+		return errors.New(realpath + " does not exist"), nil
+	}
 
 	filename := filepath.Join(realpath, ".git/config")
 
@@ -120,6 +126,7 @@ func NewRepoStatusWindow(path string) (error, *RepoStatus) {
 
 	rs.readOnly.SetValue("true")
 	// ignore everything else for now
+	// todo: move this logic to cfgfile.go
 	if strings.HasPrefix(path, "go.wit.com") {
 		rs.readOnly.SetValue("false")
 	}
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 9576bb9..7ce4c7d 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -6,26 +6,20 @@ import (
 )
 
 type RepoStatus struct {
-	ready bool
-
-	// keeps track of changes that might have happened
-	changed bool
+	ready   bool
+	changed bool // keeps track of changes that might have happened
 	changes string
+	dirty   bool // updates each time CheckDirty() is run
+	tags    map[string]string
 
-	// updates each time CheckDirty() is run
-	dirty bool
-
-	tags map[string]string
-
-	window *gadgets.BasicWindow
-
-	// a box of all the git tags
-	Tags *GitTagBox
+	window *gadgets.BasicWindow // the main window for this repo
+	Tags   *GitTagBox           // a box of all the git tags
 
 	dirtyLabel *gadgets.OneLiner
 	readOnly   *gadgets.OneLiner
 	gitState   *gadgets.OneLiner
 	primitive  *gadgets.OneLiner
+	private    *gadgets.OneLiner
 
 	path      *gadgets.OneLiner
 	goSrcPath *gadgets.OneLiner
@@ -36,22 +30,19 @@ type RepoStatus struct {
 	currentBranch  *gadgets.OneLiner
 	currentVersion *gadgets.OneLiner
 
-	lasttag            *gadgets.OneLiner
-	mainBranchVersion  *gadgets.OneLiner
-	develBranchVersion *gadgets.OneLiner
-	userBranchVersion  *gadgets.OneLiner
-
-	mainWorkingName  *gadgets.OneLiner
-	develWorkingName *gadgets.OneLiner
-	userWorkingName  *gadgets.OneLiner
-
-	develMergeB    *gui.Node
-	mainMergeB     *gui.Node
-	releaseVersion *gui.Node
-
-	minor    *gadgets.BasicCombobox
-	major    *gadgets.BasicCombobox
-	revision *gadgets.BasicCombobox
+	mainWorkingName    *gadgets.OneLiner      // the actual name of the primary branch
+	develWorkingName   *gadgets.OneLiner      // the actual name of the devel branch
+	userWorkingName    *gadgets.OneLiner      // the actual name of the user branch
+	develMergeB        *gui.Node              // button to merge from user to devel
+	mainMergeB         *gui.Node              // button to merge from devel to master
+	releaseVersion     *gui.Node              // the release version
+	minor              *gadgets.BasicCombobox // the '3' in version v3.1.4
+	major              *gadgets.BasicCombobox // the '1' in version v3.1.4
+	revision           *gadgets.BasicCombobox // the '4' in version v3.1.4
+	lasttag            *gadgets.OneLiner      // the last tag version
+	mainBranchVersion  *gadgets.OneLiner      // the primary branch version
+	develBranchVersion *gadgets.OneLiner      // the devel branch version
+	userBranchVersion  *gadgets.OneLiner      // the user branch version
 
 	versionMessage       *gadgets.BasicEntry
 	versionCmds          [][]string