diff --git a/args.go b/args.go
index 8884f6c..3c13206 100644
--- a/args.go
+++ b/args.go
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ var INFO *log.LogFlag
 var WARN *log.LogFlag
 var CHANGE *log.LogFlag
 
+var REPO *log.LogFlag
+var REPOWARN *log.LogFlag
+
 func init() {
 	full := "go.wit.com/lib/gui/repostatus"
 	short := "repostatus"
@@ -19,4 +22,10 @@ func init() {
 	INFO = log.NewFlag("INFO", false, full, short, "general repo things")
 	WARN = log.NewFlag("WARN", true, full, short, "bad things")
 	CHANGE = log.NewFlag("CHANGE", true, full, short, "when repo changes")
+
+	full = "go.wit.com/lib/gui/repo"
+	short = "repo"
+
+	REPO = log.NewFlag("REPO", false, full, short, "general repo things")
+	REPOWARN = log.NewFlag("REPOWARN", true, full, short, "repo warnings")
 }
diff --git a/goConfig.go b/goConfig.go
index e1c1cd1..d6adff2 100644
--- a/goConfig.go
+++ b/goConfig.go
@@ -15,13 +15,14 @@ import (
 // Detect a 'Primative' package. Sets the isPrimative flag
 // will return true if the repo is truly not dependent on _anything_ else
 // like spew or lib/widget
+// it assumes go mod ran init and tidy ran without error
 func (rs *RepoStatus) isPrimativeGoMod() (bool, error) {
 	// go mod init & go mod tidy ran without errors
-	log.Log(WARN, "isPrimativeGoMod()", rs.realPath.String())
+	log.Log(REPO, "isPrimativeGoMod()", rs.realPath.String())
 	tmp := filepath.Join(rs.realPath.String(), "go.mod")
 	gomod, err := os.Open(tmp)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Log(WARN, "missing go.mod", rs.realPath.String())
+		log.Log(REPO, "missing go.mod", rs.realPath.String())
 		rs.goConfig = nil
 		return false, err
 	}
@@ -32,12 +33,12 @@ func (rs *RepoStatus) isPrimativeGoMod() (bool, error) {
 		line := strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text())
 
 		parts := strings.Split(line, " ")
-		log.Log(INFO, "  gomod:", parts)
+		log.Log(REPO, "  gomod:", parts)
 		if len(parts) >= 1 {
-			log.Log(INFO, "  gomod: part[0] =", parts[0])
+			log.Log(REPO, "  gomod: part[0] =", parts[0])
 			if parts[0] == "require" {
-				log.Log(INFO, "  should return false here")
-				return false, errors.New("bad go.mod file" + rs.GoPath())
+				log.Log(REPO, "  should return false here")
+				return false, errors.New("go.mod file is not primative")
 			}
 
 		}
@@ -46,28 +47,12 @@ func (rs *RepoStatus) isPrimativeGoMod() (bool, error) {
 }
 
 // readGoMod reads and parses the go.sum file
-// saves the config information in repo.goConfig
+// saves the config information in *Repo.goConfig
 func (rs *RepoStatus) parseGoSum() (bool, error) {
-	ok, err := rs.isPrimativeGoMod()
-	if err != nil {
-		// this means this repo does not depend on any other package
-		log.Info("PRIMATIVE repo:", rs.String(), "err =", err)
-		rs.goConfig = nil
-		rs.primitive.SetText("false")
-		return false, err
-	}
-	if ok {
-		// this means the repo is primitive so there is no go.sum
-		rs.goConfig = nil
-		rs.primitive.SetText("true")
-		return true, nil
-	}
-	rs.primitive.SetText("false")
-
 	tmp := filepath.Join(rs.realPath.String(), "go.sum")
 	gosum, err := os.Open(tmp)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Log(WARN, "missing go.sum", rs.realPath.String())
+		log.Log(REPO, "missing go.sum", rs.realPath.String())
 		rs.goConfig = nil
 		return false, err
 	}
@@ -77,7 +62,7 @@ func (rs *RepoStatus) parseGoSum() (bool, error) {
 	deps = make(GoConfig)
 
 	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(gosum)
-	log.Log(INFO, "gosum:", tmp)
+	log.Log(REPO, "gosum:", tmp)
 	for scanner.Scan() {
 		line := strings.TrimSpace(scanner.Text())
 
@@ -90,23 +75,21 @@ func (rs *RepoStatus) parseGoSum() (bool, error) {
 			}
 			currentversion, ok := deps[godep]
 			if ok {
-				if currentversion != version {
-					// ignore these warnings for now
-					depname := rs.String()
-					if strings.HasPrefix(depname, "go.wit.com") {
-						log.Log(INFO, "REPO:", rs.realPath.String())
-						log.Log(INFO, "  version mismatch:", godep, version, currentversion)
-					} else {
-						log.Log(INFO, "REPO:", rs.realPath.String())
-						log.Log(INFO, "  version mismatch:", godep, version, currentversion)
-					}
+				// only use the first value found in the file?
+				// this shouldn't have been possible. this function should
+				// only be called from MakeRedomod()
+				// todo: make go things a seperate package so this function
+				// isn't exported?
+				if version != currentversion {
+					log.Log(REPOWARN, "\tgo.sum ", godep, "had both", version, currentversion)
 				}
 			} else {
 				deps[godep] = version
-				log.Log(INFO, "\t", godep, "=", version)
+				log.Log(REPO, "\t", godep, "=", version)
 			}
 		} else {
-			log.Log(WARN, "\t INVALID:", parts)
+			// I've never seen this happen yet
+			return false, errors.New("go.sum invalid: " + line)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -131,7 +114,7 @@ func (rs *RepoStatus) MakeRedomod() (bool, error) {
 	var err error
 	var output string
 	if rs.ReadOnly() {
-		log.Log(WARN, "will not go mod redo read only repos", rs.String())
+		log.Log(REPO, "will not go mod redo read only repos", rs.String())
 		return false, errors.New(rs.GoPath() + " is read-only ")
 	}
 
@@ -139,23 +122,41 @@ func (rs *RepoStatus) MakeRedomod() (bool, error) {
 	os.Unsetenv("GO111MODULE")
 	err, output = rs.RunCmd([]string{"rm", "-f", "go.mod", "go.sum"})
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Log(WARN, "rm failed", err, output)
+		log.Log(REPO, "rm failed", err, output)
 		return false, err
 	}
 	err, output = rs.RunCmd([]string{"go", "mod", "init"})
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Log(WARN, "go mod init failed", err, output)
+		log.Log(REPO, "go mod init failed", err, output)
 		return false, err
 	}
 	err, output = rs.RunCmd([]string{"go", "mod", "tidy"})
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Log(WARN, "go mod tidy failed", err, output)
+		log.Log(REPO, "go mod tidy failed", err, output)
 		return false, err
 	}
-	log.Log(INFO, "MakeRedomod() worked", rs.GoPath())
+	log.Log(REPO, "MakeRedomod() worked", rs.GoPath())
 
-	// return the attempt to parse go.mod & go.sum
-	return rs.parseGoSum()
+	if rs.Exists("go.sum") {
+		// return the attempt to parse go.mod & go.sum
+		return rs.parseGoSum()
+	}
+	rs.goConfig = nil
+	rs.primitive.SetText("false")
+
+	ok, err := rs.isPrimativeGoMod()
+	if err != nil {
+		// this means this repo does not depend on any other package
+		log.Info("PRIMATIVE repo:", rs.String(), "err =", err)
+		return false, err
+	}
+	if ok {
+		// this means the repo is primitive so there is no go.sum
+		rs.primitive.SetText("true")
+		return true, nil
+	}
+	// this should never happen
+	return false, nil
 }
 
 func (rs *RepoStatus) IsReleased() bool {