diff --git a/clone.go b/clone.go
index 39a6aed..fe7354b 100644
--- a/clone.go
+++ b/clone.go
@@ -75,82 +75,40 @@ func guessPaths(path string) (string, string, string, bool, error) {
 	return path, realpath, goSrcDir, isGoLang, nil
 }
 
-// attempt to git clone if the go path doesn't exist
-// wdir = /home/jcarr/go/src/
-// path = go.wit.com/apps/helloworld
-func Clone(wdir string, path string) error {
-	fullpath := filepath.Join(wdir, path)
-	if IsDirectory(fullpath) {
-		// directory already exists
-		return nil
-	}
-	err := os.Chdir(wdir)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
+// TODO: make some config file for things like this
+// can be used to work around temporary problems
+func pathHack(gopath string) string {
+	switch gopath {
+	case "golang.org/x/crypto":
+		return "go.googlesource.com/crypto"
+	case "golang.org/x/mod":
+		return "go.googlesource.com/mod"
+	case "golang.org/x/net":
+		return "go.googlesource.com/net"
+	case "golang.org/x/sys":
+		return "go.googlesource.com/sys"
+	case "golang.org/x/sync":
+		return "go.googlesource.com/sync"
+	case "golang.org/x/term":
+		return "go.googlesource.com/term"
+	case "golang.org/x/text":
+		return "go.googlesource.com/text"
+	case "golang.org/x/tools":
+		return "go.googlesource.com/tools"
+	case "golang.org/x/xerrors":
+		return "go.googlesource.com/xerrors"
 	}
 
-	fulldir := filepath.Join(wdir, filepath.Dir(path))
-	/*
-	base := filepath.Base(path)
-	os.MkdirAll(fulldir, 0750)
-	err = os.Chdir(fulldir)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	*/
-
-	return CloneNew(fulldir, path)
-
-	/*
-		// TODO: this should go in a config file if needed
-		// todo: move this to a resources/ text file in go-clone
-		// go get golang.org/x/term
-		// is now supposed to be:
-		// git clone https://go.googlesource.com/term
-		// if url, err = findGoImport("http://" + path); err != nil {
-		switch path {
-		case "golang.org/x/crypto":
-			path = "go.googlesource.com/crypto"
-		case "golang.org/x/mod":
-			path = "go.googlesource.com/mod"
-		case "golang.org/x/net":
-			path = "go.googlesource.com/net"
-		case "golang.org/x/sys":
-			path = "go.googlesource.com/sys"
-		case "golang.org/x/sync":
-			path = "go.googlesource.com/sync"
-		case "golang.org/x/term":
-			path = "go.googlesource.com/term"
-		case "golang.org/x/text":
-			path = "go.googlesource.com/text"
-		case "golang.org/x/tools":
-			path = "go.googlesource.com/tools"
-		case "golang.org/x/xerrors":
-			path = "go.googlesource.com/xerrors"
-		}
-	*/
-
-	/*
-	var url string
-
-	// this creates a valid URL for git clone
-	if url, err = runGoList(path); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	log.Info("URL:", url)
-	shell.PathRunRealtime(fulldir, []string{"git", "clone", url, base})
-	if IsDirectory(fullpath) {
-		// clone worked
-		return nil
-	}
-	return errors.New("resolve go import")
-	*/
+	return gopath
 }
 
+// attempt to git clone if the go path doesn't exist
 // does a git clone, if it works, returns true
 // workdir = /home/jcarr/go/src/
-// gopath = go.wit.com/apps/helloworld
-func CloneNew(workdir, gopath string) error {
+// gopath  = go.wit.com/apps/helloworld
+func Clone(workdir, gopath string) error {
+	// temp hack to fix paths.
+	gopath = pathHack(gopath)
 	fullpath := filepath.Join(workdir, gopath)
 	dirname := filepath.Base(fullpath)
 
@@ -160,9 +118,6 @@ func CloneNew(workdir, gopath string) error {
 	url := "http://" + gopath
 	log.Info("trying git clone")
 	log.Info("gopath =", gopath)
-	log.Info("dirname =", dirname)
-	log.Info("basedir =", basedir)
-	log.Info("url =", url)
 
 	// try a direct git clone against the gopath
 	// cloneActual("helloworld", "/home/jcarr/go/src/go.wit.com/apps", "http://go.wit.com/apps/helloworld")
@@ -172,10 +127,21 @@ func CloneNew(workdir, gopath string) error {
 	}
 	log.Info("direct attempt at git clone failed", url)
 
+	// if direct git clone doesn't work, look for a redirect
+	// go directly to the URL as that is autoritive. If that failes
+	// try the go package system as maybe the git site no longer exists
+	if url, err = findGoImport(url); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := cloneActual(dirname, basedir, url); err == nil {
+		// git clone worked!
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// query the golang package system for the last known location
 	// NOTE: take time to thank the go developers and google for designing this wonderful system
 	if url, err = runGoList(gopath); err != nil {
-		return err
+		log.Info("go list failed", err)
 	}
 	if err := cloneActual(dirname, basedir, url); err == nil {
 		// git clone worked!
@@ -192,6 +158,9 @@ func CloneNew(workdir, gopath string) error {
 // basedir = /home/jcarr/go/src/go.wit.com/apps
 // giturl = https://gitea.wit.com/gui/helloworld
 func cloneActual(newdir, basedir, giturl string) error {
+	log.Info("cloneActual() newdir  =", newdir)
+	log.Info("cloneActual() basedir =", basedir)
+	log.Info("cloneActual() giturl  =", giturl)
 	if !IsDirectory(basedir) {
 		os.MkdirAll(basedir, 0750)
 	}
@@ -201,7 +170,9 @@ func cloneActual(newdir, basedir, giturl string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	r := shell.PathRunRealtime(basedir, []string{"git", "clone", "--verbose", "--progress", giturl})
+	cmd := []string{"git", "clone", "--verbose", "--progress", giturl}
+	log.Info("Running:", cmd)
+	r := shell.PathRunRealtime(basedir, cmd)
 	if r.Error != nil {
 		log.Warn("git clone error", r.Error)
 		return r.Error
@@ -214,7 +185,7 @@ func cloneActual(newdir, basedir, giturl string) error {
 	}
 	gitdir := filepath.Join(fullpath, ".git")
 	if IsDirectory(gitdir) {
-		log.Info("git clone worked", gitdir)
+		log.Info("git cloned worked to", fullpath)
 		return nil
 	}
 	// git clone didn't really work but did make a directory