diff --git a/apt.go b/apt.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 5fa6385..0000000
--- a/apt.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,73 +0,0 @@
-package main
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-
-	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/zoopb"
-	"go.wit.com/log"
-)
-
-// init the installed package list
-func initPackages() {
-	// Get the list of installed packages for the detected distro
-	newP, err := getPackageList(me.distro)
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Println("Error:", err)
-		return
-	}
-
-	// Print the installed packages and their versions
-	for pkg, version := range newP {
-		new1 := new(zoopb.Package)
-		new1.Name = pkg
-		new1.Version = version
-		if me.machine.Packages.Append(new1) {
-			// log.Info("added", new1.Name, "ok")
-		} else {
-			log.Info("added", new1.Name, "failed")
-		}
-	}
-
-	log.Info(me.hostname, "has distro", me.distro, "with", me.machine.Packages.Len(), "packages installed.")
-}
-
-func addNew(name string, version string) bool {
-	new1 := new(zoopb.Package)
-	new1.Name = name
-	new1.Version = version
-	return me.machine.Packages.Append(new1)
-}
-
-func updatePackages() string {
-	// Get the list of installed packages for the detected distro
-	newP, err := getPackageList(me.distro)
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Println("Error:", err)
-		return fmt.Sprintln("getPackageList()", err)
-	}
-
-	var newCounter, changeCounter int
-	// Print the installed packages and their versions
-	for pkg, version := range newP {
-		found := me.machine.Packages.FindByName(pkg)
-		if found == nil {
-			log.Info("adding new", pkg, version)
-			addNew(pkg, version)
-			newCounter += 1
-		} else {
-			found.Version = version
-			if me.machine.Packages.Update(found) {
-				changeCounter += 1
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	footer := fmt.Sprintf("%s has distro %s with %d packages installed", me.hostname, me.distro, me.machine.Packages.Len())
-	if changeCounter != 0 {
-		footer += fmt.Sprintf(" (%d changed)", changeCounter)
-	}
-	if newCounter != 0 {
-		footer += fmt.Sprintf(" (%d new)", newCounter)
-	}
-	return footer
-}
diff --git a/apt_linux.go b/apt_linux.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 7e534f0..0000000
--- a/apt_linux.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,72 +0,0 @@
-package main
-
-import (
-	"bufio"
-	"fmt"
-	"os/exec"
-	"strings"
-
-	"go.wit.com/log"
-)
-
-// getPackageList returns the list of installed packages based on the distro
-func getPackageList(distro string) (map[string]string, error) {
-	var cmd *exec.Cmd
-
-	// Run the appropriate command based on the detected distribution
-	switch distro {
-	case "ubuntu", "debian":
-		return dpkgQuery()
-	case "fedora", "centos", "rhel":
-		cmd = exec.Command("rpm", "-qa")
-	case "arch", "manjaro":
-		cmd = exec.Command("pacman", "-Q")
-	default:
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unsupported distribution: %s", distro)
-	}
-
-	// Capture the command's output
-	output, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error running command: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	// todo: Split the output into lines and return
-	lines := strings.Split(string(output), "\n")
-	log.Info("output had", len(lines), "lines")
-	return nil, nil
-}
-
-func dpkgQuery() (map[string]string, error) {
-	// Run the dpkg-query command to list installed packages and versions
-	cmd := exec.Command("dpkg-query", "-W", "-f=${Package} ${Version}\n")
-	stdout, err := cmd.StdoutPipe()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	// Start the command execution
-	if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	defer cmd.Wait()
-
-	// Create a map to store package names and versions
-	installedPackages := make(map[string]string)
-
-	// Use a scanner to read the output of the command line by line
-	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(stdout)
-	for scanner.Scan() {
-		line := scanner.Text()
-		// Split each line into package name and version
-		parts := strings.SplitN(line, " ", 2)
-		if len(parts) == 2 {
-			packageName := parts[0]
-			version := parts[1]
-			installedPackages[packageName] = version
-		}
-	}
-
-	// Return the map with package names and versions
-	return installedPackages, scanner.Err()
-}
diff --git a/distro.go b/distro.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 0269ea1..0000000
--- a/distro.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,56 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2024 WIT.COM Inc.
-
-package main
-
-import (
-	"bufio"
-	"fmt"
-	"os"
-	"runtime"
-	"strings"
-)
-
-func initDistro() string {
-	switch runtime.GOOS {
-	case "windows":
-		return "windows"
-	case "macos":
-		return "macos"
-	case "linux":
-		// Detect the Linux distribution
-		distro := detectDistro()
-		if distro == "" {
-			fmt.Println("Unable to detect Linux distribution.")
-			distro = "fixme"
-		}
-
-		fmt.Printf("Detected distribution: %s\n", distro)
-		return distro
-	default:
-		return runtime.GOOS
-	}
-}
-
-// detectDistro returns the Linux distribution name (if possible)
-func detectDistro() string {
-	// Check if we're on Linux
-
-	// Try to read /etc/os-release to determine the distro
-	file, err := os.Open("/etc/os-release")
-	if err != nil {
-		return ""
-	}
-	defer file.Close()
-
-	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(file)
-	for scanner.Scan() {
-		line := scanner.Text()
-		if strings.HasPrefix(line, "ID=") {
-			parts := strings.SplitN(line, "=", 2)
-			if len(parts) == 2 {
-				return strings.Trim(parts[1], `"`)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	return ""
-}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 3b5bbba..0329ad5 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"go.wit.com/dev/alexflint/arg"
-	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/zoopb"
 	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
@@ -35,21 +34,10 @@ func main() {
 	me = new(stuff)
 	me.urlbase = "http://zookeeper.grid.wit.com:8080"
 
-	me.hostname, _ = os.Hostname()
 	me.pollDelay = 3 * time.Second
 	me.failcountmax = 20 // die every minute if zookeeper can't be found
 
-	// what OS?
-	me.distro = initDistro()
-
-	// init my machine protobuf
-	me.machine = new(zoopb.Machine)
-	me.machine.Packages = new(zoopb.Packages)
-	me.machine.Hostname = me.hostname
-
-	// init the installed package list
-	// me.packages = new(zoopb.Packages)
-	initPackages()
+	me.machine.ConfigLoad()
 
 	go NewWatchdog()
 
diff --git a/send.go b/send.go
index e82e42d..bd9c9e1 100644
--- a/send.go
+++ b/send.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 
 func pingStatus() error {
 	var url string
-	url = me.urlbase + "/status?hostname=" + me.hostname
+	url = me.urlbase + "/status?hostname=" + me.machine.Hostname
 	msg, err := me.machine.Packages.Marshal()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Info("proto.Marshal() failed:", err)
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func sendMachine(s string) error {
 			os.Exit(0)
 		} else {
 			log.Info(me.urlbase, "is maybe not working GOT:", line)
-			log.Info(me.urlbase, "fail count", me.failcount, "from hostname", me.hostname)
+			log.Info(me.urlbase, "fail count", me.failcount, "from hostname", me.machine.Hostname)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index 7cb8a8c..fe96980 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -10,13 +10,10 @@ var me *stuff
 
 // this app's variables
 type stuff struct {
-	hostname     string         // my hostname to send to zookeeper
-	urlbase      string         // the dns name for the zookeeper
-	pollDelay    time.Duration  // how often to report our status
-	dog          *time.Ticker   // the watchdog timer
-	distro       string         // debian,redhat,gentoo,macos,wincrap
-	machine      *zoopb.Machine // my protobuf
-	failcount    int            // how many times we've failed to contact the zookeeper
-	failcountmax int            // after this, exit and let systemd restart the daemon
-	// packages  *zoopb.Packages // installed packages and versions
+	urlbase      string        // the dns name for the zookeeper
+	pollDelay    time.Duration // how often to report our status
+	dog          *time.Ticker  // the watchdog timer
+	machine      zoopb.Machine // populated from protobuf based zoopb
+	failcount    int           // how many times we've failed to contact the zookeeper
+	failcountmax int           // after this, exit and let systemd restart the daemon
 }
diff --git a/watchdog.go b/watchdog.go
index 9db2471..e6587a8 100644
--- a/watchdog.go
+++ b/watchdog.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func NewWatchdog() {
 			return
 		case _ = <-me.dog.C:
 			// log.Info("Watchdog() ticked", me.zookeeper, "Current time: ", t)
-			s := updatePackages()
+			s := me.machine.UpdatePackages()
 			// pingStatus()
 			me.failcount += 1
 			sendMachine(s)