diff --git a/apt.go b/apt.go
index 9f88164..aede052 100644
--- a/apt.go
+++ b/apt.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func addNew(name string, version string) bool {
 	return me.packages.Append(new1)
 }
 
-func updatePackages() {
+func updatePackagesOld() {
 	// Get the list of installed packages for the detected distro
 	newP, err := getPackageList(me.distro)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/http.go b/http.go
index 6f40f0a..7c19a3a 100644
--- a/http.go
+++ b/http.go
@@ -36,16 +36,16 @@ func okHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		var m *zoopb.Machine
 		m = new(zoopb.Machine)
 		if err := m.Unmarshal(msg); err != nil {
-			log.Info("proto.Unmarshal() failed on wire message len", len(msg), "from", hostname)
+			log.Info("proto.Unmarshal() failed on wire message len", len(msg))
+			log.Info("error =", err)
 			return
 		}
-		if m.Packages == nil {
-			log.Info("Unmarshal worked with msg len", len(msg), "from", m.Hostname)
-			log.Info(m.Hostname, "sent machine")
-		} else {
-
-			log.Info("Unmarshal worked with msg len", len(msg), "from", m.Hostname)
-			log.Info(m.Hostname, "has", m.Packages.Len(), "packages installed")
+		log.Info("proto.Unmarshal() worked on wire message len", len(msg), "from", m.Hostname)
+		switch updateMachine(m) {
+		case "upgrade":
+			fmt.Fprintln(w, "upgrade")
+		default:
+			fmt.Fprintln(w, "notsure")
 		}
 		return
 	}
@@ -66,13 +66,6 @@ func okHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		log.Info("Unmarshal worked with msg len", len(msg), "from", hostname)
 		log.Info(hostname, "has", packs.Len(), "packages installed")
 		fmt.Fprintln(w, "upgrade")
-
-		m := me.machines.FindByName(hostname)
-		if m == nil {
-			log.Info("did not find", hostname)
-		} else {
-			log.Info("found", hostname)
-		}
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/machine.go b/machine.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..907b51d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/machine.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/zoopb"
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+// someone sent machine 'u' is it new?
+// if not, update the record of it
+func updateMachine(u *zoopb.Machine) string {
+	if u == nil {
+		return "nil"
+	}
+	m := me.machines.FindByName(u.Hostname)
+	if m == nil {
+		log.Info("did not find", u.Hostname)
+		me.machines.Append(u)
+		return "new"
+	}
+	log.Info("updating machine", m.Hostname)
+
+	// did the # of cpus change?
+	if m.Cpus != u.Cpus {
+		m.Cpus = u.Cpus
+		log.Info("cpus changed to", m.Cpus)
+	}
+
+	// did the memory change?
+	if m.Memory != u.Memory {
+		m.Memory = u.Memory
+		log.Info("memory changed to", m.Memory)
+	}
+
+	// init these if nil
+	if m.Packages == nil {
+		m.Packages = new(zoopb.Packages)
+	}
+	if u.Packages == nil {
+		u.Packages = new(zoopb.Packages)
+	}
+
+	updatePackages(m.Packages, u.Packages)
+	return "upgrade"
+}
+
+// looks to see if any packages:
+// changed versions
+// were newly installed
+// were uninstalled
+func updatePackages(p *zoopb.Packages, u *zoopb.Packages) bool {
+	var changed bool = false
+
+	return changed
+}