diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9731627..560f223 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,24 +1,25 @@
 VERSION = $(shell git describe --tags)
+BUILDTIME = $(shell date +%Y.%m.%d)
 
-all: plugin
-	ldd ../gocui.so
+all: gocui.so
+	@#ldd gocui.so
 
-plugin:
-	GO111MODULE=off go build -v -work -buildmode=plugin -o gocui.so
+gocui.so:
+	GO111MODULE=off go build -v -work -buildmode=plugin -o gocui.so \
+		-ldflags "-X main.VERSION=${VERSION} -X main.BUILDTIME=${BUILDTIME} -X gui.GUIVERSION=${VERSION}"
 
 install:
 	rm -f gocui.so
-	go build -buildmode=plugin -o ~/go/lib/gocui-${VERSION}.so
+	go build -buildmode=plugin -o ~/go/lib/gocui-${VERSION}.so \
+		-ldflags "-X main.VERSION=${VERSION} -X main.BUILDTIME=${BUILDTIME} -X gui.GUIVERSION=${VERSION}"
 
 # for testing custom golang
 custom:
 	# GO111MODULE=off go build -v
 	GO111MODULE=off go build -v -work -buildmode=blah
 
-official:
-	mkdir -p ~/go/lib/go.wit.com/toolkits/gocui/
-	go build -v -x -buildmode=plugin -o ~/go/lib/go.wit.com/toolkits/gocui/gocui-${VERSION}.so
-
+clean:
+	rm -f gocui gocui.so
 # Test the README.md & doc.go file
 # this runs pkgsite, the binary that does dev.go.dev
 # go install golang.org/x/pkgsite/cmd/pkgsite@latest
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 50383fa..33cafd9 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/toolkits/tree"
 )
 
+// sent via -ldflags
+var VERSION string
+var BUILDTIME string
+
 func queueToolkitClose() {
 	me.baseGui.Close()
 }