diff --git a/color.go b/color.go
index 52cdd8e..6440e8b 100644
--- a/color.go
+++ b/color.go
@@ -7,19 +7,9 @@ package main
 // https://jvns.ca/blog/2024/10/01/terminal-colours/
 
 import (
-	"math/rand"
-
-	"github.com/gdamore/tcell/v2"
-
 	"github.com/awesome-gocui/gocui"
-
-	"go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
-//w.v.SelBgColor = gocui.ColorCyan
-//color.go:       w.v.SelFgColor = gocui.ColorBlack
-//color.go:               w.v.BgColor = gocui.ColorGreen
-
 var none gocui.Attribute = gocui.AttrNone
 var lightPurple gocui.Attribute = gocui.GetColor("#DDDDDD")    // light purple
 var darkPurple gocui.Attribute = gocui.GetColor("#FFAA55")     // Dark Purple
@@ -142,11 +132,14 @@ var colorCheckbox colorT = colorT{
 	name:  "normal checkbox",
 }
 
+/*
 // widget debugging colors. these widgets aren't displayed unless you are debugging
 var colorRoot colorT = colorT{gocui.ColorRed, none, powdererBlue, none, gocui.ColorBlue, "debug root"}
 var colorFlag colorT = colorT{gocui.ColorRed, none, powdererBlue, none, gocui.ColorGreen, "debug flag"}
 var colorBox colorT = colorT{gocui.ColorRed, none, lightPurple, none, gocui.ColorCyan, "debug box"}
 var colorGrid colorT = colorT{gocui.ColorRed, none, lightPurple, none, gocui.ColorRed, "debug grid"}
+*/
+
 var colorNone colorT = colorT{none, none, none, none, none, "debug none"}
 
 // actually sets the colors for the gocui element
@@ -157,6 +150,7 @@ var colorNone colorT = colorT{none, none, none, none, none, "debug none"}
 // TODO: maybe enough of us could actually do that if we made it a goal.
 // TODO: start with riscv boards and fix it universally there
 // TODO: so just a small little 'todo' item here
+/*
 func (tk *guiWidget) setColor(newColor *colorT) {
 	if tk.color == newColor {
 		// nothing to do since the colors have nto changed
@@ -173,112 +167,4 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) setColor(newColor *colorT) {
 	// log.Log(NOW, "Set the node to color =", tk.color.name)
 	tk.Show()
 }
-
-/*
-func (w *guiWidget) disableColor() {
-	if w.color != &colorDisabled {
-		w.defaultColor = w.color
-	}
-	w.setColor(&colorDisabled)
-}
 */
-
-func (w *guiWidget) setDefaultHighlight() {
-	if w.v == nil {
-		log.Log(ERROR, "SetColor() failed on view == nil")
-		return
-	}
-	w.v.SelBgColor = gocui.ColorGreen
-	w.v.SelFgColor = gocui.ColorBlack
-}
-
-func randColor() gocui.Attribute {
-	colors := []string{"Green", "#FFAA55", "Yellow", "Blue", "Red", "Black", "White"}
-	i := rand.Intn(len(colors))
-	log.Log(NOW, "randColor() i =", i)
-	return gocui.GetColor(colors[i])
-}
-
-func (w *guiWidget) redoColor(draw bool) {
-	if w == nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	log.Sleep(.05)
-	w.setDefaultHighlight()
-	// w.setDefaultWidgetColor()
-	w.Show()
-
-	for _, child := range w.children {
-		child.redoColor(draw)
-	}
-}
-
-// what genius figured this out?
-// originally from github.com/dimasma0305/GoFetch
-func get_teminal_color_palette() string {
-	// var runes rune
-	// color1 := "\x1b[0;29m  \x1b[0m"
-	// runes = []rune(color1)
-	// view.WriteRunes(runes)
-
-	color1 := "\x1b[0;29m  \x1b[0m"
-	color2 := "\x1b[0;31m  \x1b[0m"
-	color3 := "\x1b[0;32m  \x1b[0m"
-	color4 := "\x1b[0;33m  \x1b[0m"
-	color5 := "\x1b[0;34m  \x1b[0m"
-	color6 := "\x1b[0;35m  \x1b[0m"
-	color7 := "\x1b[0;36m  \x1b[0m"
-	color8 := "\x1b[0;37m  \x1b[0m"
-
-	return color1 + " " + color2 + " " + color3 + " " + color4 + " " + color5 + " " + color6 + " " + color7 + " " + color8
-}
-
-func (tk *guiWidget) SetColorRed() {
-	tk.color = new(colorT)
-	tk.color.fg = gocui.ColorRed
-}
-
-func (tk *guiWidget) setColorBlue() {
-	// r, g, b :=
-	// newgreen := gocui.NewRGBColor(tcell.ColorLightBlue.RGB())
-
-	// tk.color.fg = gocui.ColorBlue
-	tk.color.bg = gocui.NewRGBColor(tcell.ColorLightBlue.RGB())
-}
-
-// weird. lots of color problems for me on debian sid using the traditional Andy Herzfield 'gnome'
-func (tk *guiWidget) setColorButtonDenseOLD() {
-	/*
-		cellgreen := tcell.ColorLightGreen
-		r, g, b := cellgreen.RGB()
-		newgreen := gocui.NewRGBColor(r, g, b)
-	*/
-
-	// tk.color.fg = gocui.ColorBlue
-	if tk.color == nil {
-		tk.color = new(colorT)
-	}
-	lightGreen := gocui.GetColor("0x90EE90")
-	lightGreen = gocui.GetColor("0x008000")
-	lightGreen = gocui.NewRGBColor(0x00, 0x80, 0x00)
-
-	tk.color.frame = gocui.ColorYellow
-	tk.color.fg = gocui.AttrNone
-	tk.color.bg = gocui.ColorGreen
-	tk.color.bg = lightGreen
-	tk.color.bg = gocui.Attribute(tcell.ColorLightGreen)
-	tk.color.bg = superLightGrey
-	// bg:    gocui.ColorGreen,
-	tk.color.selFg = gocui.AttrNone
-	tk.color.selBg = gocui.ColorGreen
-
-	// tk.color = &colorButtonDense
-
-	/*
-		tk.color.selFg = gocui.AttrNone
-		r, g, b := tcell.ColorLightGreen.RGB()
-		log.Info("color =", tcell.ColorLightGreen.CSS(), r, g, b)
-		tk.color.selBg = gocui.NewRGBColor(r, g, b)
-	*/
-}
diff --git a/colorNew.go b/colorNew.go
index 76dcab6..63dd15a 100644
--- a/colorNew.go
+++ b/colorNew.go
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ package main
 // simple colors for light and dark
 
 import (
+	"math/rand"
+
 	"github.com/awesome-gocui/gocui"
+	log "go.wit.com/log"
 )
 
 // DONE ON ENABLE() WIDGET
@@ -254,3 +257,51 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) setColorModal() {
 	}
 	tk.updateColor()
 }
+
+// what genius figured this out?
+func (tk *guiWidget) setColorTextbox() {
+	if tk.color == nil {
+		tk.color = new(colorT)
+	}
+	if me.dark {
+		tk.color.frame = gocui.ColorRed
+		tk.color.fg = gocui.ColorRed
+		tk.color.bg = gocui.ColorBlack
+		tk.color.selFg = gocui.ColorBlack
+		tk.color.selBg = gocui.AttrNone
+	} else {
+		tk.color.frame = gocui.ColorRed
+		tk.color.fg = gocui.AttrNone
+		tk.color.bg = gocui.AttrNone
+		tk.color.selFg = gocui.AttrNone
+		tk.color.selBg = gocui.ColorWhite
+	}
+	tk.updateColor()
+}
+
+// what genius figured this out?
+// originally from github.com/dimasma0305/GoFetch
+func get_teminal_color_palette() string {
+	// var runes rune
+	// color1 := "\x1b[0;29m  \x1b[0m"
+	// runes = []rune(color1)
+	// view.WriteRunes(runes)
+
+	color1 := "\x1b[0;29m  \x1b[0m"
+	color2 := "\x1b[0;31m  \x1b[0m"
+	color3 := "\x1b[0;32m  \x1b[0m"
+	color4 := "\x1b[0;33m  \x1b[0m"
+	color5 := "\x1b[0;34m  \x1b[0m"
+	color6 := "\x1b[0;35m  \x1b[0m"
+	color7 := "\x1b[0;36m  \x1b[0m"
+	color8 := "\x1b[0;37m  \x1b[0m"
+
+	return color1 + " " + color2 + " " + color3 + " " + color4 + " " + color5 + " " + color6 + " " + color7 + " " + color8
+}
+
+func randColor() gocui.Attribute {
+	colors := []string{"Green", "#FFAA55", "Yellow", "Blue", "Red", "Black", "White"}
+	i := rand.Intn(len(colors))
+	log.Log(NOW, "randColor() i =", i)
+	return gocui.GetColor(colors[i])
+}
diff --git a/treeAdd.go b/treeAdd.go
index 766e373..40b03ba 100644
--- a/treeAdd.go
+++ b/treeAdd.go
@@ -42,17 +42,17 @@ func addWidget(n *tree.Node) {
 	switch n.WidgetType {
 	case widget.Root:
 		log.Log(INFO, "setStartWH() rootNode w.id =", n.WidgetId, "w.name", n.String())
-		tk.color = &colorRoot
+		// tk.color = &colorRoot
 		setFake(n)
 		return
 	case widget.Flag:
-		tk.color = &colorFlag
+		// tk.color = &colorFlag
 		setFake(n)
 		return
 	case widget.Window:
 		tk.frame = false
 		tk.labelN = tk.GetText() + "  X"
-		tk.setColor(&colorWindow)
+		// tk.setColor(&colorWindow)
 		me.newWindowTrigger <- tk
 		redoWindows(0, 0)
 		hideHelp()
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ func addWidget(n *tree.Node) {
 		n.State.Label = "moreSTDOUT"
 		return
 	case widget.Tab:
-		tk.color = &colorTab
+		// tk.color = &colorTab
 		return
 	case widget.Button:
 		if tk.node.IsEnabled() {
@@ -84,10 +84,12 @@ func addWidget(n *tree.Node) {
 	case widget.Textbox:
 		n.State.Label = ""
 		tk.labelN = "    "
-		tk.color = &colorDropdown
+		// tk.color = &colorDropdown
+		tk.setColorInput()
 		return
 	case widget.Combobox:
-		tk.color = &colorCombobox
+		// tk.color = &colorCombobox
+		tk.setColorInput()
 		return
 	case widget.Box:
 		// tk.color = &colorBox
diff --git a/treeDraw.go b/treeDraw.go
index c2d8864..7eeb88c 100644
--- a/treeDraw.go
+++ b/treeDraw.go
@@ -187,13 +187,13 @@ func (tk *guiWidget) drawView() {
 }
 
 func (w *guiWidget) DrawAt(offsetW, offsetH int) {
-	w.setColor(&colorActiveW)
+	// w.setColor(&colorActiveW)
 	w.placeWidgets(offsetW, offsetH) // compute the sizes & places for each widget
 	// w.dumpWidget(fmt.Sprintf("DrawAt(%d,%d)", offsetW, offsetH))
 }
 
 func (w *guiWidget) simpleDrawAt(offsetW, offsetH int) {
-	w.setColor(&colorActiveW)
+	// w.setColor(&colorActiveW)
 	w.dumpWidget("simpleDrawAt()")
 }