diff --git a/apt.go b/apt.go
index c7be9e8..1838c52 100644
--- a/apt.go
+++ b/apt.go
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ func aptGroup(tab *gui.Node) {
 		bash("apt -y install apt-file")
 		bash("apt-file update")
 	})
+
+	n.AddButton("install packages", func (*gui.Node) {
+		aptPackagesWindow(nil)
+	})
+
 	n.AddButton("install base packages", func (*gui.Node) {
 		sudo( func() error {
 			line := "apt install moon-buggy2"
diff --git a/window-debug-golang.go b/window-debug-golang.go
index da8dc07..362922e 100644
--- a/window-debug-golang.go
+++ b/window-debug-golang.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ func golangDebug(w *gui.Node) {
 		gui.Config.Title = "golangDebug Window"
 		gui.Config.Width = 100
 		gui.Config.Height = 100
-		gui.Config.Exit = customExit
 		w = gui.NewWindow()
 	}
 
diff --git a/window-dns-update.go b/window-dns-update.go
index e3d0035..6bc0236 100644
--- a/window-dns-update.go
+++ b/window-dns-update.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ func updateDNS(w *gui.Node) {
 		gui.Config.Title = "dns update Window"
 		gui.Config.Width = 110
 		gui.Config.Height = 110
-		gui.Config.Exit = customExit
 		w = gui.NewWindow()
 	}
 
diff --git a/window-packages.go b/window-packages.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aacd9f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/window-packages.go
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+package main
+
+import "log"
+import "os"
+import "bufio"
+import "strings"
+import "errors"
+import "git.wit.org/wit/gui"
+
+func aptPackagesWindow(w *gui.Node) {
+	var aptoutput *gui.Node
+	var aptNode *gui.Node
+	var filename string
+
+	if (w == nil) {
+		gui.Config.Title = "apt configuration and package installer"
+		gui.Config.Width = 1600
+		gui.Config.Height = 800
+		gui.Config.Exit = nil
+		w = gui.NewWindow()
+	}
+
+	tab := w.AddTab("apt", nil)
+	// populateNEW(tab, "new")
+
+//////////////   filename    /////////////////////////
+	gNode := tab.AddGroup("Options")
+
+	gNode.AddButton("default packages", func (*gui.Node) {
+		log.Println("STARTED HOSTNAME")
+		aptNode.SetText("bin/install-default-packages.sh")
+		filename = "bin/install-default-packages.sh"
+		b, _ := packrBox.FindString(filename)
+		if (aptoutput != nil) {
+			aptoutput.SetText(b)
+		}
+		log.Println("ENDED GetText() HOSTNAME =", filename)
+	})
+
+	gNode.CreateFontButton("fonts")
+
+	gNode.AddButton("Configure apt-file", func (*gui.Node) {
+		log.Println("STARTED HOSTNAME")
+		aptNode.SetText("bin/apt-file.sh")
+		filename = "bin/apt-file.sh"
+		b, _ := packrBox.FindString(filename)
+		if (aptoutput != nil) {
+			aptoutput.SetText(b)
+		}
+		log.Println("ENDED GetText() HOSTNAME =", filename)
+	})
+
+	var tmp []string
+	for i, s := range packrBox.List() {
+		log.Println("i, s =", i, s)
+		if strings.HasPrefix(s, "bin/") {
+			tmp = append(tmp, s)
+		}
+	}
+	// panic("junk")
+
+	aptNode = gNode.AddComboBox("test", tmp...)
+
+	aptNode.SetText(filename)
+	aptNode.OnChanged = func () {
+		log.Println("STARTED HOSTNAME")
+		filename = aptNode.GetText()
+		b, _ := packrBox.FindString(filename)
+		if (aptoutput != nil) {
+			aptoutput.SetText(b)
+		}
+		log.Println("ENDED GetText() HOSTNAME =", filename)
+	}
+
+//////////////   connect     /////////////////////////
+	gNode = tab.AddGroup("")
+
+	gNode.AddButton("Run Script", func (*gui.Node) {
+		sudo( func() error {
+			log.Println("set resolv.conf to",filename)
+			b, _ := packrBox.FindString(filename)
+			// spew.Dump(b)
+			b = aptoutput.GetText()
+
+			log.Println("Setting /etc/resolv.conf to:\n\n" + b)
+
+			f, err := os.Create("/etc/resolv.conf")
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.New("os.Create() /etc/resolv.conf failed")
+			}
+			defer f.Close()
+			w := bufio.NewWriter(f)
+			n4, err := w.WriteString(b)
+			log.Println("n4 =", n4)
+			w.Flush()
+			return nil
+		})
+	})
+
+	gui.Config.Stretchy = true
+	gNode.AddButton("set output", func (*gui.Node) {
+		if (aptoutput != nil) {
+			aptoutput.SetText("wow")
+			aptoutput.SetMargined(false)
+		}
+	})
+
+	gNode = tab.AddGroup("")
+	aptoutput = gNode.MakeGroupEdit("script:")
+	gui.Config.Stretchy = false
+}
diff --git a/window-resets.go b/window-resets.go
index 4e91ce3..763a1ef 100644
--- a/window-resets.go
+++ b/window-resets.go
@@ -16,10 +16,15 @@ func tabResets(w *gui.Node) *gui.Node {
 	newTab := w.AddTab("tabResets()", nil)
 
 	/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-	g1 := newTab.AddGroup("reset windows")
+	g1 := newTab.AddGroup("")
 
 	g1.NewLabel("Working Stuff")
 
+	g1.AddButton("Configure resolv.conf", func (*gui.Node) {
+		log.Println("supposed to make the resolv.conf window")
+		resolvWindow(nil)
+	})
+
 	g1.AddButton("Generic SSH Window", func (*gui.Node) {
 		sshGenericWindow(nil)
 	})
@@ -28,17 +33,17 @@ func tabResets(w *gui.Node) *gui.Node {
 		xtermSettings(nil)
 	})
 
-	g1.AddButton("Configure resolv.conf", func (*gui.Node) {
-		log.Println("supposed to make the resolv.conf window")
-		resolvWindow(nil)
-	})
-
 	g1.AddButton("update DNS (IPv6)", func (*gui.Node) {
 		updateDNS(nil)
 	})
 
 	aptGroup(newTab)
+
+	// 'stretchy' doesn't work here. this is because it was set on the hbox(?)
+	// TODO: tear down all the gui elements and recreate them from the node tree
+	gui.Config.Stretchy = true
 	newTab.MakeBasicControlsPage("testing stuff")
+	gui.Config.Stretchy = false
 
 	/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 	gn := newTab.AddGroup("GO")