diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 328d5dc9..09e08a1c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -54,10 +54,6 @@ coverage.xml
 # any locally generated log stuff:
 *.log
 
-# Flask stuff:
-instance/
-.webassets-cache
-
 # PyBuilder
 target/
 
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
similarity index 90%
rename from .pre-commit-config.yml
rename to .pre-commit-config.yaml
index ec09eca7..c9f81ebb 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ repos:
       # make sure the poetry config does not get committed in a broken state
       - id: poetry-check
       # make sure the lock file is up-to-date when committing changes
-      - id: poetry-lock
+      # - id: poetry-lock
diff --git a/onboardme/__init__.py b/onboardme/__init__.py
index 6c127308..4cb83001 100755
--- a/onboardme/__init__.py
+++ b/onboardme/__init__.py
@@ -91,17 +91,17 @@ def setup_logger(level="", log_file=""):
 @option('--remote_host', '-r', metavar="IP_ADDR", multiple=True,
         help=HELP['remote_host'])
 @option('--version', is_flag=True, help=HELP['version'])
-def main(log_level: str = "WARN",
-         log_file: str = "",
-         steps: str = STEPS.join(','),
-         git_url: str = "https://github.com/jessebot/dot_files.git",
-         git_branch: str = "main",
-         overwrite: bool = False,
-         pkg_managers: str = PKG_MNGRS.join(','),
-         pkg_groups: str = "default",
-         firewall: bool = False,
-         remote_host: str = "",
-         version: bool = False):
+def main(log_level: str = USR_CONFIG_FILE['log']['level'],
+         log_file: str = USR_CONFIG_FILE['log']['file'],
+         steps: str = USR_CONFIG_FILE['steps'][OS[0]], 
+         git_url: str = USR_CONFIG_FILE['dot_files']['git_url'],
+         git_branch: str = USR_CONFIG_FILE['dot_files']['git_branch'],
+         overwrite: bool = USR_CONFIG_FILE['dot_files']['overwrite'],
+         pkg_managers: str = USR_CONFIG_FILE['package']['managers'][OS[0]], 
+         pkg_groups: str = USR_CONFIG_FILE['package']['groups'],
+         firewall: bool = USR_CONFIG_FILE['firewall'],
+         remote_host=USR_CONFIG_FILE['remote_hosts'],
+         version=False) -> bool:
     """
     If present, config: XDG_CONFIG_HOME/onboardme/[packages.yml, config.yml]
     If run with no options on Linux, it will install brew, pip3.11, apt,
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ def main(log_level: str = "WARN",
         configure_firewall(remote_host)
 
     print_manual_steps()
-    return
+    return True
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/onboardme/constants.py b/onboardme/constants.py
index ef1574c0..382e9159 100644
--- a/onboardme/constants.py
+++ b/onboardme/constants.py
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 from importlib.metadata import version as get_version
 from xdg_base_dirs import xdg_config_home
 from os import getenv, path, uname
+from pathlib import Path
+import wget
+import yaml
 
 
 # version of onboardme
@@ -15,7 +18,6 @@
 
 # pathing
 XDG_CONFIG_DIR = xdg_config_home()
-ONBOARDME_CONFIG_DIR = path.join(xdg_config_home(), 'onboardme')
 PWD = path.dirname(__file__)
 HOME_DIR = getenv("HOME")
 
@@ -33,3 +35,26 @@
 PKG_MNGRS = ['brew','pip3.11']
 if OS[0] == 'Linux':
     PKG_MNGRS.extend(['apt','snap','flatpak'])
+
+
+default_dotfiles = ("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jessebot/dot_files/"
+                    "main/.config/onboardme/")
+
+
+def load_cfg(config_file='config.yml') -> dict:
+    """
+    load yaml config files for onboardme
+    """
+    config_dir = path.join(xdg_config_home(), 'onboardme')
+    config_full_path = path.join(config_dir, config_file)
+
+    # defaults
+    if not path.exists(config_full_path):
+        Path(config_dir).mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+        wget.download(default_dotfiles + config_file, config_full_path)
+
+    with open(config_full_path, 'r') as yaml_file:
+        return yaml.safe_load(yaml_file)
+
+
+USR_CONFIG_FILE = load_cfg()
diff --git a/onboardme/env_config.py b/onboardme/env_config.py
index 211cf951..079734fe 100755
--- a/onboardme/env_config.py
+++ b/onboardme/env_config.py
@@ -4,42 +4,13 @@
 
 import logging as log
 
-# for system data, environment data, and checking/joining paths
-from os import path
-from pathlib import Path
-
 # rich helps pretty print everything
 from rich.prompt import Confirm
-import yaml
 
 # custom libs
-from .constants import OS, ONBOARDME_CONFIG_DIR
+from .constants import OS, USR_CONFIG_FILE
 from .console_logging import print_panel
 
-import wget
-
-
-default_dotfiles = ("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jessebot/dot_files/"
-                    "main/.config/onboardme/")
-
-
-def load_cfg(config_file: str) -> dict:
-    """
-    load yaml config files for onboardme
-    """
-    config_full_path = path.join(ONBOARDME_CONFIG_DIR, config_file)
-
-    # defaults
-    if not path.exists(config_full_path):
-        Path(ONBOARDME_CONFIG_DIR).mkdir(exist_ok=True)
-        wget.download(default_dotfiles + config_file, config_full_path)
-
-    with open(config_full_path, 'r') as yaml_file:
-        return yaml.safe_load(yaml_file)
-
-
-USR_CONFIG_FILE = load_cfg("config.yml")
-
 
 def check_os_support():
     """