diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index ca7bec9..69998e5 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ ARG BASE_IMAGE
 ARG KEEP
 ARG SYSADMIN_PW
 ARG LINUX_DISTRO=alpine
-ARG SCRIPTS=/build 
-WORKDIR $SCRIPTS
+ARG BUILD_DIR=/build 
+WORKDIR $BUILD_DIR
 COPY .src ./
 
 RUN echo -e "\n ************************************************* \n"\
@@ -25,4 +25,4 @@ RUN echo -e "\n ************************************************* \n" \
 VOLUME [ "/data", "/opt", "/shell" ]
 WORKDIR /opt
 # ENTRYPOINT ["entrypoint.sh"]
-CMD ["/bin/bash"]
+CMD ["/bin/bash", "-l"]
diff --git a/build b/build
index 0c65ede..7d13007 100755
--- a/build
+++ b/build
@@ -8,14 +8,16 @@ declare OPTION; declare OPTARG; declare OPTIND
 
 SDIR=$(pwd)
 BDIR=$(dirname "$(realpath "$BASH_SOURCE")")
+export SDIR
+export BDIR
 pushd $BDIR > /dev/null
 
 source $BDIR/lib/load.sh
 
 case "$1" in
-  try)
+  image_name)
   shift 1
-  try_container "$@"
+  image_name "$@"
   return $?
   ;;
   tag)
@@ -23,6 +25,11 @@ case "$1" in
   image_tag "$@"
   return $?
   ;;
+  push)
+  shift 1
+  image_push "$@"
+  return $?
+  ;;
   info)
   shift 1
   [[ $1 == "arch" ]] && { shift 1; image_arch "$@"; return $?; }
@@ -39,12 +46,27 @@ exit_abnormal() {                         # Function: Exit with error.
 
 scripts_dir=$SDIR/src
 [[ -z "$PS1" ]] || no_prompt=true
+overwrite=true
+target=dev
 
-while getopts ':b:d:t:ncr:u:pxhs:w:akvoi' OPTION; do
+while getopts 'g:e:b:d:t:ncr:u:pxhs:w:akvoi' OPTION; do
   # echo processing: option:$OPTION argument:$OPTARG index:$OPTIND remaining:${@:$OPTIND}
   case "$OPTION" in
+  e)
+    if [[ -f $SDIR/$OPTARG ]]; then
+      source $OPTARG
+      [[ ! $? -eq 0 ]] && echo source of $OPTARG filed, exiting && return 2
+     else
+      echo no environment file at $OPTARG, exiting
+     return 2
+    fi
+    echo "----------"
+    echo loaded environment filen $SDIR/$OPTARG
+    cat $SDIR/$OPTARG
+    echo "----------"
+  ;;  
   o)
-    overwrite=true
+    unset overwrite
   ;;
   i)
     BUST_INIT_CACHE=$(date)
@@ -63,7 +85,7 @@ while getopts ':b:d:t:ncr:u:pxhs:w:akvoi' OPTION; do
   ;;
   w)
   # the work directory to put the build scripts in container (default is /opt/build)
-    SCRIPTS=$OPTARG
+    BUILD_DIR=$OPTARG
     ;;
   b)
   # CUSTOM BASE IMAGE
@@ -88,6 +110,9 @@ while getopts ':b:d:t:ncr:u:pxhs:w:akvoi' OPTION; do
     exclude_distro=true
     ;;
   t)
+    target=$OPTARG
+    ;;
+  g)
     TAG=$OPTARG
     ;;
   u)
@@ -130,12 +155,13 @@ if [[ ! -d $scripts_dir ]]; then
   scripts_dir=$BDIR/src   
 fi
 
-target=${1:-dev} 
-LINUX_DISTRO=${LINUX_DISTRO:-alpine}
-name=$2
-RUSER=${3:-$RUSER}
+[[ ! "${targets[@]}" =~ $target ]] && echo $target is not a valid target && echo valid targets are: ${targets[@]} && exit 4
 
-IMAGE_NAME=$([[ $RUSER ]] && echo ${RUSER}/)${name}$([[ (! $exclude_distro) && $name ]] && echo "-")$([[ ! $exclude_distro ]] && echo ${LINUX_DISTRO})
+LINUX_DISTRO=${LINUX_DISTRO:-alpine}
+name=$1
+RUSER=${2:-$RUSER}
+
+IMAGE_NAME=$([[ $RUSER ]] && echo ${RUSER}/)$([[ ! $exclude_distro ]] && echo ${LINUX_DISTRO}-)${name}
 # TODO writing to existing tag untags existing image so write a new tag to that image then continue
 
 # retag existing image and remove former tag
@@ -144,7 +170,7 @@ if [[ $(image_exists $IMAGE_NAME) ]]; then
     image_delete $IMAGE_NAME 
   else 
     newtag=$(date +'%d%H%M%S')
-    echo image exists retaging $(make_tag $IMAGE_NAME) with tag :$newtag  
+    echo image exists retaging $(image_name $IMAGE_NAME) with tag :$newtag  
     image_tag $IMAGE_NAME $IMAGE_NAME:$newtag
     image_tag -r $IMAGE_NAME
   fi 
@@ -166,21 +192,21 @@ export BASE_IMAGE
 export TAG
 export IMAGE_NAME
 export LINUX_DISTRO
-export SCRIPTS
+export BUILD_DIR
 export KEEP
 export SYSADMIN_PW
 export BUST_INIT_CACHE
 
 echo "******************************************"
 echo "Building with base image: $BASE_IMAGE"
-echo "Outputing to image name => $IMAGE_NAME"
+echo "Outputing to image name => $IMAGE_NAME<-arch>:${TAG:-latest}"
 echo "Linux Distro: $LINUX_DISTRO"
 echo "Using build target: $target"
 if [[ $verbose ]]; then
   echo -e "\n---------------------------------"
   docker buildx bake --print $target
   echo -e "\n---------------------------------" 
-  echo "build scripts at $scripts_dir to be copied to ${SCRIPTS:-/opt/build} in container ***** "
+  echo "build scripts at $scripts_dir to be copied to ${BUILD_DIR:-/build} in container ***** "
   ls -la $scripts_dir
   echo -e "\n----- base init script  init.sh ------"
   cat $scripts_dir/init.sh
@@ -193,8 +219,6 @@ if [[ ! $no_prompt ]]; then
   [[ $REPLY != "y" ]] && echo -e "\n" && exit 0
 fi
 
-[[ ! "${targets[@]}" =~ $target ]] && echo $target is not a valid target && echo valid targets are: ${targets[@]} && exit 4
-
 builder=default
 if [ $target == "deploy" ]; then 
     builder=deploy 
diff --git a/build.env b/build.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24b1e97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build.env
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+SYSADMIN_PW=pasword
+LINUX_DISTRO=ubuntu
+TAG=1.0.0
+RUSER=ucommandit
+REPO=git.kebler.net
+# BASE_IMAGE="ucommandit/ubuntu-base"
+# BUILD_DIR="/opt/build"
diff --git a/docker-bake.hcl b/docker-bake.hcl
index d31949d..ba692d8 100644
--- a/docker-bake.hcl
+++ b/docker-bake.hcl
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ variable "TAG" {
 variable "LINUX_DISTRO" {
   default = "alpine"
 }
-variable "SCRIPTS" {
+variable "BUILD_DIR" {
   default = ""
 }
 variable "IMAGE_NAME" {
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ target "amd" {
     LINUX_DISTRO    = "${LINUX_DISTRO}"
     BASE_IMAGE      = "${BASE_IMAGE}"
     TAG             = "${TAG}"
-    SCRIPTS         = "/build/${SCRIPTS}"
+    SCRIPTS         = "${BUILD_DIR}"
     KEEP            = "${KEEP}"
     SYSADMIN_PW     = "${SYSADMIN_PW}"
     BUST_INIT_CACHE = "${BUST_INIT_CACHE}"
diff --git a/lib/src/02-make-tag b/lib/src/02-image-name
similarity index 53%
rename from lib/src/02-make-tag
rename to lib/src/02-image-name
index 3e8a813..8352383 100755
--- a/lib/src/02-make-tag
+++ b/lib/src/02-image-name
@@ -1,25 +1,28 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-make_tag () {
+image_name () {
 
-local tag
+local tag; local efile
 
 # generate a full image name with tag
 # $1 name, $2 user(or repo), $3 repo  
 
-[[ $# -lt 1 ]] && echo "image base name required" && exit 
+# [[ $# -lt 1 ]] && echo "image base name required" && exit 
 
 declare OPTION; declare OPTARG; declare OPTIND
-while getopts 'at:r:u:' OPTION; do
+while getopts 'e:ag:r:u:' OPTION; do
 # echo processing: option:$OPTION argument:$OPTARG index:$OPTIND remaining:${@:$OPTIND}
 case "$OPTION" in
+e)
+  efile=$OPTARG
+  ;;  
 r)  
     REPO=$OPTARG
     ;;
 u)
     RUSER=$OPTARG
 ;;  
-t)
+g)
     TAG=$OPTARG
     ;;    
 a)  # add -arm64 to image
@@ -33,6 +36,21 @@ esac
 done
 
 shift $((OPTIND - 1))
+echo $efile
+if [[ $efile ]]; then
+    [[ ! -f $efile ]] && efile=$SDIR/$efile 
+    if [[ -f $efile ]]; then
+        source $efile
+        [[ ! $? -eq 0 ]] && echo source of $efile failed, exiting && return 2
+        else
+        echo no environment file at $efile, exiting
+        return 2
+        fi
+        echo "----------"
+        echo loaded environment filen $efile
+        cat $efile
+    echo "----------"
+fi
 
 tag=$( echo $1 | cut -s -d ":" -f2)
 tag=${tag:-$TAG}
@@ -40,11 +58,11 @@ name=${1%:*}
 user=${2:-$RUSER}
 repo=${3:-$REPO}  
 
-tag=$([[ $repo ]] && echo ${repo}/)$([[ $user ]] && echo ${user}/)$name$([[ $arm ]] && echo -arm64):${tag:-latest}
+tag=$([[ $repo ]] && echo ${repo}/)$([[ $user ]] && echo ${user}/)$name$([[ $arm ]] && echo -arm64):${TAG:-latest}
 
 echo $tag
 
 }
 
 # if script was executed then call the function
-(return 0 2>/dev/null) || make_tag $@
\ No newline at end of file
+(return 0 2>/dev/null) || image_name $@
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/src/image-info b/lib/src/image-info
index 3d3adc0..9f8792c 100755
--- a/lib/src/image-info
+++ b/lib/src/image-info
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 image_info () {
 [[ $1 == "-k" ]] && key=$2 && shift 2
-tag=$(make_tag "$@")
+tag=$(image_name "$@")
 # TODO try using --format to extract keys
 # https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/commandline/inspect/
 info=$(docker image inspect $tag 2> /dev/null) || info=$(docker image inspect $1 2> /dev/null) || return 1
diff --git a/lib/src/image-push b/lib/src/image-push
index 322c125..5d13026 100755
--- a/lib/src/image-push
+++ b/lib/src/image-push
@@ -2,34 +2,23 @@
 
 image_push () {
 
-local DIR
-DIR=$(cd "$(dirname "$BASH_SOURCE")" >/dev/null 2>&1 ; pwd -P )
-
 #tags an image and pushes it to a <custom private> repository
 # if not reposity is given will use docker.io and push to hub.docker.com
 # $1 name, $2 user(or repo), $3 repo  
 
-[[ $# -lt 1 ]] && echo "image base name required" && exit 
+source=$$image_name
+
 
 declare OPTION; declare OPTARG; declare OPTIND
-while getopts 'aht:r:u:' OPTION; do
+while getopts 'e:aht:r:u:' OPTION; do
 # echo processing: option:$OPTION argument:$OPTARG index:$OPTIND remaining:${@:$OPTIND}
 case "$OPTION" in
-r)  
-    REPO=$OPTARG
-    ;;
-u)
-    RUSER=$OPTARG
-;;  
-t)
-    TAG=$OPTARG
-    ;;    
+e)
+  efile=$OPTARG
+  ;;  
 h)  # pull image from dockerhub if not available
     hub=true
     ;;  
-a)  # arm image
-    arm=arm64
-    ;;      
 *)  echo unknown run option -$OPTARG
     echo "USAGE: start <options>"
     echo "available options: -h pull from hub.docker.com if not available, -a  push arm64 image, -t <latest> custom tag "
@@ -39,11 +28,26 @@ done
 
 shift $((OPTIND - 1))
 
+SDIR=$1
+shift
+[[ $efile ]] && efile = $SDIR/$efile
+if [[ -f $efile ]]; then
+      source $efile
+      [[ ! $? -eq 0 ]] && echo source of $efile failed, exiting && return 2
+     else
+      echo no environment file at $efile, exiting
+     return 2
+    fi
+    echo "----------"
+    echo loaded environment filen $efile
+    cat $efile
+    echo "----------"
 # image tag
 name=$1
 user=${2:-$RUSER}
 repo=${3:-$REPO}  
 
+
 source=$([[ $user ]] && echo ${user}/)$name:${TAG:-latest}
 
 source2=$([[ $arm ]] && echo ${source//:/-arm64:} || echo $source)
diff --git a/lib/src/image-tag b/lib/src/image-tag
index 4b866a7..01f06e0 100755
--- a/lib/src/image-tag
+++ b/lib/src/image-tag
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ local name; local remove; local id
 [[ $# -lt 1 ]] && echo "image base name required" && exit 
 [[ $1 == "-r" ]] && remove=true && shift 1
 [[  $1 == "-i" ]] && { shift 1; id=$1; } || id=$(image_id $1)
-name=$(make_tag "$1")
+name=$(image_name "$1")
 [[ ! $id ]] && { echo "no image with id:$id name:$name"; return 1; }   
 
 if [[ $2 ]];then
-# echo making tag for $2  $(make_tag $2)
-docker tag $id  $(make_tag $2)
+# echo making tag for $2  $(image_name $2)
+docker tag $id  $(image_name $2)
 else
  [[ $remove ]] && docker rmi $name || echo to remove an image tag use -r
 fi
diff --git a/lib/src/usage b/lib/src/usage
index f4971c2..b976cfe 100644
--- a/lib/src/usage
+++ b/lib/src/usage
@@ -1,18 +1,34 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 usage() {                                 # Function: Print a help message.
   echo "Image Build Script: Creates one or more images using a target in the docker-bake.hcl file"
-  echo "USAGE: $0 <setup options> buildtarget <imagename, imageuser>"
-  echo "valid targets: ${targets[*]};  default: dev"
-  echo no argument options:
-  echo "-c try out the image by starting a container terminal therein, for dev target this is the default;"
+  echo "USAGE: $0 <subcommand> <options> <build_target> <imagename, imageuser>"
+  echo "valid build_target: ${targets[*]};  default: dev"
+  echo "### subcommands:"
+  echo "try (runs try a container script, see try usage)  $0 try -i"
+  echo "tag  (runs image_tag script)"
+  echo "info get image info,  info <arch, exists, id>  nothing is all info in json"
+  echo "--- option switches (no argument):"
+  echo "-o do not overwrite an existing image (default), instead move it to a temporary timestamp tag"
+  echo "-i rebuild only the initialization RUN by busting the cache at that point"
+  echo "-v show verbose information about the build"
+  echo "-a (auto) do not prompt to continue build,  by default will not prompt if non-interactive shell"
+  echo "-c after build try out the image by starting a container terminal therein, for dev target this is the default;"
   echo "-x exclude distro from image name;"
   echo "-n for --no_cache"
-  echo "-p push to repository; after build push to repository default is hub.docker.common (not need for deploy target)"
-  echo required argument options:
+  echo "-k keep the build scripts (see -w) after the build so they are incorporated into the image"
+  echo "-p push to repository; after build push to repository default is hub.docker.com (not need for deploy target)"
+  echo "--- options with argument <ARGUMENT>:"
+  echo "-e <path to environment file> load any or all of options below via a file"
   echo "-d <LINUX_DISTRO> supported: alpine, debian, ubuntu, default: alpine; if base image set distro will be determined"
   echo "-t <TAG> tag following : in output image name (i.e.  REPO/USER/NAME:TAG), default: latest"
   echo "-u <USER>;  repository user prefix in output image name (i.e.  REPO/USER/NAME:TAG)"
   echo "-r <REPO>;  private repo name, do not use for hub.docker.com (docker.io)"
   echo "-b <BASE_IMAGE>;  used in FROM in Dockerfile, default is official distro image (e.g. alpine:latest)"
-  echo "-w <SCRIPTS>;  set a custom WORKDIR in Dockerfile, default is /opt/build"
+  echo "-w <BUILD_DIR>;  set a custom WORKDIR in Dockerfile (in image), default is /build, see -k"
+  echo "--- options set ONLY by environment variable (see -e as well)"
+  echo "<SYSADMIN_PW> set alternate password for container sysadmin account, default is 'sysadmin'"
+  echo "NOTE any option with <CAPTIALIZED> above can be set in environment instead"
+  echo "#### examples:"
+  echo "$0 -a -d ubuntu -u ucommandit"
+  echo "build (without prompt) a local ubuntu image from scratch and label it ucommandit/ubuntu:latest"
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/init.sh b/src/init.sh
index 5ecf39e..3896c39 100644
--- a/src/init.sh
+++ b/src/init.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh
- echo "entry init.sh script in $SCRIPTS"
+ echo "entry init.sh script in $BUILD_DIR"
  # remove other distro files
 #  find $PWD -maxdepth 1 -type d  ! -path $PWD ! -name ${LINUX_DISTRO} ! -name common -exec rm -rf {} +
  cd ${LINUX_DISTRO} || exit 1
@@ -21,6 +21,6 @@
  cd ..
 
  if [ -z $KEEP ]; then
-    echo removing $SCRIPTS directory used for build
-    cd /opt && rm -rf $SCRIPTS
+    echo removing $BUILD_DIR directory used for build
+    cd /opt && rm -rf $BUILD_DIR
  fi
\ No newline at end of file