diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 69c936c..054a8bb 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 /archive/
-/images/
 /build.log
+_opt/
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 544bc7f..fc95c2b 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,15 +1,20 @@
 ARG BASE_IMAGE
 FROM $BASE_IMAGE
+ARG BASE_IMAGE
+ARG KEEP
 ARG LINUX_DISTRO=alpine
-WORKDIR /opt/$LINUX_DISTRO
-COPY ./distros/$LINUX_DISTRO ./distros/common ./
+ARG SCRIPTS=/build 
+WORKDIR $SCRIPTS
+COPY .src ./
 
-RUN echo "****** Building UCI Image ffrom Base $BASE_IMAGE; Distro: $LINUX_DISTRO *****"; \
-    chmod -R +x /opt/$LINUX_DISTRO; ls -la; pwd; \
-    echo " **** Running ${LINUX_DISTRO} specific init script ***** "; cat init.sh; ./init.sh; \
-    echo " ***** Running common initialzation script *****"; cat common.sh; ./common.sh \
-    echo " ********************************************************" 
+RUN echo -e "\n ************************************************* \n"\
+    echo "****** Building Image from Base: $BASE_IMAGE; : Distro: $LINUX_DISTRO; *****"; \
+    chmod -R +x .; \ 
+    pwd; ls -la; \
+    echo " ---- running init script ---"; ./init.sh; \
+    echo -e "\n********************************************************" 
 
+VOLUME [ "/data", "/opt", "/shell" ]
+WORKDIR /opt
 # ENTRYPOINT ["entrypoint.sh"]
 CMD ["/bin/bash"]
-
diff --git a/build b/build
index 95e7635..9fddc33 100755
--- a/build
+++ b/build
@@ -2,6 +2,15 @@
 declare targets=(dev arm amd deploy private multi)
 declare OPTION; declare OPTARG; declare OPTIND
 
+SDIR=$(pwd)
+BDIR=$(dirname "$(realpath "$0")")
+pushd $BDIR > /dev/null
+
+if [ $1 == "try" ]; then
+ ./try $2 $SDIR
+ exit
+fi
+
 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>"
@@ -12,10 +21,12 @@ usage() {                                 # Function: Print a help message.
   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 "-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"
 }
 
 exit_abnormal() {                         # Function: Exit with error.
@@ -23,16 +34,41 @@ exit_abnormal() {                         # Function: Exit with error.
   exit ${1:-1}
 }
 
+source $BDIR/helpers.lib
 
-while getopts ':b:d:t:ncr:u:pxh' OPTION; do
+scripts_dir=$SDIR/src
+
+while getopts ':b:d:t:ncr:u:pxhs:w:ak' OPTION; do
   # echo processing: option:$OPTION argument:$OPTARG index:$OPTIND remaining:${@:$OPTIND}
   case "$OPTION" in
+  a)
+  # automated - script is to be run without prompt (non-interactive)
+    no_prompt=true
+  ;;
+  k)
+  # keep the build scripts in the image, by default they are removed
+    KEEP=true
+  ;;
+  w)
+  # the work directory to put the build scripts in container (default is /opt/build)
+    SCRIPTS=$OPTARG
+    ;;
   b)
   # CUSTOM BASE IMAGE
     BASE_IMAGE=$OPTARG
     ;;
+  s)
+    # scripts subdirectory from which to bind to scripts/, default is src/
+    if isAbsPath $OPTARG; then
+      scripts_dir=$OPTARG
+     elif [ "$OPTARG" == "_base_" ]; then
+       scripts_dir=$BDIR/src
+      else
+       scripts_dir=$SDIR/$OPTARG
+      fi 
+    ;;    
   d)
-  #   LINUX_DISTRO=$OPTARG
+    # LINUX_DISTRO=$OPTARG
     LINUX_DISTRO=$OPTARG
     ;;
   x)
@@ -69,15 +105,18 @@ done
 
 shift $((OPTIND - 1))
 
+
+
 target=${1:-dev} 
 LINUX_DISTRO=${LINUX_DISTRO:-alpine}
 name=$2
 RUSER=${3:-$RUSER}
 
+
 IMAGE_NAME=$([[ $RUSER ]] && echo ${RUSER}/)${name}$([[ (! $exclude_distro) && $name ]] && echo "-")$([[ ! $exclude_distro ]] && echo ${LINUX_DISTRO})
 if [[ $BASE_IMAGE ]]; then
 echo determining DISTRO of base image: $BASE_IMAGE
- LINUX_DISTRO=$(./image-distro $BASE_IMAGE)
+LINUX_DISTRO=$(get_distro -d $BASE_IMAGE)
  [[ ! $LINUX_DISTRO ]] && echo "unable to get base image OS for: $BASE_IMAGE, aborting build" && exit 1
  else 
  BASE_IMAGE=$LINUX_DISTRO
@@ -90,14 +129,25 @@ export BASE_IMAGE
 export TAG
 export IMAGE_NAME
 export LINUX_DISTRO
+export SCRIPTS
+export KEEP
 
-echo "building with base image: $BASE_IMAGE, output image name => $IMAGE_NAME"
+echo " ******************************************"
+echo "Building with base image: $BASE_IMAGE, output image name => $IMAGE_NAME"
 echo "Linux Distro: $LINUX_DISTRO"
-echo "***** using build target: $target  ****"
+echo "Using build target: $target"
 docker buildx bake --print $target
-echo "******************"
-read  -n 1 -p "do you want to continue [y]=>" REPLY
-[[ $REPLY != "y" ]] && echo -e "\n" && exit 0
+echo -e "\n---------------------------------"
+echo "build scripts at $scripts_dir to be copied to ${SCRIPTS:-/opt/build} in container ***** "
+ls -la $scripts_dir
+echo -e "\n----- base init script  init.sh ------"
+cat $scripts_dir/init.sh
+echo -e "\n---------------------------------"
+echo -e "\n***************************************"
+if [[ ! $no_prompt ]]; then
+  read  -n 1 -p "do you want to continue [y]=>" REPLY
+  [[ $REPLY != "y" ]] && echo -e "\n" && exit 0
+fi
 
 [[ ! "${targets[@]}" =~ $target ]] && echo $target is not a valid target && echo valid targets are: ${targets[@]} && exit 4
 
@@ -113,7 +163,18 @@ fi
 
 [[ $target == "private" && ! $REPO ]] && echo "must use '-r <private repo>' if building to private repo" && exit 3 
 
-docker buildx --builder ${builder} bake ${nocache} ${target} 2>&1 | tee build.log
+# mount  source directory to temporary .src/ subdirectory
+
+fusermount -u .src > /dev/null 2>&1 
+mkdir .src
+bindfs ${scripts_dir:-src} .src
+
+docker buildx --builder ${builder} bake ${nocache} ${target}  2>&1 | tee build.log
+
+fusermount -u .src > /dev/null 2>&1
+rm -rf .src/
+
+[[ $? == 0 ]] && echo succcess building image $IMAGE_NAME || exit_abnormal 1  
 
 if [[ $target == "private" ]]; then 
     ./push -a -r $REPO $IMAGE_NAME
@@ -125,4 +186,7 @@ if [[ $target == "private" ]]; then
     fi
 fi
 
-[[ $try || $target == "dev" ]] && ./try $([[ $target == "deploy" ]] && echo -p)  $name $RUSER
\ No newline at end of file
+[[ ($try || $target == "dev") ]] && ./try $([[ $target == "deploy" ]] && echo -p) $IMAGE_NAME
+
+popd > /dev/null
+#echo reset to calling directory $PWD
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker-bake.hcl b/docker-bake.hcl
index 27ce6f6..a7b6734 100644
--- a/docker-bake.hcl
+++ b/docker-bake.hcl
@@ -5,12 +5,18 @@ variable "TAG" {
 variable "LINUX_DISTRO" {
   default = "alpine"
 }
+variable "SCRIPTS" {
+  default = ""
+}
 variable "IMAGE_NAME" {
   default = "alpine"
 }
 variable "BASE_IMAGE" {
   default = "alpine"
 }
+variable "KEEP" {
+  default = ""
+}
 
 function "tag" {
   params = [suffix]
@@ -42,6 +48,8 @@ target "amd" {
     LINUX_DISTRO = "${LINUX_DISTRO}"
     BASE_IMAGE   = "${BASE_IMAGE}"
     TAG          = "${TAG}"
+    SCRIPTS      = "/build/${SCRIPTS}"
+    KEEP         = "${KEEP}"
   }
   tags      = tag("")
   platforms = ["linux/amd64"]
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index ad72481..c641153 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ By using the -b flag you can set an alternative FROM image.  In this way you can
 
 The repo also supports (with scripts) pushing to alternate private repositories (like self hosted gitea)
 
-starting a new branch is a good way to work on a new image by editing the script files in the distros folder
+starting a new branch is a good way to work on a new image by editing the script files in the src folder