diff --git a/.bash-shell-include b/.bash-shell-include
index 848b7c6..37fbb1a 100644
--- a/.bash-shell-include
+++ b/.bash-shell-include
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-functions 
-function
 alias
 env
-lang
-app
-tools
+functions
diff --git a/env/01-system-path b/env/01-system-path
deleted file mode 100644
index c3f73d9..0000000
--- a/env/01-system-path
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# if sudo user then give access to these paths
- if [[ $(groups | grep sudo ) ]]; then
-  export PATH=$PATH:/sbin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/sbin
-  fi
-
-# prepend these take prescendence over stuff  ones in /usr and /bin
-# requires system-path module loaded
-path_prepend /opt/bin
-path_prepend "$HOME/bin"
-path_prepend "$HOME/.local/bin"
diff --git a/functions/02-system-path b/functions/02-system-path
index de7f419..6066746 100644
--- a/functions/02-system-path
+++ b/functions/02-system-path
@@ -1 +1,13 @@
-module_load system-path
\ No newline at end of file
+#!/bin/bash
+module_load system-path
+
+# if sudo user then give access to these paths
+ if [[ $(groups | grep sudo ) ]]; then
+  export PATH=$PATH:/sbin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/sbin
+  fi
+
+# prepend these take prescendence over stuff  ones in /usr and /bin
+# requires system-path module loaded
+path_prepend /opt/bin
+path_prepend "$HOME/bin"
+path_prepend "$HOME/.local/bin"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/install/files/user/.bashrc b/install/files/user/.bashrc
index 9d3a202..b520c93 100644
--- a/install/files/user/.bashrc
+++ b/install/files/user/.bashrc
@@ -8,15 +8,29 @@
 #  env | grep BASH
 #  echo ---------------------
 
+# should always be true but check anyway
 if ( [[ $SHELL_INTERACTIVE ]] );then
     if ( [[ $BASH_SHELL_BASE_LOADED = true ]] ) ; then
-        # echo loading user $USER shell at BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR
-        [[ -d $HOME/BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR ]] && shell_process_directory "BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR" ||\
-         echo no user shell directory at $BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR to process, create one or clone a template
+     if [[ $BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR ]]; then 
+        # echo loading user $USER shell at $BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR
+        if [[ -d $BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR ]]; then
+            shell_process_directory "$BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR"
+           else
+            echo no user shell directory at $BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR to process
+            echo creating one now
+            declare dir
+            for dir in $(cat $BASH_SHELL_BASE/.bash-shell-include); do
+              mkdir -p $BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR/$dir
+            done
+          fi
+      else 
+        echo WARNING! user environment variable BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR was not set in $BASH_SHELL_BASE/shell.env
+        echo user uci shell will not load
+      fi
     fi
   # uncomment to add non-interactive setup/sourcing  
   # else  
   # echo non-login and non-interactive
 fi
 
-# anything below will be sourced by all shell types (except non-interactive/login)
+# anything below will be sourced whether or not UCI shell was invoked
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/install/scripts/copy-etc.sh b/install/scripts/copy-etc.sh
index f3bc11b..7825158 100755
--- a/install/scripts/copy-etc.sh
+++ b/install/scripts/copy-etc.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 uci_bash_shell_etc_copy () { 
+install_dir=${install_dir:-"$(dirname $(dirname $(realpath "${BASH_SOURCE:-$0}")))"}
 echo -e "************ copying uci shell profile and bash.bashrc files to  /etc ********"
 files=$(find $BASH_SHELL_BASE/install/files/etc/ -maxdepth 1 -type f)
 for file in $files; do install -m 644 -o root -g root $file  /etc; done
diff --git a/install/scripts/copy-root.sh b/install/scripts/copy-root.sh
index 0845730..ea02cb4 100755
--- a/install/scripts/copy-root.sh
+++ b/install/scripts/copy-root.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 uci_bash_shell_root_copy () {
+install_dir=${install_dir:-"$(dirname $(dirname $(realpath "${BASH_SOURCE:-$0}")))"}
 echo -e "************ copying uci shell .profile and .bashrc files to /root ********"
 group=root
 files=$(find $install_dir/files/root -type f)
diff --git a/install/scripts/copy-user.sh b/install/scripts/copy-user.sh
index 6963b95..e150976 100644
--- a/install/scripts/copy-user.sh
+++ b/install/scripts/copy-user.sh
@@ -1,15 +1,22 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-
 uci_bash_shell_user_create () { 
-local user; local user_home; local dir  
+local user; local user_home; local subdir; local dir  
+install_dir=${install_dir:-"$(dirname $(dirname $(realpath "${BASH_SOURCE:-$0}")))"}
+[[ $1 == "-d" ]] && { shift; subdir=test; shift; } || subdir=shell
 user=${1:-$USER}
-dir=${2:-shell}
-[[ $(id -u $1 2> /dev/null) -eq 0 ]] && echo user is root use root user copy script, exiting && return 1
+echo $subdir $user $USER
+
+[[ $(id -u $user 2> /dev/null) -eq 0 ]]
+[[ $(id -u $user 2> /dev/null) -eq 0 ]] && echo user is root use root user copy script, exiting && return 1
 [[ ! $(id -u $user) -ge 1000 ]] && echo "no user $user or user not a regular" && return 2
-[[! $(getent passwd | grep $user | grep /bin/bash) ]] && echo user $user is not using bash shell, exiting && return 3
+[[ ! $(getent passwd | grep $user | grep /bin/bash) ]] && echo user $user is not using bash shell, exiting && return 3
+[[ ! $user == $USER ]] && [[ ! $(id -u $USER 2> /dev/null) -eq 0 ]] && echo user $user is not current user $USER must run with sudo && return 4
 
 user_home=$( getent passwd $user | cut -d: -f6 )
-[[ ! $user_home ]] && echo no user home directory in which to install shell files, exiting && return 4
+[[ ! $user_home ]] && echo no user home directory for $user in which to install shell files, exiting && return 4
+
+
+echo $subdir $user $USER $user_home $dir 
 
 echo -e "***********  copying UCI BASH Shell .profile and bash_profile and .bashrc for user: $user *******"
 files=$(find $install_dir/files/user -type f)
@@ -17,14 +24,23 @@ for file in $files; do
 install -C -m 660 -o $user -g ${2:-$user} $file $user_home
 done
 
-sed -i '/[[ $BASH_SHELL_BASE_LOADED = true ]]/ i\ BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR='$dir'' $user_home/.bashrc
+# sed -i 's/BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR=/export "$user_home\/$dir/' $user_home/.bashrc
+
+if [[ ! subdir == "shell" ]]; then
+   echo "export BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR=$user_home/$subdir" >> $user_home/.ucishell
+#   var="export BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR="
+#   using $dir
+#   sed -i "s:${var}*.:${var}${dir}:" $user_home/.bashrc
+fi
 
-dir=$user_home/$dir
 echo -e "***********  create UCI BASH Shell directories for user in $dir *******"
-mkdir -p $dir/env $dir/functions $dir/modules $dir/ssh/config $dir/ssh/mounts $dir/startup
-chown -R $user:${2:-$user} $dir
+sdir=$user_home/$subdir
+subdirs="alias env ssh/config ssh/mounts /startup"
+for dir in $BASH_SHELL_BASE/.bash-shell-include; do
+ echo mkdir -p $sdir/$dir
+done
 }
-
+echo chown -R $user:$user $sdir
 
 # # if script was executed then call the function
 (return 0 2>/dev/null) || uci_bash_shell_user_create "$@"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/modules/shell-process-directory.mod b/modules/shell-process-directory.mod
index e2d44fc..d05473f 100644
--- a/modules/shell-process-directory.mod
+++ b/modules/shell-process-directory.mod
@@ -63,27 +63,7 @@ function shell_process_directory () {
         source "$DIR/load.sh"
        else
           shell_source_subdirs $DIR
-          # # default processing
-          # local SUBDIRS
-          # local IGNORE_FILE
-          # SUBDIRS=$([[ -f "$DIR/.bash-shell-include" ]] && cat "$DIR/.bash-shell-include" || cat "$BASH_SHELL_BASE/.bash-shell-include")
-          # [[ $SSH_SESSION ]] && SUBDIRS+=" ssh/session"
-          # IGNORE_FILE="$([[ -f "$DIR/.bash-shell-ignore" ]] && echo "$DIR" || echo "$BASH_SHELL_BASE")/.bash-shell-ignore"
-          # # echo $DIR
-          # # echo $SUBDIRS
-          # for SUBDIR in $SUBDIRS;  do
-          #   if [ -e  "$DIR/$SUBDIR" ]; then
-          #     # echo processing subdirectory $DIR/$SUBDIR
-          #     # must quote all globs to avoid bash glob expansion which is likely on
-          #     # TODO have default set of ignores plus check for shell-ignore
-          #     # source_dir -p "archive" -x '"*.off" "*.md"  "*TODO*" "LICENSE" "*.sample"'   -d 0 $DIR/$SUBDIR
-          #     # source_dir -p "archive" -x "$excludes" -d 0 $DIR/$SUBDIR
-          #     source_dir -f "$IGNORE_FILE" -d 0 $DIR/$SUBDIR
-          #    #  else
-          #       # echo no subdirectory $DIR/$SUBDIR to process, ignorning
-          #   fi
-          # done
-        fi
+      fi
         # echo "done sourcing directory $DIR"
      # else
         # echo $DIR does not exist nothing to source
diff --git a/shell.env b/shell.env
index e59eaf9..fe83644 100755
--- a/shell.env
+++ b/shell.env
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 # !/bin/bash
+
 # UCI SHELL REPOS ENVIRONMENT
 # see README.md for details of how the system work
 # In a nutshell its a set of directories that are sourced when creating a shell
@@ -100,11 +101,6 @@ BASH_SHELL_HOST=$parent/$(hostname)
 BASH_SHELL_DEV=${BASH_SHELL_DEV:-/opt/shell}
 [[ -d $BASH_SHELL_DEV ]] && export BASH_SHELL_DEV
 
-# by default USER shell sources will be looked for under $HOME/shell
-export BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR=$HOME/shell
-
-
-
 # #################### NETWORKING #########################
 
 # set up default location to look for other network shell directories
@@ -112,12 +108,16 @@ BASH_NETWORKS_DIR=$parent/networks
 # BASH_NETWORKS_DIR=<some directory>  # alt directory to look for networks
 export BASH_NETWORKS_DIR
 
-# set one or the other of these in custom shell.env under HOST/USER/DEV directories
+# NOTE: one can set one or the other of these in custom shell.env under HOST/USER/DEV repo directories
 # if you want to load networks with every shell
 # export BASH_SHELL_HOME_NETWORK_LOAD=true
 # export BASH_SHELL_NETWORKS_LOAD=true
 # export BASH_SHELL_NETWORK=<some directory>
 
+# source any custom environment or early overrides for current user, in particular BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR
+[[ -f $HOME/.ucishell ]] && source $HOME/.ucishell > /dev/null
+# by default USER shell sources will be looked for under $HOME/shell
+export BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR=${BASH_SHELL_USER_DIR:-$HOME/shell}
 
 # now load and export bootstrap module loading functions library so it is always available
 set -a;source $BASH_SHELL_BASE/module.lib;set +a