diff --git a/ides.nix b/ides.nix
index f782615..084910a 100644
--- a/ides.nix
+++ b/ides.nix
@@ -252,8 +252,6 @@
         in
         # transform into attrs that mkWorks expects to receive
         {
-          inherit name bin;
-          args = finalArgs;
           inherit
             bin
             sdArgs
@@ -268,56 +266,148 @@
         let
           # create commands to run and clean up services
           mkWorks =
+            name:
             {
-              name,
               unitName,
               bin,
-              args,
               cfgArgs,
               sdArgs,
             }:
             {
-              runner = ''
+              runner = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "run" ''
                 echo "[ides]: Starting ${name}.."
                 systemd-run --user -G -u ${unitName} ${sdArgs} ${bin} ${cfgArgs}
               '';
-              cleaner = ''
+              cleaner = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "clean" ''
                 echo "[ides]: Stopping ${name}.."
                 systemctl --user stop ${unitName}
               '';
             };
 
-          works =
-            let
-              inherit (pkgs.lib) foldlAttrs;
-            in
-            foldlAttrs
-              (
-                acc: _: svc:
-                let
-                  pair = mkWorks svc;
-                in
-                {
-                  runners = acc.runners + pair.runner;
-                  cleaners = acc.cleaners + pair.cleaner;
-                }
-              )
-              {
-                runners = "";
-                cleaners = "";
-              }
-              config._buildIdes.finalServices;
+          works = pkgs.lib.mapAttrs (
+            name: serviceConf: mkWorks name serviceConf
+          ) config._buildIdes.finalServices;
 
+          # create the ides cli
           inherit (pkgs) writeShellScriptBin;
-          runners = writeShellScriptBin "ides" works.runners;
-          cleaners = writeShellScriptBin "et-tu" (
-            works.cleaners
-            + ''
-              systemctl --user reset-failed
-            ''
-          );
-          restart = writeShellScriptBin "restart" "et-tu; ides";
+          inherit (pkgs.lib) foldlAttrs;
+          cli =
+            let
+              runAll = foldlAttrs (
+                acc: name: works:
+                acc + "${works.runner}/bin/run\n"
+              ) "" works;
+              runFns = foldlAttrs (
+                acc: name: works:
+                acc
+                + ''
+                  function run-${name}() {
+                    ${works.runner}/bin/run
+                  }
+                ''
+              ) "" works;
+              cleanAll = foldlAttrs (
+                acc: name: works:
+                acc + "${works.cleaner}/bin/clean\n"
+              ) "" works;
+              cleanFns = foldlAttrs (
+                acc: name: works:
+                acc
+                + ''
+                  function clean-${name}() {
+                    ${works.cleaner}/bin/clean
+                  }
+                ''
+              ) "" works;
+              names = foldlAttrs (
+                acc: name: _:
+                acc + "${name}\n"
+              ) "" works;
+            in
+            writeShellScriptBin "ides" (
+              let
+                help = ''
+                  [ides]: use "ides [action] [target]" to control services.
+                  actions: 
+                    start             synonyms: run r       
+                    - start a service
 
+                    stop              synonyms: s clean et-tu
+                    - stop a service
+
+                    restart           synonyms: qq
+                    - stop and then restart all services
+
+                    targets
+                    - print a list of available targets
+
+                    help
+                    - print this helpful information
+
+                  target names are the same as the attribute used to define a service.
+                  an empty target will execute the action on all available services.
+
+                  current targets:
+                '';
+              in
+              ''
+                function print-help() {
+                  printf '${help}'
+                  list-targets
+                }
+
+                function list-targets() {
+                  printf '${names}\n'
+                }
+
+                ${runFns}
+
+                function run-all() {
+                  ${runAll}
+                }
+
+                ${cleanFns}
+
+                function clean-all() {
+                  ${cleanAll}
+                }
+
+                function action() {
+                  action=$1
+                  if [ $# -gt 1 ]; then
+                    shift
+                    for service in "$@"; do
+                      $action-$service
+                    done
+                  else
+                    $action-all
+                  fi
+                }
+
+                case $1 in 
+                  start|run|r)
+                    shift
+                    action run $@
+                  ;;
+                  clean|stop|et-tu|s)
+                    shift
+                    action clean $@
+                  ;;
+                  restart|qq)
+                    clean-all
+                    run-all
+                  ;;
+                  targets)
+                    list-targets
+                  ;;
+                  -h|h|help|*)
+                    print-help
+                  ;;
+                esac
+              ''
+            );
+
+          # create the ides shell
           final =
             let
               inherit (config._buildIdes) shellArgs;
@@ -325,9 +415,7 @@
             shellArgs
             // {
               nativeBuildInputs = (shellArgs.nativeBuildInputs or [ ]) ++ [
-                runners
-                cleaners
-                restart
+                cli
               ];
               shellHook =
                 let