diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6d76a2c..2544c5c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -10,27 +10,35 @@ ifndef project_root
 
 else 
 
-#download_patches:
-#	${make_dir}/download_patches.sh
 
+# these need run in the following order:
 
-#verify_patches:
-#	${make_dir}/verify_patches.sh
-
-# create the directory structures necessary to run the make
 dirs:
 	${dir_make}/dirs.sh
 
-# installs the latest version of rex
+# installs the latest version of rex from master branch
+# will later be tied to a release tag
 install_rex:
 	${dir_make}/install_rex.sh
 
+# installs the versions designed for this run
 download_sources:
 	${dir_make}/download_sources.sh
 
+# ""
+download_patches:
+	${dir_make}/download_patches.sh
+
+# kicks off rex
 build_stage1:
 	sudo /usr/bin/env -i bash -c ". ./project_config.sh && ${dir_make}/build_stage1.sh"
 
+# example:
+# make dirs
+# make install_rex
+# make download_sources
+# make download_patches
+# make build_stage1
 
 # end dependency loading block
 endif
diff --git a/make.project/download_patches.sh b/make.project/download_patches.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d15d079
--- /dev/null
+++ b/make.project/download_patches.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+function echofail() {
+	echo "FAILED: $1"
+	exit 1
+}
+
+wget \
+	-q \
+	--show-progress \
+	--continue \
+	-R "index.html*" \
+	-r \
+	-np \
+	-nH \
+	--cut-dirs=2 \
+	-P ${dir_patches} \
+	--directory-prefix=${dir_patches} \
+	https://storage.darkhorselinux.org/sources/upstream_patches/ \
+	|| echofail "Downloading patches..."
+
+
+echo "Validating source downloads..."
+pushd ${dir_patches} 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+
+md5sum --quiet -c "md5sums.txt" || echofail "Validation failed.  Redownload."
+err=$?
+popd 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+
+echo "Finished with exit code $err"
diff --git a/rex.project/x86_64/components/welcome.bash b/rex.project/x86_64/components/welcome.bash
index 033f356..a282c0b 100755
--- a/rex.project/x86_64/components/welcome.bash
+++ b/rex.project/x86_64/components/welcome.bash
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ HORSE=$(cat <<'EOH'
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣿⠇⠀⠀⠀⡾⠁⠀⠀⣠⡿⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⢿⣦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⣿⠀⠀⠀⡸⠃⠀⢀⣴⠟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⣷⣶⣶⣦⣤⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢰⣿⠇⠀⠀⠀⠃⢀⣴⠟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⣿⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣤⡀⠀⠀
-⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⣿⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀⣰⡟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⡏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣧⠙⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⡀
+⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⣿⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀⣰⡟⠁⠀⠀⠀     ⠀⠀⠀⣼⡏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣧⠙⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⡀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⡏⠀⠀⢀⡖⢰⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣰⡟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠟⠀⠀⠀⢸⣿⠀⠀⠈⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢿⡇⠀⠀⣼⠁⠼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣴⠟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡴⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⡇⠀⠀⣠⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⠟⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡄⠘⣇⠀⠀⢻⡄⢠⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣤⡴⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣴⠟⠁⠀⠀⠀⢀⣼⠏⠀⣠⣾⣿⣿⡿⣿⡿⠁⠀⠀