diff --git a/src/sys/ubixfsv2/fsAbstract.h b/src/sys/ubixfsv2/fsAbstract.h
index 66a296b..f553489 100644
--- a/src/sys/ubixfsv2/fsAbstract.h
+++ b/src/sys/ubixfsv2/fsAbstract.h
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   device_t * device;
  public: 
   /* File I/O */
-  virtual int     vfs_open(fileDescriptor *,int flags,...) { return -1; };
+  virtual int     vfs_open(const char *, fileDescriptor *,int,...) { return -1; };
   virtual int     vfs_close(fileDescriptor *) { return -1; };
   virtual size_t  vfs_read(fileDescriptor *, void *, off_t, size_t) 
                   { return 0; };
diff --git a/src/sys/ubixfsv2/ubixfs.cpp b/src/sys/ubixfsv2/ubixfs.cpp
index 2db23e3..a98fea4 100644
--- a/src/sys/ubixfsv2/ubixfs.cpp
+++ b/src/sys/ubixfsv2/ubixfs.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 int 
 UbixFS::vfs_init(void) {
 assert(device);
+  size_t result;
   cout << "vfs_init()" << endl;
   assert(device);
 
@@ -106,7 +107,9 @@
   assert(rootInode);
   rootInode->data.btPtr = new bTree();
 cout << "reading in root dir header" << endl;
-  vfs_read(root, rootInode->data.btPtr->header, 0, sizeof(bTreeHeader));
+  result = vfs_read(root, rootInode->data.btPtr->header, 0, sizeof(bTreeHeader));
+  assert(result == sizeof(bTreeHeader));
+
 /*
   device->read(device,
                rootInode->data.btPtr->header,
@@ -161,7 +164,7 @@
 
 cout << "i == " << i << endl;
     startingBlock = (inode->blocks.direct[i].AG << superBlock->AGShift) + 
-                    inode->blocks.direct[i].start + ((offset - sum) / bSize);
+                     inode->blocks.direct[i].start + ((offset - sum) / bSize);
 
 cout << "inode->blocks.direct[" << i << "]." << inode->blocks.direct[i].len;
 cout << endl;
@@ -185,10 +188,7 @@
     cout << "device->read(device, data, " << startingBlock << ", ";
     cout << sectorCount << ");" << endl; 
 
-    device->read(device,
-                 data,
-                 startingBlock,
-                 sectorCount);
+    device->read(device, data, startingBlock, sectorCount);
 
     (uInt8 *)data += runSize;
     totalSize += runSize;
@@ -424,7 +424,14 @@
   if (inode == NULL) return NULL;
   memset(inode, 0, sizeof(ubixfsInode));
 
-  // inode->magic1 = ;
+  inode->magic1 = UBIXFS_INODE_MAGIC;
+
+  /* 
+   * in retrospect.. I'm not sure why parent would be null.. only the
+   * root directory would have a null parent, but that's manually allocated
+   * in vfs_format()
+   */
+
   if (parent == NULL) {
     inode->inodeNum = getFreeBlock();
     inode->parent.iAddr.AG = 0;
@@ -496,12 +503,13 @@
  
   // fill the drive in with zeroed out sectors
   cout << "dev->sectors: " << dev->sectors << endl;
-  cout << "clearing device" << endl;
+  cout << "clearing device...";
 
   for (unsigned int i = 0; i < dev->sectors; i++) {
     dev->write(dev, &sector, i, 1);
   } // for i
-  cout << "device clear" << endl;
+
+  cout << "done" << endl;
 
   // allocate a new superBlock and clear it
 
@@ -559,37 +567,35 @@
   sb->rootDir.len = 1;
 
   // write out the superBlock
-cout << "writing superBlock" << endl;
-  dev->write(dev, sb, dev->sectors-1, 1);
 
-cout << "batSector: " << batSect << endl;
-cout << "batSize: " << batSize << endl; 
+  dev->write(dev, sb, dev->sectors-1, 1);
 
   // mark the first two 4k blocks used
   memset(&sector, 0, sizeof(sector));
   sector[0] = (1 << 7) | (1 << 6);
-cout << endl;
+
   // write out the first sector of the BAT 
-cout << "Writing BAT - 1 - " << endl;
+
   dev->write(dev, &sector, batSect, 1);
   // clear the rest
   sector[0] = 0;
-  memset(&sector, 0, sizeof(sector));
+
   // write out the rest of the BAT
-cout << "Writing BAT - 2 - " << endl;
+
   for (unsigned int i = 1; i < batSize; i++) {
     dev->write(dev, &sector, (batSect)+i, 1);
   } // for i
-cout << "Finished writing BAT" << endl;
+
   /* allocate part of the root dir */
 
   // sanity checks
   assert(sb->blockSize);
   assert((unsigned)sb->blockSize >= sizeof(bTreeHeader));
-cout << "allocating bTree header" << endl;
+
   bTreeHeader * bth = new bTreeHeader;
   assert(bth);
   memset(bth, 0, sizeof(bTreeHeader));
+
   bth->firstDeleted = -1;
   bth->firstNodeOffset = -1;
   bth->treeDepth = 1;
@@ -597,27 +603,31 @@
   bth->treeLeafCount = 0;
 
   /* create the root dir inode here */
-cout << "creating root inode" << endl;
+
   ubixfsInode * inode = new ubixfsInode;
   assert(inode);
-  if (inode == NULL) return NULL;
+  if (inode == NULL) return -1;
   memset(inode, 0, sizeof(ubixfsInode));
 
   inode->magic1 = UBIXFS_INODE_MAGIC;
+
+  // inodes point to themselves
   inode->inodeNum.AG = 0;
   inode->inodeNum.start = 0;
   inode->inodeNum.len = 1;
 
+  // root dir has no parent directory
   inode->parent.iAddr.AG = 0;
   inode->parent.iAddr.start = 0;
   inode->parent.iAddr.len = 0;
 
+  /* this is part of the root dir structure (the bTreeHeader) */
   inode->blocks.direct[0].AG = 0;
   inode->blocks.direct[0].start = 1;
   inode->blocks.direct[0].len = 1;
    
-  inode->blocks.maxDirectRange = 4096;
-  inode->blocks.size = 4096;
+  inode->blocks.maxDirectRange = sizeof(bTreeHeader);
+  inode->blocks.size = sizeof(bTreeHeader);
 
   strcpy(inode->name, "/");
   inode->uid = getuid();
@@ -655,8 +665,9 @@
               inode->blocks.direct[0].start) * (sb->blockSize / 512),
              sb->blockSize / 512
             ); // dev->write
+
   delete inode;
-  free(bth);
+  delete bth;
   delete sb;
   cout << "format complete" << endl;
   return 0;