diff --git a/.chezmoi.yaml.tmpl b/.chezmoi.yaml.tmpl
index 2ce848f..0bddcf7 100644
--- a/.chezmoi.yaml.tmpl
+++ b/.chezmoi.yaml.tmpl
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ data:
     vpn: {{ and $desktop (promptBool "vpn" false) }}
     seafile: {{ and $desktop (promptBool "seafile" false) }}
     activitywatch: {{ and $desktop (promptBool "activitywatch" false) }}
-    conky_alias: {{ if $desktop -}}{{ (promptString "conky" "none") }}{{ else }}none{{ end }}
-    rofi_alias: {{ if $desktop -}}{{ (promptString "rofi-alias" "none") }}{{ else }}none{{ end }}
+    desktop_alias: {{ if $desktop -}}{{ (promptString "alias" "none") }}{{ else }}none{{ end }}
   development:
 
     {{- /* emacs implies that most development options are true */}}
diff --git a/.chezmoiexternal.yaml b/.chezmoiexternal.yaml
index 6fc2235..476bc71 100644
--- a/.chezmoiexternal.yaml
+++ b/.chezmoiexternal.yaml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   type: git-repo
   url: https://lambdahub.yavin4.ch/ndwarshuis/xman.git
 {{- end }}
-{{- if ne .features.conky_alias "none" }}
+{{- if ne .features.desktop_alias "none" }}
 .config/conky:
   type: git-repo
   url: https://lambdahub.yavin4.ch/ndwarshuis/conky-config.git
diff --git a/.chezmoiignore b/.chezmoiignore
index 8e0816b..b013b6b 100644
--- a/.chezmoiignore
+++ b/.chezmoiignore
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 
 .symlinks
 
-{{ if eq .features.conky_alias "none" -}}
+{{ if eq .features.desktop_alias "none" -}}
 .config/conky.yml
 .config/systemd/user/conky_pacman.service
 .config/systemd/user/conky_pacman.timer
diff --git a/dot_bin/executable_brave b/.files/brave-bins/default
similarity index 100%
rename from dot_bin/executable_brave
rename to .files/brave-bins/default
diff --git a/.files/brave-bins/work-laptop b/.files/brave-bins/work-laptop
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..94e1162
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.files/brave-bins/work-laptop
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#! /bin/bash
+
+# call the brave browser with some nice flags
+
+# NOTE, the vulkan ICD is specified to force the intel GPU rather than the
+# Nvidida gpu (which otherwise would be chosen by default and cause it to
+# be woken up every time I do anything with video/graphics/cameras/etc)
+# NOTE use-angle=vulkan is extremely important (for some reason)
+# NOTE obviously this entails vulkan being installed with the indel drive
+VK_ICD_FILENAMES=/usr/share/vulkan/icd.d/intel_icd.x86_64.json \
+	/usr/bin/brave \
+	--process-per-site \
+	--disk-cache-dir="/tmp/brave-cache" \
+	--use-angle=vulkan \
+	--enable-gpu-compositing \
+	--enable-gpu-rasterization \
+	--enable-oop-rasterization \
+	--enable-features=VaapiVideoEncoder,WebUIDarkMode \
+	--ignore-gpu-blocklist \
+	--enable-zero-copy \
+	--enable-raw-draw \
+	--use-vulkan \
+	--force-dark-mode \
+	"$@"
diff --git a/dot_bin/executable_bootstrap_build.tmpl b/dot_bin/executable_bootstrap_build.tmpl
index d803d48..a750616 100644
--- a/dot_bin/executable_bootstrap_build.tmpl
+++ b/dot_bin/executable_bootstrap_build.tmpl
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ run_stack_in_dir ~/.config/xmonad
 
 run_stack_in_dir ~/.config/xman
 
-{{ if ne .features.conky_alias "none" -}}
+{{ if ne .features.desktop_alias "none" -}}
 ## ASSUME luarocks is installed
 ~/.config/conky/install_rocks
 {{- end }}
diff --git a/dot_bin/executable_bootstrap_make_pkgs.tmpl b/dot_bin/executable_bootstrap_make_pkgs.tmpl
index 22d8c85..f6ea941 100644
--- a/dot_bin/executable_bootstrap_make_pkgs.tmpl
+++ b/dot_bin/executable_bootstrap_make_pkgs.tmpl
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ pkgs+="\n"
 pkgs+=$(cat "$conf_dir/xman/make_pkgs")
 pkgs+="\n"
 
-{{- if ne .features.conky_alias "none" }}
+{{- if ne .features.desktop_alias "none" }}
 pkgs+=$(cat "$conf_dir/conky/make_pkgs")
 pkgs+="\n"
 {{- end }}
diff --git a/dot_bin/executable_brave.tmpl b/dot_bin/executable_brave.tmpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1725145
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dot_bin/executable_brave.tmpl
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{{- if eq .features.desktop_alias "work-laptop" -}}
+{{-   include ".files/brave-bins/work-laptop" -}}
+{{- else -}}
+{{-   include ".files/brave-bins/default" -}}
+{{- end -}}
+
diff --git a/dot_config/autorandr/executable_postswitch.tmpl b/dot_config/autorandr/executable_postswitch.tmpl
index fe0c88c..84b019b 100644
--- a/dot_config/autorandr/executable_postswitch.tmpl
+++ b/dot_config/autorandr/executable_postswitch.tmpl
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 feh --no-fehbg --bg-scale --bg-fill "$XDG_DATA_HOME/backgrounds/moon_forest.jpg" &
 
-{{ if ne .features.conky_alias "none" -}}
+{{ if ne .features.desktop_alias "none" -}}
 killall conky > /dev/null 2>&1
 conky -d > /dev/null 2>&1
 {{- end }}
diff --git a/dot_config/conky.dhall.tmpl b/dot_config/conky.dhall.tmpl
index 22b9154..2529806 100644
--- a/dot_config/conky.dhall.tmpl
+++ b/dot_config/conky.dhall.tmpl
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-{{- if eq .features.conky_alias "laptop" -}}
+{{- if eq .features.desktop_alias "laptop" -}}
 {{-   include ".files/conky-configs/laptop.dhall" -}}
-{{- else if eq .features.conky_alias "workstation" -}}
+{{- else if eq .features.desktop_alias "workstation" -}}
 {{-   include ".files/conky-configs/workstation.dhall" -}}
-{{- else if eq .features.conky_alias "work-laptop" -}}
+{{- else if eq .features.desktop_alias "work-laptop" -}}
 {{-   include ".files/conky-configs/work-laptop.dhall" -}}
 {{- end -}}
diff --git a/dot_config/rofi/devices.dhall.tmpl b/dot_config/rofi/devices.dhall.tmpl
index bad0736..5c3e777 100644
--- a/dot_config/rofi/devices.dhall.tmpl
+++ b/dot_config/rofi/devices.dhall.tmpl
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-{{- if eq .features.conky_alias "laptop" -}}
+{{- if eq .features.desktop_alias "laptop" -}}
 {{-   include ".files/rofi-dev-configs/laptop.dhall" -}}
-{{- else if eq .features.conky_alias "workstation" -}}
+{{- else if eq .features.desktop_alias "workstation" -}}
 {{-   include ".files/rofi-dev-configs/workstation.dhall" -}}
-{{- else if eq .features.conky_alias "work-laptop" -}}
+{{- else if eq .features.desktop_alias "work-laptop" -}}
 {{-   include ".files/rofi-dev-configs/work-laptop.dhall" -}}
 {{- end -}}
diff --git a/dot_config/rofi/devices.dhall.tmpl.bak b/dot_config/rofi/devices.dhall.tmpl.bak
deleted file mode 100644
index 6454326..0000000
--- a/dot_config/rofi/devices.dhall.tmpl.bak
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,149 +0,0 @@
-let C = ../rofi-extras/dhall/rofi-dev.dhall
-
-let cryptdir = 
-{{ if eq .features.rofi_alias "laptop" -}}
-    "/mnt/data/Documents/.crypt"
-{{- else if eq .features.rofi_alias "workstation" -}}
-    "/mnt/data/.crypt"
-{{- else -}}
-    "~/.crypt"
-{{- end }}
-
-let sshKey =
-{{ if eq .features.rofi_alias "workstation" -}}
-    "ssh workstation"
-{{- else -}}
-    "ssh"
-{{- end }}
-
-let gpgKey =
-{{ if eq .features.rofi_alias "workstation" -}}
-    "gpg workstation"
-{{- else -}}
-    "gpg"
-{{- end }}
-
-let bwConfig =
-      \(k : Text) ->
-        C.PasswordConfig.PwdBW ({ bwKey = k, bwTries = 2 } : C.BitwardenConfig)
-
-let sshData =
-      \(r : Text) ->
-        C.DataConfig.SSHFSConfig
-          (   { sshfsRemote = r, sshfsPassword = None C.PasswordConfig }
-            : C.SSHFSData
-          )
-
-let sshfsTree =
-      \(m : Text) ->
-      \(l : Text) ->
-      \(r : Text) ->
-          { tcParent =
-                { deviceMount = { mpPath = m, mpLabel = Some l } : C.MountConfig
-                , deviceData = sshData r
-                }
-              : C.DeviceConfig
-          , tcChildren = [ "ssh" ]
-          }
-        : C.TreeConfig
-
-let crypt = \(b : Text) -> "${cryptdir}/${b}"
-
-let vcName = \(n : Text) -> "Veracrypt (${n})"
-
-let vcryptTree =
-      \(m : Text) ->
-      \(l : Optional Text) ->
-      \(v : Text) ->
-      \(k : Text) ->
-          { tcParent =
-                { deviceMount = { mpPath = m, mpLabel = l } : C.MountConfig
-                , deviceData =
-                    C.DataConfig.VeracryptConfig
-                      (   { vcVolume = crypt v
-                          , vcPassword = Some (bwConfig (vcName k))
-                          }
-                        : C.VeracryptData
-                      )
-                }
-              : C.DeviceConfig
-          , tcChildren = [] : List Text
-          }
-        : C.TreeConfig
-
-let defaultDevs =
-      [ { tKey = "ssh"
-        , tVal =
-            vcryptTree
-              "${env:HOME as Text}/.ssh"
-              (Some "ssh")
-              "ssh-config"
-              sshKey
-        }
-      , { tKey = "gnupg"
-        , tVal =
-            vcryptTree
-              "${env:GNUPGHOME as Text}"
-              (None Text)
-              "gpg-config"
-              gpgKey
-        }
-      ]
-
-let otherDevs =
-{{- if eq .features.rofi_alias "laptop" -}}
-      [ { tKey = "accounts"
-        , tVal = vcryptTree "accounts" (None Text) "accounts" "accounts"
-        }
-      , { tKey = "ansible-pki"
-        , tVal = vcryptTree "ansible-pki" (None Text) "ansible" "Ansible PKI"
-        }
-      , { tKey = "call_logs"
-        , tVal = vcryptTree "call-logs" (None Text) "call_logs" "ACR"
-        }
-      , { tKey = "ebm_snakemake"
-        , tVal =
-            sshfsTree
-              "ebm_snakemake"
-              "EBM"
-              "nisaba:/aigenomics/EBM_dev/snakemake"
-        }
-      , { tKey = "nist_workstation"
-        , tVal =
-            sshfsTree
-              "nist_workstation"
-              "NIST Workstation"
-              "nist-workstation:/mnt/data"
-        }
-      , { tKey = "music"
-        , tVal =
-            sshfsTree
-              "/mnt/data/Music"
-              "Music"
-              "portnoy4prez:/mnt/data/home/Music"
-        }
-      , { tKey = "videos"
-        , tVal =
-            sshfsTree
-              "/mnt/data/Videos"
-              "Videos"
-              "portnoy4prez:/mnt/data/home/Videos"
-        }
-      ]
-{{- else if eq .features.rofi_alias "workstation" -}}
-      [ { tKey = "ebm_snakemake"
-        , tVal =
-            sshfsTree
-              "ebm_snakemake"
-              "EBM"
-              "nisaba:/aigenomics/EBM_dev/snakemake"
-        }
-      ]
-{{- else -}}
-      [] : C.TreeMap
-{{- end }}
-
-in  { scTmpPath = Some "/tmp/media/${env:LOGNAME as Text}"
-    , scVerbose = Some False
-    , scDevices = defaultDevs # otherDevs
-    }